Keeping Your Unpaid Workforce Happy and Productive

Hey there, fellow cat-herders, both professional and hobbyists. If you’re reading this, you’re probably knee-deep in the world of volunteer management. Maybe you’re organizing a desert campout, running a community garden, or snuggling cats at a local animal shelter. Whatever your cause, managing volunteers can be deceptively trickier than managing paid employees. But don’t worry, I have field and fire tested some essential knowledge that will help.

Volunteers vs. Employees: It’s a Whole Different Ballgame

First things first: volunteers aren’t employees. This is key. Your volunteers are choosing to be there, which means they can also choose not to be there. The transaction occurring between a manager and volunteers is much less structured and straightforward than an employee/employer relationship. While this does not excuse the leadership of volunteers from professionalism, it does mean the expectations of conduct, urgency, and commitment you should have of your volunteers should NOT be the same as your employees.

1. Flexibility is your friend: Unlike employees, volunteers often have day jobs, families, and other commitments that take priority. Be understanding when life gets in the way, and remember that volunteering is VOLUNTARY. Pressuring your volunteers to give more than they are capable or comfortable doing is a quick way to burn out their ‘fuzzy feelings.’ Always start from a place of empathy.
2. Motivation matters: Employees work for a paycheck. Volunteers work for a common cause. Keep that fire burning by regularly reminding them of the impact they’re making! Also remember that part of the social contract that keeps volunteers going is the ‘warm fuzzy’ feeling from being involved in something they consider meaningful.
3. Recognition rocks: A little appreciation goes a long way. (Kudos are STILL FREE!) Thank your volunteers often and sincerely, both with words and with your actions.

The Currency of Volunteering: It’s All About the Social Dough

Volunteers might not be paid in cash, but they are paid in something equally valuable: social currency. Social currency can be a number of things, and each volunteer will have their own social motivators. This could be the feel-good factor, a sense of community, skills gained, or connections made.

Some ways to increase your volunteers’ social currency:

• Offer learning opportunities, and chances for volunteers to flex their acquired skills.
• Create a strong sense of community and engagement that persists between volunteering activities. Facebook groups, Discord servers, and interim social events are all great ways to do this. Remember to moderate these spaces with empathy and an emphasis on the safety of your volunteers.
• Provide networking chances; people who choose to spend their valuable time and energy without being paid are often ALSO the most passionate and dedicated of employees.
• Give them responsibilities that match their skills, capacity, and interests. Capacity is key: even if a volunteer offers to take on tasks that they are skilled in, make sure that they also have the time and commitment to follow through.

Desert Diaries: My Volunteer Adventures in the Dust

I have been both a paid volunteer manager and a volunteer managing other volunteers, and in both of these positions we were creating events in the logistically challenging and physically demanding desert.

An example of valuable non-tangible contributions from one of my unpaid passion projects: a volunteer showed up to a scheduled build day. He arrived for his very first time with the group in full costume, brought his own personal tools, and was energized. His enthusiasm was contagious, and soon the whole team was in high spirits, despite the scorching heat. His attitude was the MOST helpful of the things he contributed; because of it volunteers who were less than committed buckled down and worked better so we could be finished before the afternoon sun.

Optimism keeps the team spirits high during a long, hot day. Encourage volunteers with energy but less concrete skills to be supportive and motivating; helping the volunteer team stay on task and committed is a very necessary and sometimes under-estimated aspect of volunteer teams. Volunteers aren’t being compensated with overtime or hazard pay; make sure to adjust your expectations (and be flexible in your schedule) accordingly.

Every volunteer brings something unique to the table. Your job is to identify and harness that uniqueness and channel it into meaningful work.

Wrapping It Up

Remember, as a volunteer manager, you’re not just organizing tasks – you’re cultivating a community. Keep it fun, keep it meaningful, and keep everyone healthy, happy, and hydrated (especially if you’re in the desert!).