Non Profits in Overdrive: How Keep Talented Volunteers
How many hats do you wear?
Nonprofits are famous for having volunteers wear multiple hats. Part of the husbanding of volunteers is making sure, as much as possible, they are only wearing one hat as a volunteer. If you’re a membership organization, they will wear a hat as a member. When your volunteers wear only one hat they feel less stress, feel better about their activity level, as well as, burn out less frequently.
What usually happens is members of the board of directors are expected to be committee chairs as well. That’s two hats: board member and committee chair. Besides a multiple hat situation these two hats conflict.
The board is governance[see below]: vision, resources and supervision. A committee chair is responsible for results. Most people can’t comfortably serve in both roles.
The stress of serving in both roles causes the volunteer to underperform in one or the other role and sometimes both roles. If the volunteer cares about the mission of the organization, the underperforming will frequently lead to burn out. Another volunteer is lost.
Prevention is the best cure for burnout. Screen volunteers so that they are assigned to the positions that fit them best. Don’t have committee chairs on the board of directors. Have a management team that helps committee chairs get best results.
The volunteers at all levels will feel more successful and be happy about their results and the organizations.
A nonprofit’s board of directors is responsible for defining the organization’s mission and for providing overall leadership and strategic direction to the organization. Each nonprofit board should: 1) actively set policy and ensure that the organization has adequate resources to carry out its mission; 2) provide direct oversight and direction for the executive director and be responsible for evaluating his/her performance; and 3) evaluate its own effectiveness as a governing body, as a group of volunteers, and as representatives of the community in upholding the public interest served by the organization.
To find out more: Principles and Practices: Governance
Photo Credit: Valencia - Hats by joaoa, on Flickr
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