Evidently, over the last 10-20 years, technology has made big advancements and has impacted almost everything that we do. The debate still goes on however, there are those that have really embraced it and those that want nothing to do with it at all.
Failure to innovate
Netflix Pacman eating a block busters sign
Innovation is the development of a certain value that meets a new need of your volunteers, staff, supporters. In the early 2000s Blockbusters was one of the biggest DVD rental companies in the world. But they failed to innovate and adapt, which led to their demise. Blockbusters didn’t envision a future for digital, after enormous opportunities to take over Netflix. Now, look at who’s leading the way for streaming services world wide.
With the browsing experience becoming digitised, most of us can find anything we are looking for on our phone from the comfort of our home. Toys R Us could have shifted to offer a fully integrated online experience but instead was left stranded with no online presence and the near-impossible task of catching up.
Why all third-sector organisations need to be using digital technology
Technology is present in everyone’s daily life, from how we get about, shop and communicate. So it’s no surprise that technology is developing the connection between volunteers and non-profit organisations.
As of June 2018, 55.1% of the world’s population had internet access. More than 3 billion people around the world now use social media each month, with 9 in 10 of those users accessing their chosen platforms via mobile devices.
So why do all third-sector organisations need to be using digital technology?
Tell your story to the world
World Wide Web image
People can’t support you if they don’t know who you are. So having a strong website is one of the most important resources organisations can have.
Having your own volunteer website allows visitors to interact with your organisation directly. A good website will communicate your mission to the world and showcase your community impact!
Don’t go extinct, get online
Image of social media icons
If you’re not online, you’re pretty much non-existent. All non-profit organisations should be active on social media and engaging with hundreds of potential supporters and volunteers.
Often the goal for a non-profit is to achieve organisation milestones whilst keeping operating costs down. Switching to a volunteer management software may seem costly, but the reality is, IT’S NOT!
Good cloud-based software will allow you to work from anywhere in the world as long as you have an internet connection. With more people using mobiles than ever, this on-the-go access can transform and increase opportunities amongst your team.
We believe that technology has the capability to change the world for good. TeamKinetic helps to build better volunteer communities by providing great tools for volunteer managers that save time, make a better impact and improve insight. Our goal is to make volunteering easy for everyone no matter what. But don’t take our word for it, why not check out our customer review
For more information on volunteer management software visit our website or contact one of our team members on – 0161 914 5747
TeamKinetic recently got to the chance to chat with Daniel Eckersall on his preparation for the upcoming world indoor lacrosse championships held in Canada.
Get to know a little background to how he got started and the impact volunteers have had on Lacrosse as a sport and the players involved.
Daniel Eckersall with his Team mates
A little bit about Daniel
Daniel started to learn and play the game of field Lacrosse at Cheadle Lacrosse club, he later made the move to play for Stockport. He has been playing Lacrosse for the last 7 years and only getting better!
During this time he has won the junior Flags and league multiple times whilst also competing in Ghent where Stockport were crowned European champions twice. Daniel has also had the honour of leading the North West side to a plate victory in 2018. More recently he has captained his side to win the cup at the Nick Kehoe Invitational.
Dan was introduced to Box Lacrosse when he played for Heaton Hornets in the 2015 Tasko cup and later joined the London Knights. His success led to being selected to represent England at the Ebox before being selected for the upcoming World Indoor Lacrosse Championships.
Daniel going for goal
Creating an impact
What impact have volunteers had on lacrosse and its success
Lacrosse in the UK would cease to exist if it wasn’t for the help and dedication of volunteers, whether that be at the grassroots level or the elite international lacrosse level; coaching, refereeing, transporting and everything else which goes on behind the scenes to keep any sports club running.
Our success as a nation has been built on volunteers dedicating their time and lives to help the sport grow nationwide. This has resulted in England lacrosse winning gold at previous European championships at field and ranking as the 5th highest nation in Indoor.
What you hope to achieve at the world champs?
My aim for the world championships this September is to maintain that top 5 position in the world and hopefully push that up to an even higher ranking. As an offensive player, there is the added pressure to make this happen but I’m looking forward to the challenge!
How do you hope to use your success as a way of motivating younger players to do the same?
My success as a player has come from having great coaches who volunteer their time to develop this great sport even further.
Having the privilege of representing England this September has given me a passion for helping develop this sport even further. Using the success from this I aim to carry on supporting and helping out at events and junior training sessions.
I want to help improve the next generation of Box Lacrosse players so that they can come away with the same experiences I’ve had the pleasure of being part of. It would be great to see them wear the England jersey and play alongside the best in the world themselves!
