No More Homeless Pets Forum
August 18, 2003

Volunteer Management

Julie Castle

How do you find really good volunteers? Julie Castle and Tracy Miller of No More Homeless Pets in Utah will answer your questions about volunteer recruitment and keeping volunteers happy and involved.

Introduction from Julie Castle and Tracy Miller:

If you're having trouble recruiting, keeping, training and relating to volunteers, this is the forum for you! Feeling like volunteers are more trouble than they're worth? Feeling like you can do it yourself much more quickly and effectively than a volunteer? Feeling like you can't trust your volunteers to do something critical in your organization, such as an adoption interview? Feeling like your volunteers participate only for the social life rather than to help the animals? Stop the Madness!!!

Turn the drama and trauma in your volunteer ranks into productivity!

In this week's forum, we'll answer questions about how to manage, lead and direct the enthusiasm of your volunteers into results. We'll teach you that volunteers are really just staff in disguise and treating their job like a paid position will net you respect, and will net them a deeper sense of accomplishment and commitment. We'll show you that volunteers are imperative to the success of your operations and fundraising. You'll get advice on how to grow every aspect of your non-profit through the power of willing individuals and that volunteers are the lifeblood of any non-profit organization.

Questions

Finding volunteers when you are in a rural area
Finding corporate volunteers
Can you fire a volunteer?
Getting to know your volunteers' capabilities
Knowing which volunteers would be good for leadership roles
Liability waivers and insurance for volunteers
When too many events are burning volunteers out
Getting your voice heard as a volunteer
Getting new volunteers involved so it is not always the same few
Volunteer newsletters
How can volunteers show animal control they are working with them, not against?
When volunteers seem to want to just socialize
Where to begin recruiting new volunteers
When a volunteer in a key committee position isn't working out

Finding volunteers when you are in a rural area

Question from Sherry:

Our rescue group is in a very rural area so it is hard to find volunteers. Those that do offer want to work hands on at a shelter and we don't have one - we do everything through foster homes. We do have a lot of needs at off-site events, fosters, help transporting, help getting the word out on our adoptables, etc. but most people want to walk the dogs and play with the cats in a shelter setting. Do you have any suggestions for how rescue groups in rural areas can attract volunteers?

Response from Julie:

I have a few recommendations for your situation. Let's see how we can take your situation and turn the fact that you're in a rural location into an asset rather than a liability.

First, I would start a volunteer orientation program for your rescue group if you don't already have one. We host our orientations every other week and provide treats (these are very important) and hand out an orientation kit. The orientation kit includes our volunteer newsletter, liability release, a brief description of each area of our program in which they can volunteer, a list of our goals and mission statement, literature on upcoming events and our general program, as well as a volunteer application that asks for their contact information, skills and interests.

Basically, we don't let anyone begin volunteering for No More Homeless Pets in Utah until they've gone through our orientation. It's a great time focus everyone on the same page, get them excited about being involved with your organization, and "sell" your mission to them. It bring folks together and gives you the chance to explain to them your needs, expectations, limitations, and find out what they can do for your organization. During this time, you can emphasize, with everyone together, that you need more help with things other than walking dogs and playing with cats. You can help them understand that having a shelter doesn't solve the pet overpopulation problem, but utilizing the resources you currently have and building upon those to find more homes for animals is the best way your community can contribute to the homeless animal situation.

Finally, take a moment and outline your volunteer needs. Present this at your orientation and again, emphasize that it takes many diverse skills to save animals, such as accounting, graphic design, shuttling animals around, etc. Sometimes, folks don't know how critical it is that these things need to happen in order for the entire organization to work, and it's simply a matter of asking for the help.

Second, develop a networking campaign for new volunteer skill sets. I live in the boonies myself (3,000 people) and one of the things I enjoy about it the most is the sense of community and folks rising to overcome challenges and help out in times of need. I think you could have a tremendous response in your community if you put out a call to action and start approaching the people that have the skills you need. You'll be surprised at how much people will help you if you just ask. And, don't expect people to be full time, all-out volunteers. Sometimes people just want to give a little bit, and that's okay - -take what you can get.

