Keeping volunteers takes effort

Volunteers work at Share Our Selves. Solid management skills are vital for nonprofits.

The way to get people to come back is to lead them well, train them and recognize their work.

We’ve all heard it; we’ve all said it, “I’m too busy. I am juggling so much!”

It’s the mantra of our daily lives. Yest people manage to spend an average of eight hours a week on Facebook alone. That’s one full work day.

Are we really that busy?

Nonprofits hear “I am so busy” all too frequently. Unfortunately, as volunteerism has dipped in recent years, we’ve been hearing it more and more.

I suggest busy has little to do with it. In fact, most volunteers do not quit because they are too busy.

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Grooming our future leaders

By Julie Holdaway

Published in the Orange County Register on June 17, 2013

Developing those who will take charge down the road requires giving them room to grow into their roles, so they will be well prepared for what tomorrow brings.

A Forbes magazine article recently screamed at me, “Leadership development is tough.”

It was one of those moments when you feel frustrated and validated at the same time. Frustrated because the experts aren’t offering the answer, and validated because it is happening to all of our organizations.

Studies in both the for-profit and nonprofit fields suggest that 50 percent of our CEOs will retire in the next five years. Forbes reports that the gap between those leaving and the fewer numbers prepared to take the helm are putting our fields into “crisis” mode. While leadership development is tough, Forbes further reports that the best organizations buy into leadership development “wholeheartedly,” building systematic processes to ensure their best people know where they need to develop.

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Helping boss’ bosses boss

OneOC board Chairman Arnie Pinkston volunteers at the Boys & Girls Club Brea.

With little time, nonprofits’ board members need to define their duties.

Every nonprofit needs a board — strategically, and frankly, legally.

But I’m not going to lie; as important as board work is, at times it can be just plain awkward.

Board members govern an organization as volunteers, sometimes attending just two or three meetings and events a month. In fact, a 2012 Board Source governance index report found that the average board member spends 18 hours a year with their board.

That seems low; most boards I am involved with require 4-5 hours a month. Still, 4-5 hours a month invested can mean you are governing a nonprofit, with all the fiduciary and mission impact responsibilities of a legal corporation.

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Reasonable pay? It’s a tough question

Nonprofits need to be open, honest and follow previous examples of what top executives are earning.

When asked about salaries in the nonprofit sector, I often respond cheekily. “Nonprofit staff bank on karma.” I think this is ironic and even funny. But the IRS? Not so much.

Questions about pay, and what is or is not reasonable pay, are not new. Boards have been juggling compensation issues for years. And multiple years of economic woes – with attendant decreases in nonprofit revenues and increases in demand for nonprofit services – have only exaggerated the situation. In addition, the nonprofit sector has been under increased scrutiny from state regulators and the IRS, not to mention the media, our donors and stakeholders.

It’s nearing budget time for many nonprofits, which means it is time to address compensation again. How much compensation is reasonable?

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Want real commitment? Get it in writing

Signing on the dotted line is a powerful tool for nonprofits, something they should require of board members.

For two months I’ve told a friend that I would join her in a 39-mile walk for breast cancer.

But it wasn’t until this weekend, when I actually sent in my registration forms – when I literally signed on the dotted line – that I committed to this very big endeavor.

Signing on the dotted line makes it real. It formalizes the commitment and, to ensure success, it requires me to create a plan.

Writing down our goals and signing on the dotted line is a strategy a lot of nonprofits would find advantageous.

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There must be 40 ways to thank your volunteers

In the month to praise those who give their time, here’s a list featuring gestures — obvious and unexpected.

Rarely, do we say it better than William Shakespeare, “I can no other answer make, but, thanks, and thanks.” While frequently cited, “Thank you” is never a cliché in our nonprofit world. In fact, it is inarguably the most important term in volunteer management.

April is National Volunteer Month. Honoring your volunteers, and taking every opportunity to say “thank you” for advancing your mission, is the single most important component of volunteer management.

Here is a list of creative – and cheap – kudos you can add to your toolbox.

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