Volunteer Management 101: How to Recruit and Retain Volunteers

by Allen Madding, Dan King

An employee needs the paycheck to pay the rent, the mortgage, the car payment, student debt, the credit car bill, the utilities, and a host of other bills.

Volunteers, on the other hand are not motivated by a paycheck to stick it out when the manger is chewing someone out or things get uncomfortable.

The volunteer is simply motivated by making a difference and being a part of the organization. Their commitment hinges on how vested they are with the vision and purpose of the organization. When it gets to be too much of a hassle to serve, when they begin to feel unappreciated, when they feel the commitment is too demanding, they will walk away - usually without any warning or explanation.

With several decades of experience between them, Madding and King share insights on how to manage these valuable resources in your organization.

Genres: Nonfiction

126 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2018

About the author

Allen Madding is a follower of the way, author, traveler, Atlanta Braves and Dallas Cowboys fan, and an information technology professional who lives in Thomasville, GA. He grew up in rural South Georgia where he developed a love for hunting, fishing, putting peanuts in a Coca-Cola, and racing cars. He raced short track stock cars for nine years and has written for Speedway Media and Insider Racing News. He is a retired volunteer firefighter/NREMT-I and fancies himself as a storyteller and a guitar strummer.
He is always up for a road trip and a hot cup of truck stop coffee. He feels at home in wide open spaces, hiking in the woods, walking on the beach listening to the ocean's tide, watching the sunset over a cypress lined pond, and relishes the smell of honeysuckle and the sound of the wind through the pines.
He loves a medium rare steak, cheeseburgers, blackberry cobbler, bourbon and Coke, boiled peanuts from a roadside stand, and a hotdog and beer at a baseball game while heckling the opposing team and keeping the umpire honest. He roots for the underdog and has learned how to say "I'm sorry". He believes that Dale Earnhardt was the greatest driver to ever compete in NASCAR, that Chevrolet is the heartbeat of America, and that Ford is a four letter word.
He says "Yes, Sir" and "No Ma'am" and prays before a meal. He believes that scars are the original tattoos and has a collection of both that remind him where he has been and help to keep him headed in the right direction.

Reviews

[Alan McCain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Volunteer Management 101 is just what I needed. It has really motivated me to think more deeply about the role I play in leading a group of volunteers in a church ministry, and not take them for granted. I need to not only encourage and equip them, but also lead by example. This book is full of practical examples of how to be an effective and caring leader, communicated in a very easy to understand format. Highly recommended!

[Allen Madding · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dan King made valuable contributions to this book providing clear examples of important leadership qualities.

[Leslie Barton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Volunteer Management 101, by Allen Madding and Dan King, is a practical guidebook that explains how to attract, appreciate, and retain volunteers. The authors draw from their personal experience as volunteers and as volunteer coordinators to give helpful insights into the mind of someone who chooses to donate their time to your organization. The book takes you step by step through casting vision, training, equipping, and supporting the volunteers in your organization. Questions to consider, thoroughly researched facts, and interesting case studies help make the message of this book easy to apply. While this book is directed toward those who organize volunteers, I think the concepts would be helpful for anyone who manages any group of people in many circumstances, not strictly volunteers. The writing style is conversational and easy to read, as if you were sitting across a table sharing coffee with the authors.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fine Super Introduction -- like, the introduction to the introduction -- text on volunteer management, but if you've managed volunteers before, been around volunteers before, been a volunteer before, have common sense, or have/are planning to read probably ANY other volunteer management book, this one isn't necessary. It's just SO basic. It's got great tips, but stuff that should come up in most other volunteer management training or books.

That said, if this IS your first time managing volunteers and you need a quick book to get you up to speed, this is a fine one to start with. It's super short, has bite-size pieces of advice and guidance, and will give you enough of a start until you need to get a bigger book to cover meatier topics.

[Priska Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read with a ton of well-researched info and practical tips to keep your greatest resource: volunteers!! As someone who has managed employees, I know that managing volunteers is a whole different ball game. This book helped me to see errors in my own management and how I can fully engage the people who work for free because of their passion for the organization and it’s cause. I highly recommend this book!