Daniel walking to the pitch in his London Knights kit
Support
With a 23 man squad travelling out to Vancouver in September to represent England in the World Indoor Lacrosse Championships, funding is required to cover the cost of their trip.
Unfortunately, due to the nature and popularity of the sport in the UK each player is expected to fund all aspects of this privilege from; Entry fee, travel, accommodation, playing kit, off pitch England, branded clothing etc. which has been estimated at around £2,500 each player.
The team has had a lot of success in the past and they hope to capitalise on that during the world championships. Any support would be greatly appreciated and would go a long way!
For more information on how TeamKinetic can assist with your volunteer management and getting the best out of all your volunteers visit our website or contact them on – 0161 914 5757
To have a successful, functioning volunteer programme, you’ll need to avoid making simple but fatal mistakes. A detailed management strategy that puts the volunteer at the centre of it all is essential.
Volunteer management is like one big machine all the cogs need to work together in order to maintain efficiency, but sometimes this doesn’t always work out and errors are made.
Here are 3 volunteer management mistakes and how to avoid them!
Volunteers will be less inclined to donate their time if they can’t find you online
Avoiding a digital strategy now will cost you more in the future
Your organisation will not be as connected to its supporters
How to fix them
Invest time and money in creating a digital strategy. Many organisations still carry the assumption that going digital will cost them an arm or a leg, but there are several simple, free tools you can start using today. But utilising digital as an organisation doesn’t have to happen overnight. Start off with creating social media accounts and engage with hundreds of communities with the same ambitions as your organisation.
2. Lack of communication with volunteers
Communication serves as a foundation for planning. Without it, it’s very hard to get much done. So when it comes to managing volunteers there’s nothing more important than regular, clear communication. The workload on volunteer managers makes it difficult to keep track of everything and communication is usually the first thing that flies out of the window.
Issues it can cause
Volunteers don’t know what is required of them on the day (arrival time, logistics, location)
The struggle for volunteers to find upcoming opportunities
Frustration from volunteer could lead to their departure from your organisation
How to fix them
Volunteer management software of course! A volunteer system makes communicating with volunteers straightforward. TeamKinetic’s volunteer software comes with several tools to help you stay informed and connected to your volunteers. Automated emails can be sent out to specific opportunities and volunteer subgroups. Feedback functions also allow for regular interactions between the volunteer and opportunity providers.
Good volunteers will be sent to bad places and vice-versa
Potentially allowing a convicted individual to work with a vulnerable group due to low entry standards
Valuable time and energy are used up
How to fix them
When recruiting you should always start by understanding what it is you want out of the volunteer and define the role that is to be undertaken. Our volunteer software allows you to create specific, detailed opportunities with key information such as the volunteer requirements, perks of the opportunity and skills required. The system makes it easy to advertise volunteer vacancies with a click of a button. Opportunities can be shared across a wide range of channels such as social media, email and are linked to do-it.org.
The economic value of volunteering is at least worth £50 Billion to the British economy and has the scope to grow but that’s impossible if retention rates are low.
The figures may seem minuscule, but how can we measure volunteer activity if things stay fixed and static across the country. However, you’ll be happy to know that technology is allowing nonprofits the ability to maximise efforts in volunteer retention solutions.
Here are 4 ways that volunteer management software can aid organisations in volunteer retention.
Respond to Volunteers Quickly
Organisations that inform and respond volunteers quickly have a much a higher percentage of retaining them. It is key for volunteer managers to have regular communication in order to have a successful programme.
TeamKinetic make communication fast and simple through our feedback function that allows volunteers and opportunity providers to send each other feedback as well as opportunity chat rooms for that instant response! Our volunteer software also allows you to send out automated and customised notifications (Text, Email, Social) at a click of a button.
Utilise a Volunteer Database
Having a volunteer database can inform and guide you to make better organisational decisions that benefit everyone involved. The information can allow you to understand past and present volunteers making sure volunteers are placed into roles that suit them best.
Data can increase retention rates and allows you to understand the facts and figures not just what you think is right. Organisations that still manually input data into spreadsheets are at risk of losing historical data and also risk miss understanding key data due to the lack of visualisation.
A volunteer system makes interpreting data easy. It can allow you to group volunteers based on skill sets and demographics, highlights popular opportunities, and assists volunteers that need support. These are all contributing factors to understanding your volunteers better and making retention rates higher.
Volunteer Appreciation and Recognition
All humans need to be recognised in a meaningful way for their efforts. Volunteers give up their time to help organisations they are passionate and care about. So that same intention should be displayed by the volunteer manager.
A lack of incentive and appreciation for your volunteers is sure to make them lose motivation and belief in what you do. Organisations should be developing time and effort towards the happiness of their volunteers. How hard is it to say thank you? We have found that the most effective way to show appreciation towards volunteers is by incorporating a rewards and recognition system into your program.
