Why is it so difficult to get volunteer organizations to accomplish things?
The good news with volunteer organizations is that the members want to belong. Unfortunately, they do not always know what to do. In this paper we focus on three specific activities and try to set some guidelines for managing volunteer communities: Impact, Management and Frequency. Impact: Since they are not being paid, impact must be made obvious. Volunteers join business organizations because they believe in the organization and want to have an impact. The fact that they agreed to give you their time in and of itself can be counted as a success. However, without the right motivation, many will drift away or even become bitter about the experience. Following five simple steps help ensure that volunteers get back more than they put in. • Set Objectives. What is the purpose of the organization? • Define success. How will we know if we have succeeded? • Create metrics. Can benchmarks be set for achievements? • Publish results. Who needs to know what we have done? • Discuss implications.
