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PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A VOLUNTEER POSITION: Volunteers are the backbone of a successful Covenant Partner. Directors, committee members and some staff all serve as volunteers. A good portion of the construction work is performed by volunteers. Without a large and motivated corps of volunteers the work we seek to do cannot be done. Accordingly, it is vital that the Covenant Partner tend to and nurture its volunteers as carefully as it does its donors.

TASKS
Tasks assigned to the Volunteer Coordinator include:

RECRUITMENT—the Coordinator needs to develop a recruitment plan that includes an inventory of duties that volunteers can perform, both in the office and in the field, and a list of potential sources, e.g. Churches, schools, colleges, and service clubs. The Coordinator should work closely with all committees in determining the needs of the organization and with the Development and Church Relations Committees in sourcing volunteers to perform them.

TRAINING—volunteers who are properly trained for the task they do perform better and with a higher level of satisfaction. This is especially true of construction volunteers, who face significant health and safety issues. All volunteers should be supplied with information on the mission, method of operation and foundational principles of The Fuller Center. The Partnership Covenant provides a good basis of information for volunteers.

It is important, too, to train volunteers on the true nature of their gift of time. Some volunteers sign up for personal reasons that ultimately do not serve the ministry. If the volunteer’s intention is “to help the poor folks”, “to make a difference”, or to feel better about their own life condition by spending time with people they consider to be worse off, then the ministry risks being tainted with paternalistic and superior notions. Volunteers need to understand that we are working as partners with the homebuyer families—that we aren’t doing “for”; rather we are doing “with”. The most satisfactory volunteer experiences are those where the volunteer comes away receiving as much as he or she has given.

DEPLOYING—making proper use of volunteers’ skills requires that those skills be properly assessed. An application form with a skills survey is helpful in making such an assessment. Communicating clearly with volunteers about where and when they are needed is vital, and being prepared for their arrival greatly enhances their experience. Volunteers who feel that their time is not being used well are likely to drift away.

RETENTION—given the challenge of recruiting volunteers and the expense of training them it is important that the Committee work hard to retain them. Volunteers have expectations of the time they give. Important considerations of the Committee in developing the volunteer plan include:

• MEANINGFUL WORK—volunteers deserve to feel that the time they are donating will have a positive result. Work assignments should be clearly described and the work project sufficiently organized that the assignments can be completed in the allotted time.

• STEWARDSHIP—is something we think of in financial terms, but the same respect should be shown to volunteers’ time as to donors’ dollars. Meetings should be well planned and conducted and work projects well organized and properly supplied to assure that the time volunteers are giving is well spent.

• REWARDS—people appreciate being recognized for the gifts they give. The Committee should have an ongoing program of giving thanks to its volunteers. This can take the form of short notes, emails, and recognition in Covenant Partner publications.

DATA BASE—a data base should be created and maintained with volunteers’ names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses. This will be helpful in notifying volunteers of events, sending newsletters and other information, and for seeking donations.

Please send a copy or your resume to volunteers@novafullercenter.org.