Case Studies

Case Study: Volunteer Management

Client:
Communities Empowering Youth (CEY) is a federal program funding capacity building activities for organizations serving youth so that participants (partners) can achieve their missions effectively and sustain themselves over the long term.

Challenge:
All CEY partners struggle with a common issue: how to balance limited resources and experience in volunteer management with building and sustaining interest in their programs. CEY wanted to help their partners further develop their volunteer management skills, specifically a better understanding of how to recruit, retain, and recognize their volunteers. 

The partners included community service and faith based organizations with 0-35 paid staff. Operating budgets ranged from being wholly dependent on donated space, staff, etc. to $3.3 million. There was a wide range of experience in managing volunteers, with one organization part of a nationwide youth organization, not normally associated with inner city youth.

Approach:
Jane Daniels provided two hands-on volunteer management workshops to demystify volunteer recruitment and better position the partners to address their volunteer needs strategically. The workshops were scheduled a month apart so that participants would have the opportunity to apply the material presented. Each workshop presented information to allow participants to share experiences. Exercises were sufficiently completed to allow immediate implementation. 

The first workshop was an overview of a successful volunteer management programs and focused on developing recruiting skills and practices to obtain volunteers. Participants learned how to identify a current organizational need for a volunteer, wrote a want ad, and identified a means of broadcasting it. A hands-on project allowed them to set in motion recruiting the volunteers they needed. Additional copies of worksheets used in the exercise were provided so participants could replicate and use them later.

In the second workshop, discussions and case studies were used to illustrate management methods and tools. Participants were encouraged to share their experiences. After a discussion of different means to recognize volunteers, they designed a recognition program to be implemented during National Volunteer Week.

As a final step, each partner received one hour one-on-one assistance for a volunteer-related project of their choosing. Sample projects included writing a volunteer handbook and developing a means of tracking volunteers.

Results:
As a result of the project, participants had not only gained insights but also obtained practical experience easily applied in future situations.

Jane Daniels’ volunteer management trainings are easy and clear, with excellent background information. There were well defined goals for the group to follow in moving to the next level. CEY partners received much needed information that we could use right away. Built into the workshops was follow up technical assistance - a one-on-one volunteer management project set up and its next steps.   Michael Hayden, Director, Communities Empowering Youth

Case Study: Strategic Planning

Client:  
Newark’s Historic Robert Treat District of the Northern New Jersey Council of the Boy Scouts of America

Challenge:
An inner city based Boy Scout district committee approached Jane Daniels about facilitating their first - ever strategic planning session. They were struggling with declining membership and a perception that Boy Scouts was not an urban activity for young men. District volunteer leadership wanted to increase membership and titled their goal “Running a 10K – 10,000 Scouts in 10 Years." 

The participants in the session were demographically diverse:  men and women between 36 and 88, a dozen nationalities, different religious beliefs, and a range of educational attainment and careers.

Approach:
Successful Scouting relies on many factors including active participation by boys, volunteers, the Boy Scout program, financial support, community awareness, meeting places, in-kind services, and equipment. If the first four factors are not in sync, conducting a viable Scout program is problematic. The group decided to focus on two factors which have a high impact – volunteer leaders and financial support. The rationale was if they had leaders and money, they would be able to increase the number of boys. 

The planning session was in three parts. Participants brainstormed to determine positive and negative factors affecting Boy Scouts in Newark and their relative importance, held breakout sessions to generate ideas, and set tasks to reach goals and objectives.

Results:
At the close of the planning session, the District Committee had

• Revised the initial plan of having 10,000 (10K) boys in the program in five years to being more realistic and to obtain 5,000 (5K) in the same time frame;


• Decided to make progress reports at monthly meetings beginning in the following month; and
  
  
  
  • Obtained agreement for responsibility of specific tasks.

 Jane’s ability to draw out and meet these diverse individuals ‘where they were’ – and the trust she generated - is perhaps the highest recognition of her ability to facilitate a group process. Eighteen months later, our strategic plan continues to be implemented; the district continues to strengthen and grow, in spite of an unusually difficult environment, thus validating the effectiveness of her work.                                                                                                                                             Maureen Edelson, District Executive