Again, make a list of what your needs are and start targeting people in your community with those skills. Even if folks aren't devout animal lovers, most people have a place in their heart for them and will be likely to help out if they can. Make sure what you're asking for is clear and specifies how much of their time it will take. To give you some examples of how effective our strange volunteer networking has been for us, check out these scenarios; we have a burly semi truck driver that volunteers just during Super Adoption set-up and tear-down in-between runs to Alabama; we have a real estate agent that just wants to dress up as Santa and stand on a street corner directing people to our adoptions during our Home for the Holidays campaign; we have a podiatrist that just wants to distribute flyers and posters for our annual Strut Your Mutt; we have a data base engineer that builds comprehensive systems for us because his wife is on our feral cat committee and he grew tired of her struggling with our arcane data base.

The point is, people are out there and are willing to do critical, necessary things completely unrelated to animal work and are completely satisfied with their duties, and the fact that they're helping a good cause.

Third, do a large-scale volunteer recruitment campaign in your community. Get the word out to the general public that you need more volunteers. Post flyers, run classified newspaper ads, run radio PSAs, and get local clubs involved. Make sure you include your organization's successes in your volunteer recruitment materials. People like to be associated with successful things. Don't forget to include some of your most important skill needs in your ads either. Someone with valuable skills you need may hear that an animal organization is looking for volunteer help, but may assume that they can't offer anything because they aren't experts on pet care.

Finding corporate volunteers

Question from Gayle:

One area that we would like to tap into is corporate volunteers, but we don't know how to get our foot in the door. Have you had any luck approaching businesses and corporations for volunteers and if so, how did you do it?

Response from Tracy:

Yes, we have had tremendous success approaching businesses and corporations for volunteers. Some of the corporations with which we have built partnerships are American Express, Questar Gas and Delta Airlines. The first thing you need to do is take a look at your community to see what businesses have a good presence there. Most companies have a "Community Relations" person. You can find out who they are simply by calling and asking, or by going to their website. Many corporations' websites have a link to community service and volunteering.

When approaching a company to recruit volunteers for your group, project or event, you must show them the benefits they will receive as a result of doing this. Many different things motivate people. The key is to find out what will motivate this particular business or group of individuals to help you. They may see it as an opportunity for positive publicity. They may see it as a team building experience for their employees. It may simply be a way for them to gain community service hours. One thing to remember is that not all businesses will fit with your group. Think of it like "Spam". It's the number one product in Hawaii. The thought of it makes my skin crawl. The lesson: it's a great product, but not for everyone.

One thing I have found is that many corporations are looking for one-time service events. For instance, American Express has a national day of caring where every employee must volunteer for some event or project. The great thing about this is that once you get them to one of your events, you have the opportunity to recruit them for longer-term commitments. This needs to be subtle however. You don't want to guilt them into doing things for you. That only turns them off and you lose them forever. Just make sure they have a great time and be sure to recognize their efforts. Keep things positive and upbeat. You can put them or the head of their volunteer program on your mailing list to keep them informed of upcoming events. You might also want to have a sign up list for those who want to learn or do more. By doing this, you can grow these one-time volunteers into active supporting members of your program.

Another avenue you might explore is to contact your area's 211 Information Center. Most states have these referral services to connect people and corporations with volunteer opportunities in their community. They publish a monthly calendar of events that need volunteer help. Additionally, they have a database that they publish of all of the different agencies that need volunteers. Likewise, they may know of corporations or businesses that are looking for a group or project in which to get involved.

The bottom line, get on the phone or the net. They are out there. You will find them!

Can you fire a volunteer?

Question from a member:

At our shelter we have a volunteer who is wonderful with the animals and is also a high donor. We don't want to lose her, but she is so disruptive to the staff and other volunteers. She is always ordering the other volunteers around and we have had numerous complaints about her and some volunteers won't come in when she is scheduled. The staff also feels that she is rude and bosses them around. This makes a very tense environment for everyone. But since she is a volunteer and a donor, we don't know what we can do to reel her in. Help! Should we tell her not to volunteer anymore? Can we even do that with a volunteer?