TeamKinetic’s volunteer management software allows organisations to create a rewards and recognition scheme that will create a better impact on achieving goals and mission accomplishments. Administrators can track and edit recognition directly from TeamKinetic’s user interface.
Build Personal Relationships
Getting to know your volunteers on a personal level is a great way of making them part of your organisation’s community. Volunteers want to know who they are volunteering for. Building meaningful relationships isn’t easy when you have time constraints and project deadlines to meet, but it is one of the most important factors to consider when evaluating volunteer retention rates.
However, Volunteer Management Software can provide you with that much needed free time. A volunteer system allows administrators to communicate with registered volunteers through a number of functions such as opportunity chatroom, opportunity feedback, social media linking. Organisations we work with have saved hours by changing from manual procedures to a digital platform that allows them to carry out their daily tasks all in one place.
So if you’re having trouble with volunteer retention and feel like theres never enough time to get your long list of tasks complete, then maybe a volunteer management software is for you?
TeamKinetic helps to build better volunteer communities by providing great tools for volunteer managers that save time, make a better impact and improve insight. Our goal is to make volunteering easy for everyone no matter what. But don’t take our word for it, why not check out our customer reviews.
We recently spoke with GB Taekwondo volunteer manager, James Johnson on his experience as a volunteer provider on the TeamKinetic volunteer management system.
The following case study is regarding how TeamKinetic’s volunteer management system has improved the volunteer management process for GB Taekwondo and how it is assiting with volunteer recruitment ahead of the World Taekwondo Championships 2019.
GB Taekwondo
GB Taekwondo is responsible for the preparation, management and performance of British Taekwondo Athletes. Based in Manchester, we manage the full time ‘World Class Performance’ programme and with the support of UK Sport and National Lottery funding.
With the further support of Sport England, we manage the national Talent Pathway programme, responsible for the development of cadet and junior athletes and their progression as members of the national squads. GB Taekwondo delivers an annual programme of major events which this year includes the World Taekwondo Championships 2019 at the Manchester Arena.
Tell us a little bit around your role at GB Taekwondo?
“I’m currently working as GB Taekwondo’s Volunteer Manager & Events Intern. This means that my primary role is to oversee the volunteer programme for the Manchester Taekwondo Grand Prix 2018 & World Taekwondo Championships 2019. All the recruitment and management of the volunteers for these events is my responsibility. To have a role like this during a university placement year is a fantastic opportunity and I’m really enjoying it.”
How have you found using TeamKinetic?
“We use the TeamKinetic system as an opportunity provider which means we register our volunteering opportunities on various TeamKinetic sites. The main one that we use is MCRVIP which is the main Manchester volunteer site.
Registering our opportunities on these systems is highly useful as it allows us to connect with volunteers from around Manchester. Manchester has a great volunteer network and using this system is a great way to advertise our opportunities to these volunteers.
During the Taekwondo Grand Prix, we had 107 volunteers in total across the week performing 15 different roles. The total number of hours that was completed by volunteers was 664, this was just over a course of a couple of days!”
Can you give a scope into the kind of opportunities and events created by GB Taekwondo?
“In addition to GB Taekwondo’s World Class Performance programme, GB Taekwondo delivers an annual programme of World Class Events. The next event GB Taekwondo will host is the Manchester 2019 World Taekwondo Championships. This is the first time that the World Championships will be held in the UK and provides a fantastic opportunity to get involved.”
“The Dan Clan will be an integral part of the World Championships as they will be the face of the competition. GB Taekwondo will be recruiting 250 – 280 volunteers to make up the Dan Clan. They will be seen across Manchester from the airport, to hotels to transport hubs and of course in Manchester Arena. This is your chance to get involved!”
2019 World Taekwondo Championships
What measurable benefits have you seen since recruiting through the TeamKinetic system?
“GB Taekwondo has been using TeamKinetic as a provider since 2011, the benefits provided by the TeamKinetic system is that it gives a base of volunteers that are easily connected with. Having volunteers able to see your opportunities with ease is a great promotion for any organisation that requires volunteers.
The system is easy to use, it doesn’t take long to post the opportunities and once they’re uploaded it is easy to see the volunteers and which sessions they’re signed up to.”
Thank you for time and answers James!
TeamKinetic helps to build better volunteer communities by providing great tools for volunteer managers that save time, increase impact and improve insight. Our goal is to make volunteering easy for everyone no matter what. But don’t take our word for it, why not check out our customer reviews.
For more information on how we can assist with your volunteer management and getting the best out of all your volunteers visit our website or contact us on – 0161 914 5757
“A person who freely offers to take part in an enterprise or undertake a task.”
