Volunteer Program Development

These are ideas that have arisen from the Outreach, HR, and Providence committees. While some of these ideas are currently being implemented on a small scale, it is up to the affected staff standing committees to report which of the ideas below are priorities and what resources are needed to make these plans more of a reality.

Retention

See http://lists.freegeek.org/pipermail/minutes/2006-August/000061.html for the rationale behind the following ideas for implementation (estimated staff time noted in sub-listings):

• Stipendiary volunteer: can buy way into group health or earns bus passes, etc.
  • Health plan: 10 hours setup, 1 hr/week maintenance
• Volunteer recognition ceremonies - more
  • Depending on accompanying event, 15-30 hours
• Better volunteer prizes
  • 2 hours/week (less if volunteer is willing and able to make calls)
• HR plan for staff: make the culture such that staff is more attentive to volunteers in their areas. Trainings, discussions, emails.
  • 40 hours (including time for meeting/training)???
• Volunteers aren't well informed about how to get into the build program after tours. Tour guides take builders for volunteer intake?
  • Occasionally, staff will take this on: 2 hours/week
• Volunteer orientation: after volunteers have been around for X hours
  • Getting it ready, training orienters, and fixing initial problems: 15-20 hours; Maintenance: 1-4 hours/week, depending on volunteer help, assuming 1 orientation/week
• Build instructor dinner/trainings
  • 10 hours each training/dinner (assuming 2 staff to create/implement)
• Free Geek 201 trainings
  • Startup and first training (assuming 3-hour training): 8 hours; Additional trainings: 5 hours

Recruitment

Volunteer Recruitment: theory is to approach the agencies around town that serve our volunteer demographic and introducing Free Geek to the staff of the organizations. Posting fliers and brochures at these organizations will also be necessary, but the theory is that the staff of these places will hang around longer than fliers on the wall, and give a more personal recommendation to their clients.