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Recruiting and Managing Volunteers: pointers for support group co-ordinators

Michelle Howson, November 2007

General Comments

Listed here are resources available online for free from a variety of places. As you read through them, think about what is applicable to your own situation in your Support Group – not everything will be suitable. Most of this information is aimed at large organisations with more resources than your Support Group may have. For instance, you may feel that writing detailed position descriptions is going overboard, but you could adapt the idea and negotiate with your volunteers to create a short written description outlining the role and expectations. This will help ensure you and your volunteers are on the same page.

Volunteering Victoria

Excellent Information Sheets.
The Volunteer Rights & Responsibility information sheet is excellent and your volunteers will appreciate having a copy.
Think about producing a short written document addressing the key points suggested for a Volunteer Policy Manual – having in writing what your volunteers can expect regarding things like reimbursement and confidentiality issues will help your volunteers feel secure about working with you.
Volunteering Victoria also runs training courses.
Victorian Volunteer Resource Centres or Referral Agencies across the state offer resources and information, support and advice for managing volunteers. They also act as a matching service for volunteers and organisations.

ourcommunity.com.au

Help Sheets about volunteering available in their Boards, Communities and Governance Centre section.
Excellent advice about approaching the use of volunteers and how to recruit the right people for the job, along with advice about insurance for volunteers.

GoVolunteer

“Australia’s first volunteer recruitment website”, an initiative by Volunteering Australia

goodcompany

A volunteer/organisation matching service. Click here for a story about a volunteer helping the Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia Research Foundation.

volunteermatch.com.au

A volunteer/organisation matching service

Leadership Victoria

Training program in the areas of “Leadership Support for Nonprofit Organisations” and “Leadership Development for Individuals”
Can also assist with finding people for Boards

A printable version of this information sheet, with embedded links, can be downloaded here.