Response from Tracy:

First of all, yes you can fire a volunteer. However, you need to make sure this is in the best interest of your organization before doing so. You stated early on in your question that you didn't want to lose her and then you asked if it were okay if you tell her not to volunteer anymore. I have been in this situation twice before. I have handled each situation differently. What you have to ask yourself is "is she worth the trouble she causes?" If she is, then you need to work around her idiosyncrasies. For instance, let those with whom she associates know what she is like and tell them to not take it personally. You can even make a game out of it. Have them report to you the most outrageous thing she says or does during their shift. If you do this, it definitely needs to be discreet! Also, only schedule volunteers that like her to work the same shifts as she does. You may also want to speak with her directly about this. Maybe she is not aware of the problems she is causing.

In doing this, it is helpful if you have a set of Policies and Procedures for volunteers to follow. It is not fair to them if they do not know the "rules". If you do not have standard policies and procedures, you need to write them ASAP and make sure the volunteers have them. These should be a part of every volunteer orientation. Let volunteers know that they are responsible for their performance and that you will be checking their performance. They need to know the boundaries. Strict enforcement of the boundaries or rules is a must for two reasons. One, for the encouragement of the other volunteers, and two, shoot him/her as an example to others.

I told you that I have been in this situation twice before. I'll share with you how I handled it. I fired one volunteer and worked with the other one. It was clear to me once I spoke with all of our staff and involved volunteers that it was not in our organizations best interest to keep Betty (not her real name) as a volunteer. Betty had repeatedly been told she was out of line, but she continued to push the envelope. The mere mention of her name caused some of our staff members to run the other way! I finally had to tell her that her behavior was completely inappropriate and that we no longer were interested in her services. She did not go away quietly. You have to prepare yourself for that if you fire someone. But, she did go away - and the staff who had been previously involved with her became much more productive. The second instance concerned a volunteer I will call Jody. Jody was loud, pushy and perceived by many to be rude. Nevertheless, she performed a role for us at Super Adoption events that no other volunteer or staff member wanted to do. More importantly, she was good at that role. Additionally, she is very well connected in the community. When I first met her, I thought I couldn't work with her. But, then I got to know her. She is a bundle of energy that just needed to be focused in the right direction. I warn everybody that works with her of her style. I am very particular of the volunteers I place to work with her. There are now several volunteers that actually request to work with her time and time again. I have grown to greatly admire and appreciate Jody and would never consider firing her.

So, It's a matter of juggling your priorities, making a decision and sticking with it. I do not regret my decision in either case. I can refer you to a book that might also help: "Handling Problem Volunteers" by Steve McCurley and Sue Vineyard. You can order this book by going to the website www.pointsoflight.org and clicking on the link to their marketplace. Points of Light is the nations #1 resource for Volunteer Management. You do not have to be a member to order books from them. I have attended two of their National Conferences and gained a wealth of knowledge from them.

Getting to know your volunteers' capabilities

Question from a member:

How do we determine which tasks and assignments to give to which volunteers? We get a lot of people who say, "I'll do whatever you need me to do," but we know they don't really mean that. When we send them a list of things that we need their help with, they often never respond back. It's difficult to determine
which people to give which tasks.

Response from Julie:

Here are a few tips to get your volunteer program running like a well-oiled machine.

First, determine what their skills are and what they're capable of doing time wise. This can be as easy as having them fill out an information sheet on themselves at your volunteer orientation.

Second, really get to know your volunteers. The best way to do this is to spend time with them. Events and adoptions are great opportunities to mingle with and get to know your volunteer staff. It's a great time to find out a lot about them and what makes them tick. We also have a couple of volunteer get-togethers a year to thank them for all of their time and commitment to the cause…this is also a fabulous time to get to know folks. Finally, quite often, I will ask a volunteer to go to lunch or have drinks. Once you've established a relationship with your volunteers, you'll start to be able to gauge their capabilities and will feel more comfortable asking them to do different tasks.

