January 2017
Buzzing about Practical and Thoughtful Volunteer Management Resources
Firm Up Volunteer Engagement Policy and Guidelines in 2017 
Policies for engaging volunteers: It's so easy to postpone writing them when the daily tasks of coordinating of volunteers always take priority! Yet, we know written guidelines for leading volunteers and for how they should per form can diminish risk, increase safety, and help us make decisions.  Use the start of 2017 to nudge developing policies to the top of your to-do list.  

Books

PDF e-book
A must-read book for any leader of volunteer involvement in an agency or organization! It looks at why policy making regarding volunteers is so critical; defines and explains different types of policies, general and specific; and includes sample policy statements.

 
Paperback/PDF e-book
Outlines the key executive decisions necessary to lay the foundation for successful volunteer involvement: policies, budgeting, staffing, employee-volunteer relationships, legal issues, cost and value of volunteers, and more.

 
Leading the Way to Successful Volunteer Involvement
Paperback/PDF e-book

Puts the principles explained in From the Top Down into action with step-by-step worksheets. Each section of Leading the Way focuses on a key aspect of involving volunteers in which it is crucial for executives to take a lead role, such as fund development, planning and policy development, and evaluation. 


 
PDF e-book
Detailed guide about developing a handbook for new volunteers, with specific suggested topics and examples of policy statements.

 
PDF e-book
A unique tool for analyzing the effectiveness of an organization's approach to and procedures for involving volunteers. Identify strengths and weaknesses to inform strategy, planning, and policy.

 
Articles 
The articles below come from the   Archives of the past issues of e-Volunteerism You can subscribe to the journal for a full year or for 48-hour access. All subscribers have full access to the Archives of all 16 previous volume years.  

What happens when some volunteers detract from your efforts instead of supporting them? Here are five key strategies (and policies) to manage volunteer conflict before, during, and after it occurs.  

This training design offers four exercises (with a worksheet or other training tool for each) to help you, your board members, paid staff and/or frontline volunteers become more strategic and develop new solutions and better ways of performance.
Donald W. Kramer, an American lawyer and editor with extensive expertise and experience in nonprofit legal matters, shares actual court cases and reviews their implications for volunteer leaders and volunteers. 

We usually bemoan volunteers being ignored by executives, but there are also consequences to having entirely too enthusiastic backing from executive decision-makers. Here are some key tips for managing expectations and setting policies.