Those definitions are pretty broad and all volunteer managers understand the danger of pigeonholing your volunteers, definitions can be problematic! The term Volunteer holds very different meanings to each individual.
Every volunteer has their own reason, motivation or story to volunteer, and no volunteer is the same. What the data we have collected here at TeamKinetic has demonstrated is that there are some general volunteer categories and themes that we can use to gain a deeper understanding of the types of volunteers you may have within your organisation:
One-time volunteer and Event Volunteers
One-time volunteers are individuals who volunteer as a one-off and move on to the next opportunity/event or are never seen again! These types of individuals can still be regular volunteers, but will only volunteer when they have the time to do so or do so at events or roles that excite them specifically.
They are often quite self-contained roles that are well-defined and associated with a high-profile and exciting event. That in itself generates excitement for the volunteer to say ‘I was there.’ These are often one-time positions that require minimal training and experience but are fun days out for the individual.
Some of you reading this might think; why would I want to invest in a volunteer that isn’t committed to helping me regularly?
Research from Glasgow 2014 and London 2012 suggests many of the volunteers who applied were new to volunteering, and sadly many who did volunteer did not go on to do more volunteering after the event, even though the levels of satisfaction from being involved were high.
The sense of community, enjoyment and empowerment of being part of the event can quite quickly fade post-event, but on occasion, it can prove the catalyst some people need to start them on a journey to much greater community involvement.
Micro-volunteer
Research conducted by the NCVO suggests that micro-volunteering is on the rise and has the power to make a difference to organisations. In order to be impactful organisations must engage and appeal to these types of volunteers by providing quality volunteering opportunities that suit their aspirations and lifestyles. These types of opportunities are often possible via technology, such as phones, tablets or computers. Others have referred to them as ‘Armchair Activism.’
These opportunities are attractive to individuals who often have limited time, but still, want to have the feeling that they are making a difference. Opportunities vary from, the ice-bucket challenge to tweeting your MP. This type of volunteering can also act as a gateway to individuals, and if their experience is positive and they feel they are making an impact, you can look to engage them in further work.
Skills-Based Volunteers
Skills-based volunteers are individuals who often assist with tasks that require additional and specialist knowledge, or they develop this type of knowledge through their volunteer experience. Skills can be varied, examples include updating website data, running the social media accounts, taking phone calls, and providing accountancy or legal advice.
Volunteers often have the desired set of skills that many organisations need. These individuals who possess these professional skills and offer them pro bono may have many reasons for their desire to be involved. There is always a high demand for these types of Volunteers. As an organisation, it’s important to know why these volunteers want to be involved. It’s also important to make them aware of the impact they have on the organisation. This can make the volunteer feel appreciated and that their skills are bringing value to the organisation.
Lifelong / Regular volunteers
Lifelong or regular volunteers are often people who volunteer for an organisation that they feel a significant emotional connection to. Regular volunteers are happy to help meet an organisation’s expectations and the individual’s commitment to the role can be significant. Roles can vary but include positions such as a charity shop assistant or a coach within a sports club.
Organisations depend on these volunteers as they are core members of the organisation’s community. Regular volunteers usually take on positions that require a higher level of responsibility and therefore need regular training and appropriate support to ensure that they can fulfil what is expected of them.
These types of volunteers are so important to the long-term survival of many organisations, they feel especially close to the cause and their work. They are often overworked and if not managed correctly they can make others nervous to get involved, as the levels of commitment they show are superhuman and this scares off other volunteers from getting involved.
Does Age Matter?
Research has shown that both the 16-24 and 65+-year-olds are the most likely groups to volunteer. This makes sense as many universities provide students with opportunities to develop skills and experience for the world of work, whilst helping great causes. Likewise, many older volunteers provide support to organisations due to being retired but still wanting to stay active and part of the community.
Age will certainly play a role in how you incentivise and communicate with volunteers. As well as the length/type of role, and level of commitment required from them!
An appreciation of your volunteer audience will impact your roles on offer. So it is important to be aware of how you advertise, the language you use and the types of rewards and recognition you may wish to offer.
Good volunteer management!
The best and most effective way to understand your volunteer is the initial first part of their volunteer experience. By having a well-thought-out recruitment process, volunteer managers can make sure that volunteers are well selected and given roles they can excel at but also enjoy. This also ensures that volunteers are aware of the variety of opportunities available to them.
TeamKinetic’s volunteer management system allows all volunteers to create their own profile. This allows them to search and find opportunities that providers are advertising. Volunteers can also upload supporting documents to showcase experiences they have had in the past making the volunteer management process that much easier.
