CEOs who champion volunteering

Betty Stallings, a volunteering consultant based in USA, has produced a new ebook that looks at the 12 key actions that succesful CEOs take in championing volunteer programmes. See how it measures up against your CEO and the success of your volunteering programme (obviously it is quite American in its language).

You can find out more about the book and Betty Stallings at www.bettystallings.com

1. Volunteer Program Champions have extensive backgrounds serving as volunteers themselves in causes that are important to them. Further, they express a strong personal, positive philosophy of volunteer engagement.

 2. Volunteer Program Champions act on the belief that the volunteer program is essential to accomplishing the mission of the organization and that their support is vital for the program’s success.

3. Volunteer Program Champions hire and support a skilled manager of volunteer programs and understand that the role of this manager is to empower the organization to be successful in engaging volunteers.

4. Volunteer Program Champions place the Manager of Volunteer Programs on their Management Team so that the volunteer program can be integrated with all efforts to carry out the mission of the organization.

5. Volunteer Program Champions contribute to a strong, positive written philosophy/value statement on the organization’s engagement of volunteers.

6. Volunteer Program Champions know that volunteer programs are not free and make certain that the costs associated with the program are reflected in a separate budget or specifically integrated with the overhead of running the organization.

7. Volunteer Program Champions give clear expectations to staff for partnering with volunteers and provide support for staff training, recognition, and evaluation of that work.

8. Volunteer Program Champions give clear expectations to staff for partnering with volunteers and provide support for staff training, recognition, and evaluation of that work.

9. Volunteer Program Champions foster an integrated approach to the volunteer program and encourage team efforts between key components of the organization such as development, community outreach, advocacy, and personnel – all of which interface with volunteers.

10. Volunteer Program Champions involve their Board of Directors in key issues that impact the organization’s volunteer program.

11. Volunteer Program Champions see the value of the volunteer program as extending services, strengthening the funding base (volunteers = donors), etc., not just as “saving money.”

12. Volunteer Program Champions effectively attract financial resources to support the volunteer program.