Volunteer Management : case: ACCESS Amsterdam : The ideal model of volunteer management

Abstract

While the voluntary sector has been growing steadily and continues to increase, studies regarding volunteers’ behavior are still extremely limited and resources invested in volunteer recruitment and management are often poor as comparing with that of paid employees. Many volunteer organizations have reported that their management becomes increasingly complex and recruitment becomes essential to provide qualified services. This research was carried in order to develop an ideal model of volunteer management which aims to improve organizations’ ability to recruit and retain a force of skilled and motivated volunteers.

During the time working in the case company, the author was able to notice certain issues regarding volunteer satisfaction and commitment. Combining that experience with relevant literature from different sources, the author suggests the ideal model of volunteer management based on the framework of Humphrey-Pratt’s Volunteer Management Cycle (2006). As the main finding, the ideal model should consist of three key elements: volunteer involvement, motivation to volunteer and managerial practices together with the consideration of correlations among them.

In general, it is important to note that since volunteers do not receive remuneration for their contribution, they must be made to feel wanted, valued and appreciated. In other words, the more organizations invest in volunteers, the better volunteers will commit and contribute. However, due to the diversity of volunteers regarding backgrounds and expectations, tasks and positions, motivations to volunteers etc, there is no general rule concerning how to recruit and manage volunteers, only recommendations. Based on the organization’s situation, vision of value and strategies of operation, every organization needs to develop and implement its own version of the ideal model of volunteer management.