Once you have a group of volunteers the first task will be that of assigning tasks.
In regards to the group of local representatives and members of local associations and clubs, the task giving process will not be straightforward. These members of your fundraising team will act independently and when the right occasion arises. Only in the case in which you are organising a fundraising event and you are asking for their active collaboration then tasks should be set. For instance, you should clarify what your expectations are and listen to what realistically they could do. Say how many people they are expected to bring to the event and ask for lists of names and contacts so that the fundraising team could send invitation letters on time. Ask whether they could help with logistics or during the event and make a list of tasks given to ensure that there is one person in charge of every planned activity.
When organising the group of apprentices, you should first of all interview them, one by one with the aim of getting to know them better, assessing their personality and understand what their aspirations and interests are. Make sure to plan these meetings in advance and to leave plenty of time to get to know your new volunteers. Approach the interview process as you would approach the interview for new members of staff. Ask for other members to accompany you and discuss in advance a series of questions to be asked. In particular, you should focus the attention on the personality of the volunteer, his/her existing skills and experience and, most importantly, his/her aspirations. Remember that they work for the organisation in exchange of training given to them. As such it is fundamental to understand what they want to learn, why, and how they plan to use the acquired knowledge. Be clear about the expectations that the NGO has and ask for their own in order to prevent disappointment.
Once you have profiled them, look for a senior member of staff to become their mentor. The mentor should be chosen in accordance to the expectations manifested by the volunteer. Make sure that at least 3 new volunteers are assigned to the fundraising team. It is also your responsibility to explain what the fundraising team is and does and to make sure that volunteers understand the importance of working here. Once you have selected the fundraising volunteers, you should plan a meeting with the fundraiser. The fundraiser will negotiate specific targets for each volunteer. For instance, a volunteer’s target could be to participate in at least 3 fundraising meetings a month and take notes to be disseminated to all the other members of the organisation. Another goal could be to attend at least 1 event organised for fundraising team and write a report. Other targets – more concrete and specific – can be thought in relation to the ongoing activities of your organisation.
Crucially, make sure that the volunteers are happy with the tasks assigned and with the timeframe given to complete the tasks. They work for nothing and they give up their time for the organisation. They should be praised for what they do and supported in the best way possible.