Third, when you ask volunteers to do something for your organization, you should do a lot of prep work before you ask them to commit their time. Basically, put together a job description of the task(s), with goals, which fits with their skills/personality. Next, put in a call to them and ask them if they'd be interested in meeting with you over coffee to discuss the volunteer opportunity you have in mind. When you meet with them, go over the job description and the goals that you put together for the task(s). This way, everything is outlined on paper, there is no doubt about what you expect from them, and you can discuss questions and concerns one on one. Like most of us, if you send a list of tasks to your volunteers and ask them to help out with one or more of the following duties, it will probably get buried under a pile never to be seen again. It's most likely not because they're not interested, but it's more likely that they haven't been cultivated enough or been given a specific enough duty to see that it's as big of a priority as you do.

Finally, the approach we've adopted with our volunteers is to treat them and their assigned responsibilities much like we do a staff member. When volunteers leave an organization, the biggest reasons I hear are 1) they didn't get enough direction or guidance, 2) they felt the cause was unorganized and was wasting their time, 3) they didn't feel appreciated enough. Wow, okay, so this told us to start running our volunteer program more like a business, which requires more structure and direction. So we now do the following: Key volunteers get job descriptions, timelines and goals for their tasks. They typically are placed on a committee that serves a specific function in the organization such as the Strut Your Mutt Committee. They meet every other week as a group, and the staff member/volunteer responsible for these volunteers is in contact with them in-between committee meetings either over the phone or in person to make sure they are on task.

These steps should help you take the fuzziness out of roles and responsibilities and give more definition to your volunteer program. You'll also start noticing how much more efficiently things run and how much easier it is to determine where folks can help out in your organization.

Knowing which volunteers would be good for leadership roles

Question from Meagan:

One thing we are in desperate need of right now is volunteers to take on leadership positions such as fundraising, public relations, and volunteer coordination. However, it is difficult to get people to commit to something like that. We keep hearing things like "I'd love to help, if I only had more time," or "I'm more comfortable doing something small and task-oriented and not taking on leadership responsibilities." What is the best way to decide who should take on these leadership type positions and then convince them to do it?

Response from Tracy:

My first year at Best Friends/No More Homeless Pets in Utah, I was asked to re-create three separate committees for three separate events. This would have been a very daunting task except that I had a very good knowledge of my volunteer base.

Every volunteer that attends one of our orientations completes a volunteer information sheet, which includes their interests, skills and availability. This is just the beginning. You really need to get to know your volunteers. I do this by attending as many adoptions and fundraising events as I can. It is important to mingle with them and make them your friends. As you get to know people, leaders will emerge. Additionally, we usually have two "thank you" gatherings per year for our volunteers. I strongly encourage all of our staff to attend these events to better get to know the volunteers as well. I also spend a lot of time on the phone chatting with folks. All of this will help you determine the motivations of your volunteers and if they are ready for bigger commitments.

The next step is to have clearly defined job assignments. I make sure each staff member who supervises a committee has written job descriptions for each committee member. These job descriptions contain a timeline with deadlines for when each task is to be completed. Volunteers will have a greater sense of belonging, achievement and satisfaction if they have the necessary direction.

Once you have your job descriptions, you are ready for the next step, which is to interview volunteers for these positions. Many of our volunteers are highly flattered to be asked to be on a committee. We actually have had to turn some people down - that is a whole separate issue to discuss! You can interview people over the phone. It is better to meet with them face to face.

If they are a good fit for the position, then extend the offer to them.

It is very important to reassure them that they will not be left completely on their own; that there will be a staff person there to guide and direct them. They also are made aware that they can be "let go" if they do not perform well. Checking performance actually produces performance! Our committees usually meet every other week up to the event.

One last tip - always keep your eye out for potential committee members. Even if you don't currently have any openings, make a note of those volunteers who show extra incentive and commitment so that you know whom to call on in the future!