Volunteer managers are able to review volunteer profiles, run inductions, record data and get an insight into the individual and which roles they would benefit from. This is a key feature in allowing volunteer managers to distinguish between a one-off volunteer for an event, a volunteer with the desired skill set or someone that is able to commit to a regular role and who will form a long-term commitment with the organisation.
Additionally, the system allows volunteer managers to receive and provide feedback to volunteers. A perfect way to evaluate the effectiveness of roles and making sure volunteers are content with the tasks they undertake. TeamKinetic is centralised around helping voluntary organisations achieve their goals, which is why also offer a FREE version of our volunteer management system.
You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:
TeamKinetic is proud to have created a new website for the Sports Volunteering Research Network. TeamKinetic sees the role of research in the voluntary sector as essential for growth, sustainability and resilience. Linking high-quality research to practitioners is one of the key areas of development for the sector.
Sports Volunteering Research Network
The Sports Volunteering Research Network
The UK SVRN has run since 2006 and was founded by Dr Geoff Nichols of Sheffield University. It was reconstituted in its current form in 2012. The network aims to assist the progress of new ideas and practice in sports volunteering; which is key for understanding the direction of the sports and third sector. SVRN meet twice a year to present new research and discuss ideas.
The SVRN is completely independent. However, they work with a number of organisations such as Sports England, Sports Wales, Sport and Recreation Alliance, and NCVO. The network is growing, and it allows anyone with an interest in sports volunteering to join the SVRN.
Sports volunteering is important to us and our customers. Here is a taste of the quality information and research papers you will be able to find on the new website.
Dr Fiona Reid, Lecturer in Events and Sports Management at Glasgow Caledonian University and vice-chair of the SVRN said “We are a network of researchers and practitioners who want to share resources and information and best practice about sports volunteering. The website allows us to share our archives and allow more people to access our work.
We hope that it will facilitate the network and increase our reach to those that may not have heard of us before.”
Chris Martin, Director of TeamKinetic said “its a real pleasure to support the work the of Sports Volunteer Research Network, Teamkinetic are committed to the development of high-quality research and the sharing of best practice. The people behind the SVRN are leading the way in bringing together volunteer managers academics and organisations that are raising the profile of volunteer management.
This website we have helped develop is another useful tool in their work. We look forward to supporting them in the future.”
TeamKinetic and SVRN want to create a resource for everyone who works with volunteers, if you want to find out more about the work of the SVRN or to attend any of their fantastic free events visit the site now and join the network. Its totally FREE and they don’t bombard you with rubbish emails.
TeamKinetic is centralised around helping build better volunteer communities by providing great tools for volunteer managers that save time, increase impact and improve insight.
For more information on how we can help visit our website or contact us on – 01619145757
The Christmas TeamKinetic is continuing its ambition of helping build stronger volunteer communities across the globe!
What’s Christmas without giving a little back, right?
Gift
TeamKinetic Christmas Giveaway
Each year as we are growing across the voluntary sector, we are fortunate to work alongside some tremendous organisations that make a big impact in their communities.
Our volunteer management software allows organisations to manage volunteers no matter what size; big or small, and is providing opportunities right across the world. Seeing the great diversity our on our users and the impact their volunteering has on their communities fuels our commitment to build the very best software we can.
The festive season is a time of coming together and celebrating all the good in the world. It’s a time to think about being kind and generous (not to say that this cant is done all year round). However, this time of the year can also be a tad hectic and a long haul for voluntary organisations. Cuts made by the government have made it difficult, and often demand on services goes up during the colder months.
So this Christmas we wanted to give one lucky organisation the chance to win 6-months on TeamKinetic Enterprise, normally worth about £3000!
What’s this giveaway mean?
1 x TeamKinetic Enterprise Edition Volunteer Management Software (worth £3000) for 6-months.
This will allow the lucky winner to have their own fully customisable bespoke website with no limit on the number of volunteers they can recruit.
More information on what is included in the Enterprise system can be found here.
How can I win this fantastic festive giveaway?
To be in with a chance of winning this incredible Christmas giveaway all you have to do is one of the following:
Follow us on Twitter on @TeamKineticUK and retweet our giveaway post pinned to the top of our page
Spread the word to your volunteer manager colleagues and you could be responsible for them getting an early Christmas present.
Terms and Conditions
The TeamKinetic Christmas giveaway will run from the 2nd of December until 11:59 PM on the 31st of December 2018. One entry per person (This does not restrict different individuals in the same organisation to enter the giveaway). The winner will be announced on all platforms in the new year! Further information will be provided to the winner on how to access the prize.
