How do you advocate for volunteer training as a strategic investment and not a cost or burden?

1 Identify the needs and goals

The first step is to identify the needs and goals of your volunteers and your organization. What skills, knowledge, and attitudes do your volunteers need to perform their roles effectively and safely? What are the expected outcomes and indicators of success for your volunteer programs? How do your volunteer training objectives align with your organizational mission, vision, and values? By answering these questions, you can establish a clear and compelling case for why volunteer training is essential and beneficial.

2 Assess the current situation

The second step is to assess the current situation of your volunteer training. How much time, money, and staff are allocated for volunteer training? What are the methods, tools, and resources used for volunteer training? How often and how well is volunteer training evaluated and updated? What are the strengths and weaknesses of your volunteer training? How do your volunteers perceive and experience your volunteer training? By conducting a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats), you can identify the gaps and challenges that need to be addressed and the opportunities and advantages that can be leveraged.

3 Develop a plan and a budget

The third step is to develop a plan and a budget for your volunteer training. Based on the needs and goals identified in the first step and the current situation assessed in the second step, you can design a volunteer training plan that outlines the objectives, content, methods, duration, frequency, and evaluation of your volunteer training. You can also estimate the costs and benefits of your volunteer training plan, such as the materials, equipment, facilities, trainers, and incentives needed, and the expected return on investment, such as the improved volunteer performance, retention, satisfaction, and impact.

4 Communicate and negotiate

The fourth step is to communicate and negotiate your volunteer training plan and budget with the relevant stakeholders, such as the board, management, staff, funders, partners, and volunteers. You can use various strategies to persuade and influence them, such as presenting facts and figures, sharing stories and testimonials, highlighting best practices and benchmarks, appealing to emotions and values, and offering solutions and alternatives. You can also listen to their feedback and concerns, address their questions and objections, and seek their support and collaboration.

5 Implement and monitor

The fifth step is to implement and monitor your volunteer training plan and budget. You can use various tools and techniques to manage and execute your volunteer training plan, such as project management software, online learning platforms, feedback forms, and checklists. You can also use various methods and measures to monitor and track your volunteer training budget, such as financial reports, budget variance analysis, and cost-benefit analysis.

6 Evaluate and improve

The sixth step is to evaluate and improve your volunteer training plan and budget. You can use various sources and indicators to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of your volunteer training plan, such as volunteer surveys, interviews, focus groups, observations, tests, and assessments. You can also use various criteria and standards to evaluate the adequacy and appropriateness of your volunteer training budget, such as budget performance, budget compliance, and budget alignment. Based on the results of your evaluation, you can identify the strengths and weaknesses of your volunteer training plan and budget, and make adjustments and improvements as needed.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?