Liability waivers and insurance for volunteers

Question from Steve:

We're about to start a volunteer program and we're wondering what you guys have learned about the do's and don'ts of liability waivers, insurance that covers volunteer activities, etc. I think we've all read horror stories at one time or another about how one bad incident with a volunteer can trigger a lawsuit that brings a non-profit to its knees. What has been your experience, both at Best Friends and at NMHP, in managing this risk? Finally, you mentioned in a posting tonight that you equip all your volunteers with your standard liability release form…would you mind sharing a copy of that?

Response from Tracy:

When too many events are burning volunteers out

Question from Sara:

How often do you stay in touch with your volunteers? We are doing so many small events that we are constantly sending out requests for help from our volunteers to man a table, or sell tickets, or put up flyers, and we are afraid we are going to burn them out or overwhelm them to the point that they stop responding at all. These are good opportunities to make money or raise awareness about our efforts, but they are volunteer intensive.

Response from Tracy:

A key role of the Volunteer Coordinator is to know the volunteers, their capabilities and commitment level. To do this, you need to follow up with your volunteers frequently and ask them questions such as, "How are things going?" "What's working and what's not?" and "What they like and dislike?" This should help you recognize whether or not a volunteer is burned out. In addition, some volunteers try to take on too much thinking they can handle it. That is not the case. You need to regulate what they do. The last thing you want is for a volunteer to get burned out and leave your organization with bad feelings. This has happened to us. To safeguard against this, we now no longer allow a single volunteer to be on more than one committee. I keep a close eye on what projects our volunteers are involved with so as not to put too much of a demand on them. For instance, if someone is a foster home, I don't ask him or her to become a trap trading post for our feral cat committee. A lot of it is common sense. If you get the feeling that you are asking too much, then you probably are. One way to alleviate the burden on existing volunteers is to constantly recruit new ones. They can bring new life as well as new ideas to your organization!

Getting your voice heard as a volunteer

Question from Cheryl:

I am a volunteer with our local shelter and have tried giving suggestions to staff for improvements but I feel as though they do not take what I say seriously because I am a volunteer. I have even purchased collars and leashes out of my own money because they didn't have any for walking dogs but all the leashes and collars have disappeared. It is very frustrating when I feel like my input is not valued. I am there a lot and talk to the public and other staff so I feel I have a good understanding of things. Do you have any suggestions on who to take my suggestions to and how to be heard?

Responses from Julie:

You are faced with a situation that I hear about all the time. The bottom line is your situation comes down to expectations. You have a certain set of expectations in your head about what volunteers should do in a shelter environment and the shelter staff has a completely different set of expectations in their head about what volunteers should do in their place of work.

It sounds like you're really serious about helping out and are really committed to giving a lot of your time. If this is the case, my first suggestion would be to organize a meeting with the staff member at the shelter that is in charge of the volunteer program. If the shelter doesn't have a staff member that relates to volunteers ask to meet with the shelter director.

Once you've arranged a meeting with the appropriate person, write down all of your points in a clear manner. Be sure they are solution oriented and are not emotional suggestions or situations. Next, turn your points into constructive questions. Show your questions to someone close to you that can give you honest feedback about the questions you've listed. We all cling to things that seem so incredibly important to our situation, but when it's shared with someone else that's not close to the situation, their reaction is what I call the "petty meter." Once you've weeded out the petty, emotional, and aggressive stuff with the help of someone else, you're ready to meet.

The reason I suggested turning your points into questions is because people liked to be asked about things, their opinion, and give their input. It's also an easy way to segue into collaborating and brainstorming about solutions. The hackles usually go up when you start reeling off a bunch of points/situations about their job performance (because, really this is what this is all about…their job performance). I guarantee you, they will dig in and you will get nowhere with them. I try to go into these situations without a "forced" outcome in mind. I've noticed it leaves my mind open to suggestions or situation that would have never occurred to me. In your meeting, be proactive and positive in your language and posture. Let the person you're meeting with know that you're there to add to the assets at the shelter. Convey that you'd like to get on the same page and have similar expectations about what volunteers can do to help. Now it's time to start asking your questions.

When you're close to finishing your meeting, ask about what the next steps should be and take your cue from there. This is a starting point for you. I guarantee that you will learn a tremendous amount about what the shelter expects from its volunteers and it will give you a guide for what to do next.