For any more information or if you would like a demo of our volunteer management system, visit our website or contact us on 0161 914 5757
For Universities across the UK, helping students develop an understanding of positive social action through volunteering is seen as a vital part of the student experience. Many universities are trying to find new ways to engage student volunteers and offer them an exciting variety of opportunities that appeal to an ever more diverse group.
Find out how TeamKinetic is fast becoming the fastest-growing volunteer software choice for universities in the UK and how it has helped manage large numbers of volunteers with simplicity and through technical innovation.
Volunteers walking
Students in numbers
When given the opportunity students can make a big difference and more importantly, want to make a difference to their university and the wider community. The benefits of volunteering for students are multi-faceted; opening doors to students via experience and improved networks, as well as being good for mental health and wellbeing.
Universities should be harnessing this potential and developing good volunteer programs. Higher education institutes are perfectly placed to take advantage of the thousands of new students that enrol each year.
There is still so much untapped potential for universities, students and the cities and towns they live in.
TeamKinetic’s volunteer software encourages volunteer managers to create high-quality opportunities that through social media and effective search technology, student volunteers can find, join, enjoy and get recognition for their efforts.
The figures above demonstrate the need for a volunteer management solution that is scalable. Managing a volunteer program IS achievable without volunteer software, however, using one can prove to be the difference between GOOD and GREAT.
Turning students into volunteers
Having a large number of students on campus does not equate to large numbers of engaged volunteers. Understanding your audience and developing a volunteer program that is suitable for them is key for engaging and retaining student volunteers.
So how do you turn students into volunteers?
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Understand what is already happening around universities and its surrounding areas. This knowledge can be gained from talking to your students, the students union, the athletics union, the local authority or local volunteer centre’s or other 3rd sector partners.
Everyone needs some encouragement. Providing positive support and supervision makes your student volunteers feel appreciated. Sometimes people just need help to get started!
People who sense they are making a difference and that think they contributing to something important tend to be much more motivated. Supporting volunteers takes time and resource, so it is critical to never underestimate this and provide them with the correct resources (induction policy, expenses policy, risk management etc).
Create clear roles and descriptions of opportunities. This makes it easier for students volunteers to identify opportunities that are best suited for them. Students often have secondary motivations as to why they volunteer, good role descriptions that take this into account help volunteers make informed decisions.
When recruiting student volunteers, it is essential to be fair and transparent. They are not employees or lackies, they want to help but not taken advantage of. We all like a surprise, but the good kind! Avoid setting volunteers any tasks that you’re not willing to do.
Empowering students to make a positive impact on their community can change lives. Many students run regular events or campaigns, raising awareness of charities and causes. Learning through real experience is invaluable.
Volunteering doesn’t always mean litter picking or bag packing. Some universities provide opportunities that are in the same field of work as students studies, giving them practical experience and developing a professional network.
Student volunteers can provide a different perspective to a member of staff. Student volunteers can bring different ideas to providers organisations and often bring a great energy and enthusiasm as well.
University provides many young people with the first opportunity to get involved in the things that matter to them. University provides a level of free time people tend not have at other times of their lives. This means voluntary organisations can benefit from a really high-level of commitment to their cause.
How TeamKinetic is helping universities
Universities have the potential for thousands of volunteers, and that can make it difficult to track and manage them all at the same time.
Often, in any one university, there are multiple programs that encompass an element of volunteering. Getting a joined up picture of volunteering, However, can be difficult.
TeamKinetic’s volunteer software allows managers to carry out key tasks through its simple interface. Onboarding, brokering, quality assurance and safeguarding are all builtin. The volunteer system can be personalised to match every universities brand colours, including a tailored web address. This allows for the website to be easily identifiable to students who are looking for volunteering opportunities.
Our POD system allows individual university departments to have their own opportunities and processes, but in one combined system so you can get data and better insight into all their volunteers.
The system is designed to make the experience easy for the volunteer, opportunity provider and admin user.
Volunteers can :
Create their own volunteer profiles
Join opportunities they are interested in
Join opportunity group chats to keep up-to-date on any news
Log their own volunteer hours upon completing an opportunity
Leave feedback, but also receive feedback from the opportunity provider
Work towards rewards and incentives which can aid in personal development
Volunteer providers can :
Monitor applicants
Leave and receive feedback to volunteers
Send out texts and emails to volunteers by a simple click of a button
Map volunteer locations to create opportunities in the most populated student volunteer areas
Review reports on progress in order to keep improving the opportunities on offer to students
Reward and set incentives for volunteers to help them achieve goals. (We have some exceptional examples of TeamKinetic customers that use the reward and incentives really well, which will be discussed later on in this article.)
What these features allow, is for the volunteer manager to focus their time on developing the volunteer program and generating more opportunities for students to take part in. Less time is spent on micromanaging and completing tedious tasks.
