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Introduction to Volunteer Development

  • Updated

This is an session outline to be used in presenting introduction to volunteer development. It has been modified for use within volunteer groups of all types - chapters, areas, and regions. There is a PowerPoint presentation which accompanies the session outline.

In-Person Training Session: Introduction to Volunteer Development
Time: 90 minutes

Training Module: Introduction to Volunteer Development
Time: 90 minutes

Methodologies:

  • Presentation
  • Small Group Discussion
  • Brainstorming
  • Charting

Materials Needed: 

  • “Introduction to Volunteer Development” Powerpoint (Attached below)
  • Signs for each stage of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
  • Large blank note cards
  • Stages of Volunteer Development Handout
  • Flipchart Paper, Markers, and Masking Tape

Behavioral Learning Objectives 

By the end of this session participants will be able to:

  • list at least 5 reasons that people choose to volunteer for and stay with organizations
  • Identify the key stages in volunteer development

Activity 1: Volunteer Motivations
Purpose of Activity: This section is both an icebreaker and a way to introduce the general concept that while volunteers approach volunteering for many different reasons, certain concepts are critical when it comes to attracting and keeping volunteers
Time: 40 minutes

  • Break participants into small groups of 4-6 and allow time to introduce themselves – provide each group with flipchart paper and markers
  • Tell groups that we will be going through a series of four questions and they will have 3 minutes to brainstorm and record answers to each question – ask groups to each select a scribe
  • Ask group to discuss Question #1 (on slide #2)
  • Ask group to discuss Question #2 (on slide #3)
  • Ask group to discuss Question #3 (on slide #4)
  • Ask group to discuss Question #4 (on slide #5), letting them know that they may or may not have new information to add to what they have already discussed in the first three questions
  • Pass out two blank note cards to each person.
  • Ask people to look at the brainstorming lists they have created in their small groups. Ask each person to write down two of the answers that they find especially important – they can choose an answer to any of the four questions and should write one answer per card – tell them to hold onto their cards for a minute
  • Using slide #6, explain Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, making sure everyone understands the five types of needs that people have – post signs for each of the five needs on the wall, spread out from each other around the room

  • Ask people to post their two note cards under the appropriate Maslow card – place roles of masking tape under each sign so that posting the cards is easy
  • Debrief the result – most of the cards will be placed in the higher levels of needs – talk about the implications of this for organizations (i.e. – we need to provide a good, solid organizational structure with predictable policies and procedures because these satisfy “safety and security needs” and allow people a base from which to satisfy their higher level needs) – revisit the questions that the groups brainstormed as a reference point
  • Use the summary statements on slide #7 to conclude this section of the training.



Activity 2: Four Keys to Involving Volunteers

Purpose of Activity: This section is the “core” content of this module. It is designed to stress the need for an organized approach to involving volunteers and thus to support the Volunteer Development Stages model that will be explained in the following section.
Time: 20 minutes

  • Run this section as an “interactive” lecture, allowing plenty of opportunity for others’ observations, connections, and questions
  • Go through slides #8-20 – consistently refer back to the information posted around the room to validate the reasons that people choose to volunteer and stay at organizations – where there are discussion questions in the slides, run them as brief, large group discussions without any flipcharts.


Activity 3: Stages of Volunteer Development
Purpose of Activity: This section provides an overview of a standard model of volunteer development that will help participants to organize what they likely know about bringing and maintaining volunteers in an organization.
Time: 30 minutes

  • Break people into small groups of 4-6 people (use the same groups as before or mix them up again) – provide blank flipchart paper to each group – ask the groups to select their “most logical and organized” member to be the scribe
  • Instruct the groups to devise a flowchart that would show the process that a new volunteer would ideally go through – what can the organization put in place that will take a person and turn them into a “happy and satisfied” AFS volunteer? – encourage the groups to talk first and reach some consensus on the steps before using the flipchart paper and the markers – the “logical and organized” scribe should then lead the process of putting the flowchart onto the flipchart – allow about 10 minutes for this process
  • Ask each group to post and share their flowcharts
  • Find and discuss any commonalities and differences in the flowcharts
  • Pass out “Stages of Volunteer Development” and turn on projector to slides #21 & 22 – briefly explain the 9-stage model and find all of the places where the groups’ flowcharts mirror the model – assuming a fair amount of similarity, emphasize that “we already know what to do” – answer any questions people have about the model – state that creating a process like this is an AFS goal


Evaluation of Workshop

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