Volunteer coordinators are responsible for the recruitment, training and management of voluntary workers.
You’ll manage volunteers and their relationships with those they come into contact with, including employees and service users of an organization. You’ll also monitor, evaluate and accredit volunteers.
Volunteer coordinators work across the public and private sectors but are concentrated in the third (voluntary, charitable and community) sector.
Duties
- research and write volunteer policies and procedures, including risk assessments
- liaise with departments within your own organization or with organizations for which you are recruiting volunteers (e.g. charities and councils) to understand how they work, develop partnerships and assess their volunteering needs
- generate appropriate volunteering opportunities and role descriptions based on the needs of the organization
- raise staff awareness of the role and the function of volunteers
- ensure there is appropriate support and training for volunteers
- promote volunteering (internally and externally) through recruitment and publicity strategies and campaigns
- interview and recruit volunteers and ensure they are appropriately matched and trained for a position
- organize rotas and provide inductions and training
- monitor, support, motivate and accredit volunteers and their work
- celebrate volunteering by nominating volunteers for awards and organize celebration events
- offer advice and information to volunteers and external organizations through face-to-face, telephone and email contact
- organize profile-raising events to attract new volunteers
- attend committees and meetings
- manage budgets and resources, including the reimbursement of expenses
- keep up to date with legislation and policy related to volunteering and make any necessary modifications to accommodate changes
- work with multiple agencies across different sectors in order to establish good working relationships to influence decisions about volunteering
- generate income, write funding bids and raise funds to make projects sustainable
- monitor and evaluate activities and write reports for funders and trustees
- maintain databases and undertake any other administrative duties.
Qualifications
There are no set qualifications for entry into the profession, so you can become a volunteer coordinator both with or without a degree. The following subjects may increase your chances:
- business and management studies
- human resource management
- social work
- youth and community work.
Skills
- Enthusiastic
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Time management skills
- Communication skills
- Good verbal and numerical abilities
- Sensitivity
- Diplomacy
- Discretion
- Capable of working well with others
- Efficient
- Systematic
- Organized