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Training / WorkshopsAll topics are customized, designed and facilitated by Donna Lockhart to meet the needs of your participants. Donna would be happy to explore any of the following topics or combination with you. Detailed overviews are provided by clicking on each topic title. Topics are appropriate for:
Topics include:
Shifting Gears: The Changing Volunteer Labour Force
David Foote introduced us to demographics and the impact that cohort groups will have on everything from housing and cars, to day care and recreation. That was over ten years ago. What has the voluntary sector done to attract and engage potential volunteers who fall into any of the cohort groupings? Each grouping has different needs and wants. For the most part managers of volunteers have focused on traditional volunteer roles that attracted the Veteran volunteer - those faithful, committed volunteers who helped out of a sense of duty. We are witnessing rapid change as organizations struggle to recruit and retain volunteers based on traditional notions of volunteer roles. This session will give you a snapshot of the interests and motivations of 5 demographic groups and together we will develop strategies and approaches so that you can target and engage any specific group. This will help you secure the necessary volunteer resources to fulfil the mission and goals of the organization. The 5 groups include:
Baby Boomers as Volunteers: Engaging the ME Generation
There is much talk about changing patterns in volunteerism these days. The biggest unknown is what role the Baby Boomers will play in community life and in volunteerism. This group is comprised of a huge cohort born between 1946 and 1964. The leading edge of this age group is in their early 60's; the youngest of the group in their early 40's. Baby Boomers represent a very large and diverse group. As people inch towards retirement they are called 'seniors." We have come to understand however that there are ranges in the term senior. This was perhaps brought on by many in business who provided 'freedom 55' or discounts to anyone between the ages of 55 and 60. At one time 65 was the age of retirement from paid work. When you reached this and retired you were labelled a senior citizen. Because the age of retirement has fluctuated and boomers themselves have changed the way aging is seen, new categories have emerged. Three categories include: Young Seniors (age 55 to 64); Middle Seniors (age 65 to 74) and Older Seniors (75+). Each group has interesting data on volunteering patterns taken from what each age group did in the past. In the past, the volunteering record of the 'middle' group decreased dramatically after age 65. Will this be true for the boomer generation as they move up the volunteer life cycle? We have to remember that the boomers represent a much larger number of people than this age group did in the past. Does this mean that even if there is a drop in volunteering, it won't be as significant due to the sheer size of this group? Other questions surface for me:
It is difficult to predict the future. But important to speculate and do some solid thinking about it. Preparing in small ways can make a big difference. By the end of this session you will:
Volunteer Management 101
Volunteer Management 101, is an introductory session for those new to a position - a new manager, coordinator or administrator who is responsible for working with volunteers. An overview of a volunteer management system will be provided as well as examining each piece or component that supports good management practices. If you are new to the voluntary sector, you need a context for working with volunteers. It has been proven that developing good management practices through the support of a designated staff to work with volunteers, increases the success of volunteer engagement. By the end of this session, you will:
Best Practices in Recruitment and Retention
There is a dynamic tension that exists between Recruitment and Retention. These two half day sessions (each described below) can be merged into a full day... explore how to recruit and how to retain. If you do a better job of retention, your need to recruit decreases. Learn the best practices involved in recruitment and retention. Recruitment
Retention
Position Descriptions: Hidden Secrets in Design
It is becoming increasingly difficult to recruit volunteers. Time is the most limiting factor to their commitment. A well crafted position description may be the most valuable tool you have for recruiting and managing volunteers. This session will focus on the elements or hidden secrets that make position descriptions a vital tool in recruitment and also in general management of volunteers. Understanding the importance of motivation and tying it to design is fundamental to success. A position description template will be provided. Policies and Procedures in Volunteer Management
This is a very practical, hands-on session where examples will be shared and discussion focused on:
Trends and Issues in Volunteering
Over the past few years much research has surfaced about volunteering, who volunteers and why; age specific characteristics; and barriers to volunteering. This information provides us with a wealth of insights - the challenge is what to do with all this information? How to translate this information into action? When we have several years of information, trends start to form as well. One of the most recent trends is volunteering for shorter time periods or episodic volunteering. What impact do the trends and issues have for your volunteer practices? This session will provide you with:
This session can be customized to examine Canadian wide volunteering data or Province specific. It can further be broken down into age groupings as well with a specific examination of the impact of the data on that age grouping. Examining population data along with the volunteering data, adds another critical element in the analysis. This can be done if the session is held for a specific region. Example: In a recent project examining capacity of voluntarism for school breakfast programs, both volunteering data in Ontario and the population of Northumberland County was examined and analyzed. It became apparent that the primary target group for volunteers was also the group least likely to volunteer (Ontario) and that also made up a large percentage of that areas population. New ideas and strategies were developed to target other age groupings in order to keep the program viable. Best Practices: Getting Staff to work with Volunteers
One of the biggest challenges today is getting "other staff" in the organization, onside to work with or support volunteers. Healthy staff-volunteer relationships don't just happen. How often have you heard: "I worked really hard to find the right volunteer for that program only to find out that they left shortly after starting because staff treated them poorly?" What does it take to form a good staff-volunteer team? This workshop will explore in-depth FIVE Best Practices for staff-volunteer relations. These lay the framework for specific strategies to generate cooperative relationships between staff and volunteers. You will learn how to create a climate where everyone feels comfortable which in turn leads to fostering good working relationships and strengthening the organization's capacity to serve. Consideration for unionized environments will also be included. You will come to appreciate what YOUR role is in achieving good staff-volunteer relations! Let's Get Creative: Best Practices for Engaging Youth Volunteers
The Workshop "Let's Get Creative: Best Practices for Engaging Youth Volunteers" has these objectives:
This session can also be customized to include the Youth Volunteer Audit a tool that will help you work through best practices.
Best Practices: Corporate-Employee Volunteer Programs
Research shows that corporate-employee volunteer programs are on the rise. Volunteer Canada issued a corporate challenge. These programs can benefit the corporation, the employees, the voluntary organizations and ultimately the community. However, the right connection and support must be made in order for a successful partnership to occur. What is a corporate-employee volunteer program? Strategic Planning for Volunteer Managers
When we think of strategic planning, we often think about the agency or organization and the overall planning they do on an annual basis. Your program is often part of this bigger picture. As a vital part of the organization, you need to be equally prepared for the future. You can develop a picture of the future (Vision), a purpose (Mission), examine current Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT Analysis), establish concrete goals (Directions) and develop actions (Action steps or Objectives) for the Volunteer Program that you manage. Without a plan in place, the Manager of Volunteers is like a captain of a rudderless ship! This workshop will provide you with the framework and components to develop your own strategic plan for the volunteer program you manage. Some side effects of this session are "renewed energy and commitment to change that will propel your program to new heights." Extensive materials and templates will be provided to assist you with your journey! |
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Shifting Gears: The Changing Volunteer Labour Force