If this wasn’t enough, TeamKinetic volunteer system allows universities to link with external TeamKinetic applications, to provide opportunities. This allows charities, sports clubs and local authorities to become opportunity providers on the university system, further increasing students ability to take part in volunteering.
Students using the TeamKinetic volunteer software
TeamKinetic got the chance to speak to Daniel Roberts one of Manchester Metropolitan University students. We got to find out about his experience of being a volunteer on the universities volunteer software and how it has impacted him. Here is what he had to say.
” The university using a volunteer management system really encourages more students to get into volunteering. I wouldn’t have found opportunities or been able to receive feedback without the system. I think the volunteer software is the main reason I completed so many hours, and it makes it so much easier to continue volunteering.
Having a volunteer profile has been key to letting me track my progress and it has given me a chance to evaluate my experiences by looking at the hours I’ve logged and the opportunities that I’ve done. This has been good for CV writing and reflecting on in interviews.
The best thing about the Teamkinetic system for me is that you create your own profile and search for opportunities through the search bar. I could pick out events here and there, and plan my time around it.”
Hear from some of our customers that provide outstanding opportunities for their students
TeamKinetic work with a number of universities across the UK to provide them with their own bespoke and customised website for volunteers. Here are some of the universities that have been using the volunteer software to its potential and creating outstanding opportunities for students.
Manchester Metropolitan University has accumulated over 50,000 hours and counting since using the TeamKineitc volunteer software. This just goes to show the amount of hard work and giving back to the community that goes on within the institute. Additionally, there are 1592 registered volunteers and counting volunteering across the city in a number of diverse roles. MMU offers students a fantastic reward and recognition scheme using the system; 25 hours (Bronze) gains a volunteer T-shirt all the way up to 200 hours (platinum) Access to £100 training bursary, Linkedin and CV endorsements
The University of East London provides students with a variety of opportunities across the city, with 702 registered students on the system and 139 opportunities. Notably, UEL provides many opportunities outside of the university such as Dementia Advisor volunteer roles and Community Centre receptionists. Which is fantastic for getting students out into the community and making an impact through social action. The university also recognises volunteers for their hard work by offering a rewards and recognition scheme. Understanding the motivations of your volunteers is an essential part of incentivising the volunteer experience and making each individual feel valued within the university.
The IVR results showed that developing skills (88%) and gaining work experience (83%) were motivating factors for students that engaged in volunteering. The results also highlighted that 51% of recent graduates under the age of 30 in paid work found that volunteering helped them secure employment.
Additional research found that volunteering developed community awareness and allowed them to integrate into the local community outside the university. 39% of non-volunteers said they would be more determined to get involved in volunteering if it was linked to their academic subject. Creating more one-off opportunities is a good way of getting people into volunteering and allowing them to experience the benefits of it. The impact of volunteering on students is significant and can change an individuals perception of things they normally wouldn’t consider on a day-to-day
TeamKinetic helps to build better volunteer communities by providing great tools for volunteer managers that save time, increase impact and improve insight. Our goal is to make volunteering easy for everyone no matter what. But don’t take our word for it, why not check out our customer reviews.
For more information please don’t hesitate to get in touch and find out how we can help you achieve your goals.
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Volunteer numbers are stagnating while the number of opportunities rises each year. It is easy for volunteer managers to want to “recruit”, without assessing and placing volunteers in the most suitable opportunities.
TeamKinetic contend that it’s important for all volunteer managers to understand how to recruit volunteers. Equally, it is important to understand how to effectively manage them. Perhaps more important still – how do you retain them?
Recruiting volunteers
Let’s start with some figures that are important to know from a volunteer managers point of view. As this always helps to understand the context we are working with.
In giving, how much do we receive? The social value of volunteering (Andrew G Haldane, Chief Economist, Bank of England, 2014).
Clearly, there is an appetite by people to help shape their communities and give their time freely to achieve their goals. How do you and your organisations make the best use of this amazing resource?
Advertising
How technology is redefining volunteer management…
Technology has been a powerful tool in allowing people to achieve things that once were not possible in the past. The developments have allowed billions of people to communicate, share stories and ideas from different locations and times. TeamKinetic uses technology to allow volunteer managers to complete tasks in a simple and quick manner. Technology is a tool that can create a number of benefits to organisations that is focused on providing volunteers with the best possible opportunities.
TeamKinetic work with a number of organisations such as; Do-it.org, volunteering-wales.net and VolunteerScotland to offer volunteers options across the UK. We believe that audience size matters and individuals looking for things they are interested in is made simple.