Finally, I'd like to suggest some ideas, which you can start presenting to your shelter. They may not be ready to hear some of this stuff in your initial meeting. A lot of trust needs to be built up before they are going to accept that you have a good plan and can execute it well.

Suggest that you be the volunteer liaison for the shelter and that essentially you, with input from the rest of the shelter staff, come up with programs, duties and jobs which volunteers can perform for the shelter. It may be that volunteers are not a priority to this shelter and they need someone to lead the charge.

Suggest that a focus group comprised of other volunteers is arranged and you and some of the shelter staff conduct the meeting. In this meeting, get constructive feedback, assess volunteer needs, shelter needs and community needs. You'll be amazed at what comes out of this meeting.

Suggest that each staff member plays the part of a volunteer for a day. Essentially they do the tasks that are assigned to volunteers. This helps build unity between the staff and volunteers and gives the staff a better idea of what exactly volunteers contribute to advance the mission of their shelter.

Getting new volunteers involved so it is not always the same few

Question from Janie:

We have a steering committee for our coalition who is wonderful. They do everything. That is the problem though. Because we are newly formed, we don't have a ton of volunteers. We do have some we have gotten through our website and volunteermatch.org but we don't know these people that well to know what they are capable of.

So, the steering committee ends up doing it themselves, and the volunteers don't have a lot to do. How can we:

start getting new volunteers involved if we are just at the planning stage and don't have a lot of hands on work yet
not lose the volunteers because of lack of interaction with us
convince our steering committee to start delegating some tasks to get them more involved and take the burden off the committee?

Response from Tracy:

The first thing you need to do is to get to know these volunteers. You can meet with them individually, say over lunch or meet with them as a group and find our what their capabilities are. Once you have a good handle on who your volunteers are, you can recommend their services to committee members. The committee members should be allowed to interview these people as well so that they can choose to work with someone they feel good about.

Part of your job as well, is to train the committee members to work with the volunteers. A volunteer should not be given a task and then let loose with it. Delegating involves a lot of follow up and follow through to make sure the volunteer is successful and in turn the committee member will be successful.

What you may be dealing with as well is what some people call "Founders Syndrome". This happens when the "founders" feel no one else can do their job as well as they do. There is also a fear factor aspect to this. They may be fearful that someone else may come in, do their job better and then replace them. This is very real and something you need to be aware of. This means that you need to reassure your committee of their worth as well as speak highly of the volunteers you would like them to use.

And, yes, you are right, you will lose your volunteers if they have nothing to do. People volunteer to fill some sort of void they have. This means they feel good about themselves when they volunteer - it builds their self esteem. People will continue to volunteer only if it builds their self-esteem. Their association with you gives them a connectedness they desire.

Volunteer newsletters

Question from a member:

What are your thoughts on volunteer-specific newsletters? Are they an effective tool for staying in touch, highlighting good volunteer stories and communicating a variety of needs? How frequently should such a newsletter be sent? Any suggestions for a newsletter title?

Response from Tracy:

I love volunteer-specific newsletters! They are an excellent way to keep in touch with your volunteer base. When I was a part of the Best Friends Northern Utah Office we had a volunteer newsletter simply called, "Best Friends Volunteer Newsletter." When we joined with the No More Homeless Pets in Utah staff, our newsletter mailing was expanded to include all of our coalition partners: veterinarians, rescue groups, shelters and others. This newsletter is called, "Best Friends No More Homeless Pets in Utah Newsletter." Neither name is very creative, however, it is very self-explanatory.

Even though our newsletter has expanded to include news about all of our programs, we still have a volunteer section. Our newsletter is a monthly publication. We always include a Volunteer Spotlight and recap events that our volunteers have helped with. Pictures area always included. We also have an additional section entitled, "Many Thanks" that I usually use to acknowledge a volunteer's achievements. Additionally, a monthly calendar of events is included to advise volunteers of upcoming events where their help is needed. This way, they can call me and let me know of their availability rather than me always having to call them.

