BY DR. ERICKA HARNEY, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, FUTURE GENERATIONS UNIVERSITY
Volunteers are the lifeblood of community groups across the country—but how are you supposed to get the most out of their service and meet your beneficiaries’ needs while we’re physically distancing?
I’m leading an online workshop on September 29 to help you. Registration for the workshop is on the Future Generations University website.
You’ll gain the skills needed to transition in-person volunteers to remote roles, recruit and train new volunteers, manage their technical needs, and track their progress.
2020 has been an obstacle course. Nonprofits and organizations that serve the public haven’t been immune. Between online fundraising, virtual donation campaigns, and donning masks and gloves to reach those in need, groups that have been nimble and quick to adapt are the ones that are able to meet their mission.
Many organizations saw communities come together to support one another at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. A lot of that organic support is now waning as everyone tries to get back to “normal”.
The need for volunteers has only grown even while their pathway to giving back has become more challenging. Organizations are tasked with transforming what’s always been an in-person effort into virtual opportunities while managing their volunteers remotely.
It’s a challenging problem. And many are struggling to adjust volunteer opportunities appropriately, with few resources to guide them. That’s why Future Generations University created an online workshop to offer strategies and tactics to get the most from your volunteers in any circumstance.
On September 29, I will be hosting a 90-minute session for anyone who manages volunteers in any capacity that are now challenged with adjusting volunteer opportunities. This session will assist attendees in:
- Understanding and defining what remote and virtual volunteer work is for their organization
- Handling the challenges and opportunities with remote and virtual volunteers
- Transitioning volunteers to appropriate roles
- Supporting volunteers in training and technical needs
- Managing virtual volunteers and communication
More about this professional development opportunity can be found at the Future Generations University site.
Dr. Ericka Harney CAE, CFRE, GPC, CVA joined Future Generations University to teach Nonprofit Management during a long career in the nonprofit sector. She is currently finishing a Ph.D. in Nonprofit Organizational Leadership from Eastern University while serving as a consultant in strategic planning, fundraising, grant development, governance, program development and evaluation, and nonprofit management.
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