So many volunteer managers depend on groups of volunteers to meet the needs of their programs. Different types of groups can come with their own challenges. We’ll discuss ideas for working with corporate groups, youth groups, and other groups. Effective practices for engagement, ideas for diversifying the work and commitment level of volunteer groups, the importance of creating opportunities with measurable impacts, and communicating those impacts will be discussed.

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Agenda
• Putting Groups to Work for You!
• Find the Right Group Balance
• Build an Ongoing Relationship
• The importance of planning
• Create opportunities that meet your mission
• Get help!
• Say thank you

3. Working with Groups
• Groups can present different challenges than
ongoing volunteers
– Motivation
– Messaging
– Expectations
• But a successful group opportunity can produce
ongoing positive results
– Awareness
– Measurable impact
– Opportunity for more involvement
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4. Find the Right Balance
Think about the work that needs to be accomplished.
Does it lend itself to one or more types of groups?
Groups come in all shapes and sizes
• Corporate groups
– Many sizes, variety of motivations and levels of
involvement.
• Youth service groups
– Wide range of ages and sizes, with different levels of
engagement and commitment
• Informal groups
– Friends, families, social organizations, alumni groups. Can
be more diverse in commitment and motivation.
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5. Build an Ongoing Relationship
• Encourage a group to think of your organization first
when they are looking to volunteer
• Offer a variety of different types of volunteer
– Group opportunities
– Team building opportunities
– Opportunities for employees to build or expand skills
– Leadership opportunities
– Opportunities for families and children
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6. The Importance of Planning
• Understand what you can offer, and what you
need from the group
– Be honest about what you can provide, but think
creatively too!
• Guidelines
– minimum age
– time commitment
– when background checks are required
• Project outlines
• Setting up boundaries
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7. Make the Work Mission Driven
Meet the Needs of the Group but Don't Forget your
Mission
• Orientation – Share why you do what you do
– Make sure you have names and emails
• The relationship you build with a group is a two
way street.
• Determine what the group’s/coordinator's goals
are for the volunteer event
• Manage the expectations of the coordinator and
the volunteers
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8. Get Help
Don’t feel like you have to do everything alone.
• Build a plan that involves others in your
organization
• Create an internal communication plan to inform
other staff and volunteers about the project
event
• Engage your regular volunteers as team leaders
or supervisors
• Ask the group to create teams with leaders
– Children-friendly opportunities need to be managed
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9. Say Thank You
• Remember the goals
– Make sure you share what was done with the
coordinator and invite them back
• Share the impacts with all of the volunteers
– Not just hours, but actions and impacts too
– Take pictures
– Use social media - spread the thank you
– Include ways for them to get more involved
• Don't forget to share how that work serves your
mission
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10. Make it Work Checklist
Create a connection between the group, the
volunteers and your mission, and you can build a
real relationship.
• Get your ducks in a row!
• Think creatively.
• Know your boundaries.
• Connect the work to your mission – share the
connection.
• Get help and start small.
• Keep in touch – say thank you and share the
impacts.
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Resources
Learning Center
Find upcoming webinar dates, how-to videos and more
http://learn.volunteermatch.org
VolunteerMatch Blog
Visit Engaging Volunteers, our nonprofit blog:
blogs.volunteermatch.org/engagingvolunteers/
Related Webinar Topics:
•Creating a Comprehensive and Engaging Volunteer Training Program
•Where Do I Go From Here? Evolving your Volunteer Program for More Involvement
•Walking the Walk: Engage Volunteers in your Volunteer Engagement Program
#VMLearn

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Thanks for attending!
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Follow us on Twitter: @VolunteerMatch
For any questions contact:
Jennifer Bennett
(415) 321-3639
@JenBennettCVA
jbennett@volunteermatch.org
#VMLearn