Recognition is such a key factor in volunteer retention. A monthly newsletter gives you such great opportunities to publicly recognize your hard working volunteers. I consider this a must for any non-profit organization!

How can volunteers show animal control they are working with them, not against?

Question from a member:

I've dealt with a few county officials that see animal advocates in a very negative light, often because they get involved in a publicly vocal manner when they believe animals are being mistreated or shelters are not being properly run. I've tried to relay to the county officials that these people are passionate, caring individuals and that it is possible to channel their energy to assist the county animal control program. How can you try to smooth the often bad relationship that exists between animal advocates with private organizations and the county government officials which ultimately have the responsibility for the county shelter? An ideal situation would be one in which animal advocates, often the critics of the county, would be one of the county shelter's most valuable assets - providing such volunteer services as foster care and adoption assistance. Unfortunately, when tempers flair, its not always easy for both sides to see how valuable one is to the other. How can animal advocates go from being a county's worst nightmare to becoming some of its best volunteers? Can you provide and examples of counties and groups that have accomplished this?

Response from Tracy:

The most important thing for a volunteer or animal advocate to be when working with county facilities is non-judgmental. We have to understand that these folks are not the enemy. They have rigid guidelines that are difficult to change. We need to be respectful of that. I have two success stories that I can share with you regarding this.

First, there is the Best Friends West Valley City Partnership. This is a relatively new program, only 10 months old. Prior to this partnership, the WVC shelter had a euthanasia rate of 64%. Their euthanasia rate has now dropped to 38%! Best Friends approached the shelter with the proposal that BF would only rescue animals in Northern Utah off of WVC's euthanasia list. In return, the shelter would provide kennel space for BF to house those rescued animals. The shelter received much more in return. We mobilized our volunteer crew to make much needed renovations at the shelter. Additionally, we purchased newspaper ads advertising the shelter's adoptable animals. We also made a highly visible banner for them to display on their shelter's gate. We recruited foster homes for the new animals brought into the Best Friends program so that we could rescue even more animals from the shelter. The Best Friends animals go to off-site adoption events every weekend. Most of the time, we have the room to take additional shelter animals to these events as well. Throughout this program, we have had our volunteers continue to go to the shelter to help bathe the animals, exercise the animals and clean up after them. This partnership has received the blessing and support of West Valley City. They can see the benefits and have become more and more cooperative as the program has progressed.

Another example was entirely volunteer driven. We have a volunteer named Sarah that is highly motivated. She not only helps with all of our events, but also is a foster home for another group. This was not enough for her. She began visiting her local shelter in West Jordan. She offered her services to them slowly. She began taking pictures of the adoptable animals and making posters of them to display at a local grocery store. She soon became indispensable to the shelter with all she did to help get their animals adopted. Her involvement with them has directly resulted in the rescue group she fosters for forming a partnership with this shelter similar to the one Best Friends has with West Valley City. It is very exciting to see how one person can be the catalyst for huge changes!

These are not the only two stories like this. Throughout our State, rescue groups and volunteers are working successfully with municipal shelters. It all starts by having a positive attitude and a willingness to be flexible non-judgmental. Just work with what you have and use gentle persistence.

When volunteers seem to want to just socialize

Question from Tanya:

We have a few volunteers that seem to just show up for the social life or because they seem lonely and want to chat rather than actually really digging in and helping out. What should we do?

Response from Julie:

I would take a look at your entire situation and decide if these people are hindering or severely distracting others in your volunteer operation. If they are distracting others, you probably need to talk to them and let them know that you need them to focus on what they've agreed to do for your organization when they volunteer for you.

If they are not really that distracting to your operation, I say live and let live. We have a half a dozen or so volunteers that show up to our events, adoptions and other functions that clearly just want to socialize or fill a lonely void in their lives. Yes, they chat excessively, yes, they don't accomplish all that much, and yes, they usually end up annoying others on our team, but they are basically harmless. We figure if this is the worst they do, who cares, we're helping fill a void in the life of another person who really needs basic acceptance.

