CERTIFICATE: Volunteer Program Management (Summer 2024 – In-Person)

Facilitator: Drew Himsworth from Hands on Nashville

In-Person Core Workshops: 6/12, 6/26 & 7/10/2024 *  Virtual Group Coaching Session: 7/24/2024 (Zoom)

Are you feeling overwhelmed or lost with the day-to-day operations of your volunteer program? Have you recently been tasked with building a successful volunteer base for your agency? Running a successful volunteer program requires implementing smart management systems and procedures. This certificate will cover best practices and common pitfalls for building a volunteer program and managing those volunteers. 

(The certificate price includes all three core workshops and the virtual final review / group coaching session. To complete the Volunteer Program Management Certificate, complete at least 3 of the 4 sessions. )

Part 1: Planning and Recruitment (In-Person) - 6/12/2024, 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM 

This interactive session will go over key skills you need to know to evaluate where your volunteer program currently stands, and how to make a map to where you want to go. You’ll learn to get buy-in from key stakeholders and how to create strong volunteer position descriptions. We’ll also discuss why having policies and procedures in writing is critical before getting started. 

Learning Objectives:  

•    Evaluate your current volunteer program and create a road map of where you want to go 
•    Learn to create buy-in from key stakeholders in your organization 
•    Create strong volunteer position descriptions and consider other policies and procedures 

Part 2: Orientation and Supervision (In-Person) - 6/26/2024, 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM 

The second session will delve deep into an impact-based approach to recruiting volunteers and how to write a persuasive ad. We’ll also explore why orientation is a critical piece of managing volunteers, and brainstorm ways to succinctly describe your organizational value proposition and what format works best. 

Learning Objectives: 

•    Effectively recruit for volunteers 
•    Understand why volunteer orientation is crucial for success 
•    Create an impactful elevator pitch 

Part 3: Evaluation and Recognition (In-Person) - 7/10/2024, 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM 

Part 3 focuses on the last pieces of the volunteer cycle. From creating a training that works for every type of learners, to developing an overarching system for recognizing volunteers, each component is a chance to retain volunteers. Why is that important? Volunteers are your fan club, your advocates, your donors, and your organizations friends. Build an excellent program to keep them coming back!  

Learning Objectives: 

•    Create a training outline that works for various types of learners 
•    Develop or systematize your volunteer recognition system  
•    Request feedback from volunteers  
•    Retain the volunteers you’ve worked so hard to recruit  

Part 4: Final Review / Group Coaching Session (Zoom) – 7/24/2024,  1:00 PM – 2:30 PM

The 90-minute virtual group coaching session provides an opportunity for Volunteer Program Management Certificate candidates to review what they have learned and discuss strategies to incorporate the concepts shared into their organization’s volunteer program. 

*Workshop times are Central Standard Time.