VOLUNTEERS ARE PEOPLE TOO

By Carmen Christy Nickel

Local History Notebook, September / October 1988

Having a place to learn and grow, a place where they can develop strong relationships, a place where they can be recognized and rewarded for their efforts is what keeps volunteers committed. Finding real meaning in their work is what motivates volunteers. A volunteer program which provides these things either by chance or on purpose is a successful one.

But people don't volunteer blindly. They volunteer because they want to, because the time and effort spent comes back to them in personal gratification, because the experience adds to the quality of their lives.

In developing or maintaining a volunteer program, at first, don't think about what your society needs. Think, instead, about why people choose to spend their time in any historical setting. Their reasons can be as diverse as the agencies they serve, but they can have strong motivations which sometimes go unrecognized by themselves or others.

Historical society volunteers may be lumped into roughly eight general categories:

A clear mission statement, a code of ethics, and a long-range plan with volunteer development holding a prominent place within it are necessary to the growth and success of your organization, and all are important to attracting the volunteers you want.

Once you know why people would want to join you, then set about appealing to those specific interests. Ask the grapevine for those with specific skills you need. Pay court to people with skills you need. Let people know what you do and what you need by any means you can. Distribute your newsletters liberally throughout the community. Talk to service clubs and any other group you can think of. Encourage already committed volunteers--your best ambassadors--to help spread the word. If your time and energy are limited, pick one of the above and do it well. By making known the focus of your agency, its offering and needs, volunteers will find you.

Foster Volunteer & Staff Friendships

Of course the work just begins with this planning and promotion. You must develop sincere relationships with your volunteers. Honest, sincere, square-in-the-eye attention is the most validating thing we can give or receive. And the effort you make to develop relationships with your volunteers at the beginning of their experience in your society will make all the difference in the quality of attention they will give back to you, the society and their work, both now and in the future.

Once introductions have been made and communications established, ask volunteers to fill out a volunteer survey form where they might list their interests, skills, and how they are willing to participate. Have them include some biographical information. Formally collecting this information serves notice that you take their interests seriously. It may also help them clarify their thinking, particularly if the survey lists lots of things to do.

Developed along with specific job descriptions during the planning process, this survey should be non-threatening in form and focused on the volunteers, not the society. After all, you don't want to scare them off with pressure to commit themselves before they're ready. Showing interest, gathering some information and, in your way, letting them know they are welcome and how they can help is enough right now.

Appeal to Volunteers’ Interests

From the survey (which your volunteers will update annually once they become actively involved), you can get some feel for projects which will appeal to volunteers in this early stage. If you invite them to become involved in a specific project and they do, then step aside and let them at it. If there's not much interest shown, suggest another activity, or a choice of things to do, keeping the pressure low and the relationship strong until they find their own reasons to participate. All you need do is keep offering, using the "I thought you might like... " approach or "Tomorrow I need ..." request.

And after a while if they can't find a meaningful way to participate these people will look elsewhere for what they need. If you have done your part by sincerely trying to help them find what they are looking for, don't take their departure personally.

The volunteers who do stay have found reasons to feel committed to your organization. Be aware that their interests will change and grow, so be prepared for spurts of energy or interests which shoot off in unexpected directions. Encourage their growth and participation. Provide volunteers with information through conversation, magazine articles and association mailings so they'll see how their contributions fit into the greater history world. Above all, recognize that energy, interest, time and available resources ebb and flow for us all--a "no" today does not necessarily mean a "no" tomorrow. Keep them on your mailing list and be ready to respond when they are ready to contribute again.

After volunteers have found their reasons for staying, taking on weightier responsibilities will come more easily. In fact, they may ask you for a job which needs to be done, and want to receive the proper training to do it. Some may want a regular time in the agency, some a specific activity. Some may want a hands-on task in the office or collections, others responsibility for committee assignments in preparation for board membership. You will find the relationship changing a bit from general attention to mutual support as you work together toward converging purposes--their need to do meaningful work and your need for meaningful work to get done. As they become more confident in their contribution and involvement with the organization, volunteers expect to be treated in a less personal and more professional way.

Again, when developing a volunteer program it helps to look, once in a while, at it from the volunteers' perspective. To keep them committed to your society and the work they do, and to give your own time and energy, there are certain things you can do for volunteers as you work with them: Be sure volunteers understand the mission statement, code of ethics and long-range plan of your society. And to keep everyone on track, remind them occasionally of these. The lack of a clear understanding of why an organization exists, what is ethically acceptable behavior within it, and what its future will be, can sometimes be a source of misunderstanding and conflict between volunteers and their managers.

When you offer volunteers jobs they want to do and which need to be done, supply them with all the tools they need, including job descriptions, procedures, and time frames in writing when possible. Be considerate of your volunteers' time. Find out when it is appropriate to call them and only call during that time. Always be clear, specific and prepared. Hold meetings only when necessary, plan for them ahead of time, stick to a prepared agenda, and keep things moving. Volunteers know the difference between getting things done and socializing; set time aside before or after the meeting for those who do want to socialize.