We typically place these folks in situations where if they end up wandering off from their assignment, botching their whole volunteer assignment or getting distracted and chatting with others, it really doesn't matter to the outcome of the event. For example, we'll place them in charge of guarding an area that really doesn't need it, or we'll place them in charge of walking 5 specific dogs during an adoption (knowing that they were just walked a couple hours ago), or we'll have them take photos of an event (with 3 other people taking photos too).

Where to begin recruiting new volunteers

Question from Margie:

Our volunteer pool is drying up and we just don't know where to begin to look for new volunteers. Do you have any ideas other than using our own website?

Response from Tracy:

Volunteer recruitment is one of my favorite things to do. It's fun to talk about the different programs we have and the different ways our volunteers can get involved. The first place to start is with your local newspaper. The newspapers here all have a "volunteer corner" that will advertise your need for volunteers. This is usually a free service. Check also with your utility companies. Many of them offer to place an insert in with their bills advertising your needs. Contact existing service groups such as the Junior League to see if they will provide any of their volunteers for your events. Surf the Internet to see what companies in your area require their employees to volunteer. When you contact those companies, offer to do a presentation at their office perhaps during the employees' lunch hour. Also online is an organization called Volunteermatch.org. Get registered with them and they will send volunteer to you usually via email. Contact your local Volunteer Center and get your group on their database. Most States have a Volunteer Center - some are part of the local food bank. They have a database listing the volunteer needs as well as in kind donation needs for all types of organizations. The phone number for the Volunteer Centers (also called CSC 211 Information and Referral) is 2-1-1. Give it a try and see if you will get connected in your state. I attend many volunteer fairs. Colleges, high schools, shopping malls and other businesses hold these. I have been able to recruit great volunteers from these fairs - especially colleges and high schools that have a community service requirement. I also utilize people that have court mandated community service to perform. Many of these people quit once they complete their hours, but every now and then I come across one that continues to be committed to us. They are also great for labor intensive type of activities such as set up and tear down. Network with other animal rescue groups. If you do not have the types of work the volunteer is looking for, then refer them to a group or facility that you know will meet their needs. For instance, the Humane Society of Utah does not accept people having to do court mandated service, but they know I do so when they get those calls they always refer them to me. Lastly, take your business cards with you everywhere and when someone expresses an interest in what you do, give them a card along with the date for your next volunteer orientation. This works remarkably well especially at our mall adoption events. Keep trying - they're out there!

When a volunteer in a key committee position isn't working out

Question from Gretel:

We put together a volunteer committee to put on a fundraising event. One of the volunteers that we selected to fill a key position is not working out. We are worried about this because his position could make or break our event and we've already passed some critical deadlines where he didn't deliver as we had hoped, but his thinks he's doing just fine. We don't want to hurt his feelings but know that talking to him is going to upset him. How should we approach this situation?

Response from Tracy:

We've had very similar situations to the one you described. You don't always get it right when you select volunteers to fill key positions. You can breathe a little easier to know that many, many companies face the same issue in hiring employees. It's not an easy thing to do, especially if you've had limited interaction with some of your volunteers. So, don't be hard on yourself over that aspect of your situation. However, there are numerous things you can do about your current situation. The worst thing you can do is not address the problem right away.

First, you need to strike a balance between being straight up with your volunteer, but at the same time make them feel they are still valuable (if they indeed still are).

Second, take a look at your assets on your volunteer staff. Do you have someone that can step in and help him out with his duties? If so, you need to start positioning to get them involved right away. If not, you may have to step in.

Third, design how you are going to salvage the situation while still involving him and giving him the leadership and support he needs to work it through with the help of others.

Fourth, take him out for coffee in a non-threatening setting and discuss the situation. It's important that you're very honest about the situation and tell him that you placed him in a situation that set him up to fail and that now you need to resolve it. Let him know that you want him to still play a key role in the situation, but that you're going to assign someone with more experience and expertise to guide and direct him.

Finally, if he's given a good, honest and open perspective on the situation by you, he should respond well. If he doesn't, it will let you know that he was definitely not suited for that key role, or any major role in your organization for that matter.