We believe it is possible to create an audience ecosystem for opportunities. every volunteer manager in the sector plays an important role in providing volunteers with access to a wide range of opportunities that will bring about benefits to the organisation and volunteer. TeamKinetic is assisting volunteer managers to carry out these tasks by providing a platform that allows them to create and advertise opportunities according to the organisation’s audience. The system also inputs all volunteers into one area after registering. This allows the selecting process of volunteers to be effective and time-saving.
Opportunities
Volunteer managers should always strive to create opportunities that are appealing and beneficial to the volunteer. Opportunities should allow the volunteer to gain positive and worthwhile experiences because at the end of the day they’re giving up their time to help you!
When advertising an opportunity it is important to consider the following:
Provide the volunteer with all the information regarding the opportunity.
Include some of the benefits of the volunteering opportunity
Highlight some of the key requirements of your opportunity
Here are some amazing opportunities that have been provided to volunteers by organisations using the TeamKinetic volunteer management software. When opportunities are well thought out and advertised they can have a big impact on the volunteer and their experience.
Respect 4 All is a great example of a simple and easy to sign up volunteer opportunity created by the foundation. The opportunity is a regular ongoing event that is held every week that brings in a variety of volunteers. The Respect 4 All event is well advertised through the website and the mission of the event is clearly outlined. The Respect 4 All event is for girls and boys with complex and additional needs ages 5+.
This opportunity is perfect for an individual that has no experience and wants to get involved, as they are not required to have specific skills or experience. Once signed up the volunteer is provided with a full induction that allows them to get to know the volunteer managers and highlights what is expected of them.
The volunteer is provided with their own LFC Foundation Kit which is a good way of making them feel part of the team. Respect 4 All is a successful event and volunteers always leave happy, which is reflected in some of the reviews that are left.
“Lovely to meet the staff who made me feel very welcome as a newcomer. Really well organised, and would love to help again”
England hockey is another organisation that has used the volunteer management software to its potential by creating some fantastic opportunities. A good example of one of England Hockey’s opportunities is their spectator service role for the #IndoorHockeyUK event that is being held on the 28th of December.
The volunteer role is well defined with a clear outline of what is required (16+ and a criminal check). Additionally, the role expectations are outlined for the volunteer applying so they are fully aware of the tasks at hand.
England hockey has also used the volunteer system features to include what would be provided to the volunteer e.g a volunteer pack (including a t-shirt and water bottle), refreshments and meals. As well as the map feature which gives the volunteer and exact location of the event.
A diverse group of volunteers
Selecting
Matching the right volunteer in the role best suited to them is the best way to ensure success for your voluntary programme. Finding volunteers who commit to opportunities over a longer period of time is vital for organisational and volunteer development. All organisations are different and will have different expectations of what they require from the volunteer.
When selecting volunteers it is necessary to consider how difficult you wish to make it for them to have a positive experience. The type of role volunteers apply for will impact their onboarding process. it is important to consider whether they can apply and turn up to their opportunities or if you require a face-to-face meeting with them.
For example, tasters may require little to no onboarding and are ideal for the volunteer to try out opportunities. Supporting the volunteer to see what skills they have and how they may fit into an organisation. Whereas roles with greater responsibility may require references, DBS, and relevant experience.
TeamKinetic allows managers to set these guidelines for each opportunity they provide. Volunteers are never expected to provide more than is asked of them in the application process.
Dawn Georgeson -Volunteer Lead at the Liverpool FC Foundation had this to say about some of the issues volunteer managers face when recruiting volunteers.
“Reliability is one of the key things! Not that volunteers are not reliable but its more about what is a ‘regular’ volunteer for me. For one person every week could be a regular volunteering opportunity that they will continue to do. However, for some people, it could be once a month or even once a year and that regular to them, and it’s managing that. Discussing with volunteers on what their expectations are and what ours are, and making sure they marry up. That is one of the biggest issues in making sure people are fulfilling their opportunities.”
TeamKinetic allows volunteer managers like Dawn to set the type of opportunity on offer. Allowing them to better understand and manage how regular the volunteer will be. On the volunteer management software, TeamKinetic gives 3 opportunity options, which are:
Repeating – (An opportunity that is regularly ongoing e.g coaching football every Tuesday)
Non-repeating – (A one-off opportunity or event e.g Commonwealth parade)
Flexible – (An opportunity that is irregular e.g befriending old people when you have free time)
These options help categories the opportunities and allow managers to have a greater understanding of what they would consider as a regular volunteer for their organisation. The TeamKinetic volunteer software makes selecting volunteers simple and easy for the managers. This allows more time to be spent on organisation goals and developments and less time spent on administrative tasks and micromanaging the whole recruitment process.
