April 10-16, 2016 is National Volunteer Appreciation Week…and because we love volunteers, we’re celebrating all month long. On Thursday, April 7 thought leader Peter Houstle, CEO of Mariner Management shared his perspective on why volunteers are the indispensable human link to the professions and industries we serve. They are the air we breathe — subject matter experts, “free” labor, and our bosses. The webinar also included an exploration of data and examples of how organizations can make this relationship a true win-win:
▪︎ Real world examples of successful volunteer management programs for a variety of association sizes and structures;
▪︎ Essential attributes of highly effective volunteer management systems that will work best for your association;
7. Goal: Identify attributes of a volunteer management program that lead to
mutual benefit between the association and the volunteer?
• Phase I: Staff Survey – Completed January 2016 (1,016 Associations)
• Phase II: Member Volunteer Survey – In progress
(Over 20,000 Volunteers from 50 Associations)
• Phase III: Performance Audit – May-July 2016
• Summary Report at ASAE Annual Conference in August 2016
• Final Report – Early Fall 2016
Volunteer Research Project
8. Plug in Increase Value Increase retention Increase acquisition
9.
10.
11.
12. The Committee
Model Is Broken
Reality looks more
like this:
Source: The Mission Driven Volunteer – Peggy Hoffman & Elizabeth Weaver
62. Accessible!
Connecting with Members:
• Provide professional advice
• Provide coaching, tutoring for members
• Get out the vote – share the buzz to drive
member voting (SCTE)
• Day of Service – encourage member to
volunteer in their community
Sharing Knowledge:
• Writing reviews for books
• Guest blogger or contributor
• Participate in expert report
• Moderate or facilitate discussion groups (list
serv, e-community)
• YouTube Tuesdays - members share tips &
information via short video clips (NCURA)
Representing:
• Contact your representative
• Campus liaison (or company or large
institutional member)
Sharing Input:
• Participate as test audience for videos, training
programs et al
• Product tester
• Beta-test products, website, tests
Curating Content:
• Record a discussion at a session round table
• Video-tape or take pictures for association
event
• Provide live Twitter chatter during meetings
Events (perfect for your components!):
• Greeters – welcome attendees and direct them
toward registration, coat check, seating, and
so on
• Front desk – check in attendees when they
arrive
• Social media guides – at computer stations,
help attendees log in to LinkedIn and join the
organization's group
More examples at http:// bit.ly/1KPRGGL
64. See the job description: http://bit.ly/1IjKuYZ
65. What will you do in
the next week to
act on what you
learned today?
66. Let’s connect …
Peter Houstle
CEO
Mariner Management
301-725-2508
phoustle@marinermanagement.com
Editor's Notes
POLL: What percentage of your members volunteer for your association?
Options:
less than 10%
About ¼ of members
About 1/3rd of members
About 50% of members
More than 50%
Rule of thumb*: 1/3 currently engaged (that means even on a 1-up task), 1/3 recently, 1/3 uninvolved
Interesting that this is a metric rarely measured. Research** – where members reported their activity – indicates 14.6% assn members involved in governance while another 15.5% in an ad hoc role
*Source: 10 Lessons for Cultivating Member Commitment, ASAE 2012 – DTV 2007 and repeat late 2011
** Source: Decision To Volunteer, ASAE 2008
Why important? Drives growth!
Performing one simple task for the association moves perception of the assn value up substantially – from 38% to 44% on NPS scale (Source: 10 Lessons, ASAE 2012)
15% of dropped members cited lack of involvement, only budget cuts was cited more often at 18% (Source: Marketing General Inc 2013 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report)
BETTER ENGAGEMENT MEANS BETTER RENEWALS according to MGI Research shows that in the past year members who
…upgraded their membership to a higher level of service were 12% more likely to renew
…ordered a product in the past year were 28% more likely to renew
…were also chapter members were 17% more likely to renew
…attended an association meeting in the past year were 19% more likely to renew
…attended four or more meetings were 30% more likely to renew
Here’s the problem – the old model doesn’t fit!
• It ignores the reality of generational differences.
• It handcuffs organizational decision-making.
• It limits opportunities for involvement.
• It ignores the reality of generational differences.
POLL: What’s your generation?
Not Sayin’ – Silent (pre 1945)
Already Said Too Much - Boomer (1945-64)
Gen Xibitionist (1961-81)
Gen Ynot (1975 or so -95 or so)
Gen Zzzzz (1995 or so…)
No Clue
http://bit.ly/13Wwe1F
Today’s volunteer is looking for meaning not
Handcuffs (those multi-year, big jobs)
Refocused definition draws on two intrinsic motivations to volunteer, with the focus on the outcomes of volunteering and the functions needed to drive those outcomes
The NEW definition of volunteer is giving one’s time and talent to drive mission.
This new definition draws on two intrinsic motivations to volunteer, with the focus on the outcomes of volunteering and the functions needed to drive those outcomes. This turns the image of volunteering, which traditionally starts with a Board and trickles down or begins with the job title and then the description, upside down.
And it’s based on a continuum of engagement …
Addresses 3 challenges
1: Time & Flexibility
Time = both in terms of how much and when
Flexibility = where, how
Think short-term, easy to complete tasks
Maybe reoccurring but not long-term
Jail terms
Top 5 reasons for not volunteering (ASAE, Decision To Volunteer) include the critical lack of ad-hoc oppty!
