RESULTS OF THE VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT SURVEY:

In September 1996 CLO and Laubach Literacy Ontario sent out volunteer management and tutor training surveys to 110 Anglophone community-based programs in Ontario. 71 programs responded. CLO and LLO will send out a full report on the survey results of both projects to all programs in January. Also included will be the results of the focus group meetings held in November-December 1996.

We thank those who responded for their valuable time!

Please identify any volunteer management issues for which your program would benefit from some kind of additional support.

a. Maintaining volunteer commitment - 57%
b. Not enough staff resources to train or manage volunteers - 55%
c. Recruiting highly skilled or specially skilled volunteers - 55%
d. Volunteer recognition and support - 54%
e. Recruitment and screening - 45%
f. Increased need for volunteers - 43%
g. The need for additional training in volunteer management - 42%
h. Workfare and volunteers - 35%
i. Difficulty in matching the skills of volunteers with program need - 30%
j. Coordinating short-term volunteers - 32%
k. Staff and volunteers: their roles and responsibilities - 29%
l. The need for guiding principles of voluntarism in your program - 29%

What volunteer management supports would your program staff/volunteers need to most effectively manage volunteers?

a. More staff resources to manage and train volunteers - 64%
b. Material on best practices - 61%
c. Sample volunteer management policies and procedures - 60%
d. More volunteer management training- 51%
e. Volunteer management workshops - 48%
f. Material on voluntarism/workfare - 45%
g. Material on volunteer ethics - 40%
h. More volunteer management resource material - 39%

SURVEY RESULTS:
Volunteer management training

A. Have you taken any training in volunteer management?
YES - 64% NO - 36%
B. If yes, do you think that you need more training in volunteer management?
YES - 65% NO - 35%
C. If no, do you feel that you need training in volunteer management?
YES - 70% NO - 30%

What type of training would support the volunteer management needs of your program?

a. Motivating/recognizing volunteers - 72%
b. Supervising and training volunteers - 67%
c. Managing difficult volunteers - 63%
d. General training on volunteer management - 60%
e. Reviewing volunteer performance - 56%
f. Recruiting and keeping volunteers - 54%
g. Staff/board/volunteer relations - 51%
h. Volunteers and workfare - 51%
i. Screening volunteers - 49%
j. The law and volunteers - 47%
k. Developing job descriptions - 40%
l. Ethical issues - 37%

Who in your program might need training in volunteer management?

a. Program Coordinator - 77%
b. Other staff - 58%
c. Board members or committee chairs - 47%
d. Volunteers - 32%

SURVEY RESULTS:
Our changing volunteer environment

The times they are a ........

In the survey, programs were asked about their volunteer environment. 78% of respondents indicated that the volunteer environment had changed in their program in recent years.

Environmental changes experienced by many programs include:

• Less staff time available to support volunteers.
• More difficulty in attracting volunteers, especially "specially skilled" volunteers (i.e. accountants, fund-raisers, lawyers, etc.).
• Increased need for these "specially skilled" volunteers due to funding cutbacks.
• Different reasons for volunteering than previously (i.e. work experience, skill development, placements for school or program, etc.).
• More personal concerns for volunteers (i.e.increased family pressures, increased employment/income concerns, etc.).
• Less time available for volunteering due to personal concerns.
• More short-term volunteers (i.e. university students during the summer, "snowbirds" during the spring/summer, etc.).
• More volunteers who are only interested in a specific, short-term task in the organization, as opposed to a long-term commitment.
• More administrative demands on volunteers than previously (i.e. the quality standards, outcomes-based learning, etc.). This may affect the willingness of volunteers to give of their time.
• The need for more volunteer training than previously due to increasing administrative demands.
• Increased competition for volunteers among various community agencies.

SURVEY RESULTS:
Ontario Works

What volunteer management supports would help your program make decisions/ policies regarding Ontario Works?

a. More information about Ontario Works generally - 84%
b. Motivating non-voluntary volunteers -79%
c. Clear directions on expected outcomes for placements - 79%
d. Reporting requirements - 78%
e. Dealing with non-voluntary clients - 74%
f. Possible liabilities - 69%
g. Staff/caseworker relations - 69%
h. How to develop learning/training plans for participants - 64%
i. Program-developed standards for Ontario Works - 60%
j. Staff/participant/volunteer relations - 59%

A full report on the survey and focus group results will be circulated in January 1997.