Designing the Ultimate Volunteer Program Betsy Maher, Director, Volunteer Services, Lincoln Park Zoo Jason Theuman, Docent Program Coordinator, Chicago Zoological Society – Brookfield Zoo Bridget Thornton, Manager of Volunteer Services, Shedd Aquarium
Chicagoland Cultural Volunteer Programs (CCVP) •Quick overview of CCVP •Formerly known as Volunteer Coordinators of Cultural Institutions (VCCI) •Peer-to-peer sharing group •4 meetings per year, each time at a different organization •Has anyone here attended a meeting?
Where did this topic and idea come from for today's presentation? •We wanted to celebrate what we do well and what we’re proud of! •We all tend to focus on what’s going wrong •We learn from successes as much as mistakes
Who was there? •Willowbrook Wildlife Center •Chicago History Museum •Kohl Children’s Museum •Chicago Botanic Garden •Forest Preserve District of •The Anti-Cruelty Society DuPage County •Shedd Aquarium •Pleasant Home •Museum of Contemporary Art •Mayslake Peabody Estate •Brookfield Zoo •The Grove •Adler Planetarium •Morton Arboretum •Lincoln Park Conservancy •Museum of Science and •Chicago Architecture Foundation Industry •Chicago Park District/ •Lincoln Park Zoo The Nature Conservancy •Jewish United Fund
Before we jump in… • Take a few minutes and outline the basic components of your volunteer program from the first contact with a prospective volunteer to orientation and ongoing involvement • Is there something you think is missing from your program that you’re hoping to learn more about?
Here is what we came up with… • At the CCVP meeting, we divided into groups by organization size to come up with the components of the “Ultimate Volunteer Program” • When given a limited time frame, here’s what each group prioritized Small organizations are great at thinking about recognition and • retention with personal touches Medium Organizations see the overall picture, but focus on the • training Large Organizations are detail oriented, and set up recruiting and • onboarding in a methodical way • Sometimes we may need to “think” like another size to make sure we’re covering all the pieces • Every organization, no matter the size, has its own strengths
Best Practices – Let’s Dig In… • The discussions and tips shared fall into the following “buckets” • Paperwork & Tools • Recruitment & Onboarding • Training & Development • Recognition & Retention • Management & Operations • These seem to capture the major pieces we should be thinking about. • Do you see one right now that you may not have thought of?
Before You Start • Policies and Procedures • Budget and Staff • Space • Internal Support http://www.rmmagazine.com/2016/11/01/why-policies-and-procedures-matter/
Recruitment & Onboarding • Finding Volunteers • Meeting and Screening • Orientation • Preparing for further Training https://www.slideshare.net/JessPereira/25-reasons-why-you-should-come-to-america- 020111/33-WE_WANT_YOU
Training & Development • Required • Ongoing • Methods http://www.tcpskids.com/training/
Recognition & Retention • Simple • Grand Scale • Meaningful • New Opportunities • Face Time
Management & Operations • Communication • Information • Evaluation http://www.eambrace.com/operations-management.php
Now it’s your turn! Activity • You will be divided into 5 groups • Each group will be given a program topic on which to focus • What do you think is important for that area? • What is one thing your organization does well in that area?
Time to Share https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/sharing-ideas-creates-commitment-jade-coote
Final Thoughts… • Celebrate what you do well! • Not all pieces are relevant to every organization; it’s ok to adapt to your own needs • Look for inspiration in programs you admire • Did you see an idea you like from an organization? Ask us to connect.
Thank you bmaher@lpzoo.org bthornton@sheddaquarium.org Jason.Theuman@czs.org https://chicvp.wordpress.com/
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