Beyond Training: Sweeping Away Barriers to Volunteer Engagement

A few years ago, I was interviewing dozens of staff and volunteers of a wildlife rehabilitation organization as part of a volunteer engagement assessment and was struck by a common theme among the volunteer interviewees. This organization was well-run, beloved by its cadre of more than one thousand dedicated volunteers and boasted a staff who unanimously agreed on the vital role volunteers played in their mission-critical work. In interviews, we often ask volunteers what they would change if they could change one thing about their experience at the organization – and this is where the surprising common theme came up. Often, this question reveals such volunteer wishes as more scheduling flexibility, more online trainings, greater exposure to senior leadership, or even discounted parking. Here, the most common answer was brooms. Yup. Brooms.

At this organization, brooms were not just for cleaning floors. They were used to sweep water off the decks of the enclosures where rescued marine mammals received treatments and could recover before being released back into the ocean. Brooms represented safety—ensuring that the decks were not too slippery. Yes, there were brooms at the facility, but according to volunteers, they were in short supply. This was the #1 request by volunteers and, as such, provides a valuable lesson in how to ensure that staff across an organization are willing and able to effectively engage and support volunteers.

Despite what the title suggests, engaging volunteers is not just the responsibility of a designated “volunteer coordinator.” Most everyone in an organization interacts with volunteers. Having the knowledge and skills to engage and support volunteers is important regardless of one’s title. Yet, all too often, preparing staff to engage volunteers is limited to traditional workshops or videos without considering other vital aspects of equipping staff for success—such as infrastructure. And here’s where the brooms come in.

Effective and impactful volunteer engagement relies on sufficient infrastructure and technology. Ensuring that staff who partner with volunteers are able to do so effectively means not only training them in topics like providing volunteers feedback, but also working with them to develop well-designed positions for volunteers to fill, clarify your mutual responsibilities for every phase of a volunteer’s involvement, and confirming that the infrastructure needed for volunteers to effectively, comfortably, and safely do their work is all in place. That means—you guessed it—more brooms.

Infrastructure includes many things:

• Budget (designated operational funds to support staff, office equipment, program supplies, training, technology hardware and software, etc.)
• Staffing (dedicated volunteer management staff, volunteer engagement responsibilities incorporated into other staff member job descriptions, etc.)
• Space (workspace, storage, breakrooms, etc.)
• Equipment and Materials (storage bins, cash machines, gardening tools, program kits, uniforms, and, of course, brooms, etc.)
• Technology (hardware including computers, tablets, phones, and cameras; Software including volunteer management software, emails, applications, and more)
• Recognition Resources (catering, event spaces, awards, gifts, etc.)
• Training (curricula, handouts, guest speaker, refreshments, space, etc.)
• Policies and Protocols (volunteer handbook, background checks, risk management including insurance, etc.)

How are you collaborating with staff partners to ensure that they and the volunteers with whom they work are equipped for success? Team up to develop position descriptions. Together, assess what infrastructure is in place and what else might be needed or helpful. Strategize how to advocate for those resources—whether the needed resources are funding, time, materials, space, or something else. And if you are interested in getting a better picture of what would be helpful from a volunteer perspective, then simply ask. You may be surprised at the answers. You just might hear that a relatively modest investment (such as brooms) would signal sincere appreciation to your volunteer workforce.