1. Lack of Information about Opportunities to Volunteer
2. Conflict with other volunteering activity
3. Never asked to volunteer
4. Lack of information about virtual volunteering
5. Lack of information about short-term assignments
This is important to note … the magic age is 30
Why, perhaps:
Settled down a it
Clarified their career intentions
Come to understand how and the importance of fueling requirements for that
But what does
Source: ASAE, 10 Lessons, 2012; Generations & The Future of Association Participation, William E. Smith Institute for Association research (2006) based on Social Capital & Community Benchmark Study, 2000 and Syracuse University similar study, 2004
The key reasons people don’t volunteer are not outside our control.
We can change this picture! There are many things we do and don’t do that are the culprits of low recruitment, low retention, poor performance
#2: Motivation – and it may surprise you.
POLL: Do you survey your members or your volunteer pool about why they volunteer?
Yes
Not specifically, but we do have a volunteer satisfaction survey
Not yet, but considering
No
Have you … you should
ASAE did …
Which means it has to address both sides …
Top 5 Drivers for Volunteering (ASAE, Decision To Volunteer) – are largely outward-facing!
#3: With 4 generations in the workplace, 2 of which are often referred to digital natives … the third shift is work styles
I don’t like to look at this as generational but rather as diversity … especially since we know that younger generations are not that different when it comes to the why
Let’s pause and talk specifically about the digital generation
Connect with causes not organizations – it’s up to us to inspire. Facts from Achieve's 2013 Millennial Impact Report to support:
-- 4 in 5 motivated by opportunity to work on a cause passionate about
-- 56% because they would work with like-minded people
http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/nonprofit-millennial-stats-list
Social -- Sharers & contributors (social media) – so meet them where they are! Build on this. Also remember that they are used to e-communications. Since Millennials are more likely participate in cause work when their peers are involved, creating a team-based service project or volunteer event nurtures their desire for peer interaction. (Millennial Impact Report)
Millennials - gather more in a homing pigeon way ... like birds just land. not as much of a structure. average tenure 18 months in job
Facts to support (Achieve's 2013 Millennial Impact Report)
-- ½ follow 1-5 nonprofits while ¾ like, retweet or share
-- 39% prefer nonprofit that connect via social media …
http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/nonprofit-millennial-stats-list
Skill-based (vs place-based) volunteering. Fact to support:
-- 46% because they could lend pro bono skills and expertise
http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/nonprofit-millennial-stats-list
Lifelong learners – and pragmatic (they can do good & improve) so fuse skill-building. Think resume-building.
Moving fast! What does your group look like … easy to connect, easy to find, easy to see on a smart phone? Streamline – make the meetings, the training, the orientations etc easy and efficient
More than half of respondents indicated they're annoyed when they're not able to find nonprofit details, like contact information, quickly and easily.
POLL: What volunteer opportunities do you offer members?
Traditional governance roles (e.g. board, committee with annual terms)
Task force and project team assignments (limited or shorter-term engagement)
Virtual volunteer roles (short or longer term)
One-time volunteer opportunities (can be served in one or very limited commitment)
All of the above
Should answer “all of the above!”
Strategy #1: Be Flexible: Focus on “Associating”
Embrace micro-volunteering – ad-hoc jobs, job-sharing, shorter terms
Harness technology to engage members & streamline the volunteer job
Create volunteer portals so its easy to find options & sign-up
Example: short-term & virtual leveraging technology – Higher Logic
Match seasoned w/new
How do I use seasoned & activate newbies
Grassroots evolution, 6-month program
Starts quarterly
Coach involvement
Key to success: 3 FPA-led calls
Kick-off w/ mentors &mentees
2-month check-in (separately)
Wrap-up: celebrating successes w/ mentors & mentees
Example: make it easy to sign up and get alerts
Source: ASAE, https://www.asaecenter.org/gettrilogy.cfm?ItemNumber=52403
Example: make it easy to sign up and get alerts
Source: ASAE, https://www.asaecenter.org/gettrilogy.cfm?ItemNumber=52403
Strategy #2: Be Motivational: Create the balance of good for the order / good for me
Sell the need to care about the good of the profession
Sharpen the personal benefits … creates a balanced package
Recast Volunteerism: to paint an inclusive picture
Sources:
ONS Participate: http://www.ons.org/Membership/Participate
PMI Get Involved: http://www.pmi.org/Get-Involved.aspx
Legal technology association
Sources:
American Chemical Society Get Involved, Stay Involved: http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/membership-and-networks/acs/getinvolved.html
Parental Drug Association Membership-Volunteer Opps: http://www.pda.org/Membership/Volunteer-Opportunities.aspx
Strategy #3: Be outcome focused
Example: Member launched group (volunteer-created & -run site)
2009, around 3,500
2010, more than 10,000
Today – nearly 150K
Example: members coming together
Untech – saved the Tech Conference in 2010
Virtual Volunteer Wiki – gave a play space to a small group of members
# of members served: hundreds!
How do we act on this?
Accessible Volunteering
Fresh communications
What makes this work is to throw away the committee that looks only at the national slate …
Volunteer Talent Scout
Let’s be sure our volunteers can be the best they can be!
What will you do in the next week to act on what you learned today? (Chat only)
For more information, explanations or questions, contact me.
Also visit the blog at www.marinermanagement.com