Keep Volunteers Informed

Plan well and keep the momentum going on a project. For volunteers with a fixed amount of time available, and especially for business people who are used to charging ahead, there is nothing more frustrating than a lack of planning or measurable progress. Sometimes a quick phone call is enough to let them know something's happening.

Be protective of your hardest workers, especially fundraisers. Let volunteer fundraisers know they can do other things as well and that the society welcomes them in less demanding projects. Fundraisers, in particular, will get back to their own work with a renewed and refreshed sense of purpose.

Once strong commitments are formed, strong emotional investments are also made. Even if small issues upset them, it takes a really big disagreement to send volunteers away forever. Accept gracefully their refusals to participate, give them a chance to put the experience behind them, and then approach them later with a fair request. Generally, the volunteer's bond with the organization continues even if some of the people in it are hard to get along with. Even if a volunteer has absolutely had it, there's often still a feeling of association and some interest left which may be aroused later.

After years of service, some volunteers are going to want to step down. Be sure there is a newer, fresher, younger group coming along so that the veterans will feel able to give up their responsibilities and step out of the trenches. Remember, they will still want to enjoy watching the society grow, but from the sidelines, and can be called back into action should the need arise. Recognize, also, the principle of diminishing returns. When volunteers feel they are doing more for the society than they are receiving, they will soon no longer participate. It will be hard, if not impossible, to re-involve them.

Reward Your Volunteers

There must be some sort of reward for dedicated volunteers. Keeping track of hours donated, projects completed, and levels of achievement reached, and then publicly rewarding those efforts is an important part of any volunteer program. Your society most certainly should present plaques and pins, give luncheons and banquets, show public appreciation through newsletters and news releases to those who have contributed to the growth of your organization.

But there are other rewards volunteers expect along the way as well. Through continuing exposure to new ideas and new challenges, volunteers are rewarded with the opportunity for intellectual and personal growth. Through volunteer work, people are rewarded with chances to meet new people and form new relationships. And they may develop a greater understanding of the larger community in which they live. They may gain a stronger self-image, knowing that their involvement makes a difference to the society as well as to themselves, and take continuing pride in that association. They are rewarded with a place and a reason for adult play and recreation, finding relief from daily life in celebrations, special events and reenactments.

Providing the opportunity for a volunteer to grow must be the responsibility of the entire organization. The board of trustees, members and staff all must be committed to meeting the needs of the volunteers. Those working directly with volunteers must keep in close contact with each other, helping to plan and implement the program.

If it looks as if this is too much work for you, look again. I am talking mostly about attitudes and approaches. Just be aware of why you are doing things. Ask for help in planning, writing and organizing. Find out what works in other places. Not just in historical organizations, but in other volunteer-based organizations as well. Collect examples of surveys and job descriptions and modify them according to the needs and realities of your own setting. Strengthen your network with other volunteer managers. The support and reassurance, understanding and suggestions they can give will bolster your own commitment. As with volunteers, you will find your energy and optimism renewing as you learn and grow.

No matter how your volunteer program evolves, know that volunteers want to leave behind something which is part of their community and of use to it. During their service to a historical society through a volunteer program sensitive to their needs, people are helping preserve and interpret their local history; they are also learning about themselves, both in the past and present, making connections to face the future confidently. Our work may be in cultivating the past but our rewards are in human growth, both now and in the future.

Originally from Fremont, OH, Carmen Christy Nickel, a member of the Board of Directors of the Arizona Historical Society and actively involved in AASLH, led a discussion on volunteer management at last year's AASLH annual meeting in Raleigh, NC. Nickel currently heads a new AASLH subcommittee which is working on a program for the AASLH 1989 Annual Meeting to address the needs of boards of trustees. In preparing this article, Nickel used the book, "Why Work: Leading the Next Generation", by Michael Maccoby.

Suggested Reading on Volunteer Programs:

Bortin, Virginia. Publicity for Volunteers: A Handbook. Walker & Company, 1981.

Naylor, Harriet H. Volunteers Today - Finding, Training & Working With Them. Dryden Associates, 1973.

Raebel, Joanna. Volunteers From Business. Grantsmanship Center, 1981.

Vineyard, Sue. Beyond Banquets, Plaques and Pins: Creative Ways to Recognize Staff & Volunteers. Heritage Arts, 1981.

Vineyard, Sue. Finding Your Way Through The Maze of Volunteer Management. Heritage Arts, 1981.

Wilson, Marlene. The Effective Management of Volunteer Programs. Volunteer Management Associates, 1981.

Contact the OHS Local History Office for samples of volunteer surveys.

The Local History Notebook is edited and published by the Ohio Historical Society's Local History Office in order to bring useful information to people working in the local history field. The selection of subjects and authors is based on inquiries to the Local History Office and on the editor's determination of issues which are timely in nature and lasting in scope. The reference inserts are copyrighted 1988 the Ohio Historical Society. Reprints are available; please specify volume and number. For further information, contact: