AEHS 557 – Personal Philosophy of Volunteer Management Statement

The Agricultural and Human Sciences department would like to introduce a new monthly blog called The Student Narrative. This blog will display assignments from courses offered within the department that are completed by students. In the April blog post, we have an assignment from the AEHS 557: Volunteerism in Youth and Family Settings course which was completed by AEE Undergraduate Student Grace Baucom.

Personal Philosophy of Volunteer Management

I believe that volunteer experiences should be thoughtfully designed to maximize impact while making effective use of the volunteers’ time and effort. I have served as a volunteer in various capacities, including as a volunteer who is responsible for the management of other volunteers, and those experiences have taught me how critically important it is that 1) volunteers have clearly defined responsibilities, 2) that they understand those responsibilities, and 3) that they feel purposeful in those responsibilities. As such, I find that it is the primary task of the volunteer manager to create and carry out intentional and detailed systems for recruitment, training, and engagement, all of which must be grounded in clear communication and a sense of gratitude toward volunteers.

Yet, volunteer management must be as personalized and adaptable as it is systematic: as part of their efforts, volunteer managers should interact with volunteers on a personal level, and welcome questions and feedback. I believe that a growth mindset is an important foundation of volunteer management, because being willing to learn is key to building – and retaining – a loyal volunteer team. And in my experience with volunteer management, understanding the exact volunteer need at hand is particularly critical when designing an engaging volunteer experience: this includes differentiating between quality and quantity in recruitment efforts, and creating role descriptions that attract diverse, qualified volunteers. In all ways, volunteer management must be professional and thoughtful, and work for both the good of the cause, and the good of the volunteers themselves.