Volunteers are indeed a lot of work.  They need to be recruited, trained,
supervised AND rewarded.  I disagree strongly with the statement that
volunteers should just do the work because it needs to get done and not
expect any thank yous.  Yes, there are exceptional individuals who are
highly self-motivated and will work solely out of their own dedication
without praise or reward.  But these individuals are the rare exception.
I think most of us, paid or unpaid, like to feel appreciated and know
that what we do is perceived as valuable.  We are all busy and over-
worked, but it only takes a couple of minutes to stop and ask a volunteer
how their day is going and thank them for the contribution they are making.
It's so simple, but it does make a big difference.  Surely we are not too
busy to be civil to one another!

At the Tempe Historical Museum, we have a large and fairly mature volunteer
program.  We have seven full-time staff and 150 volunteers who regularly
put in hours.  It has taken us seven years to get to this point and we are
still improving the program all the time.  However, we have been able to
build a successful and relatively stable program with many longterm
volunteers.

The first step is effective recruitment and placement.  If someone is placed
in an area to which they are not suited, or which does not meet their needs
and expectations, they are not going to stay long.  We hold monthly orienta-
tion tours of the museum in which all the staff participate (it only takes
a few minutes of each staff person's time).  New volunteers get the "big
picture" of the museum and prospective volunteers get an overview of the
various areas in which they might work.  This gives them an idea of the
nature of the work before they comit.  The more information you can give them
up front, the better.  Also, the more information you can get about their
background, interests, and the reason they want to volunteer, the better.

There is no short cut to the training.  The best you can do is try and
insure that the individuals you are placing in the areas which require the
most training have a reasonably longterm comitment to volunteering.  We re-
quire that docents who complete the training put in 10 hours in the exhibit
hall as "payment" for their training.  If they decide it is not for them
beyond that point, they are free to go.  Docent trainees also receive an
overview of the whole museum operation; some who decide not to stay on as
docents find other areas of the museum in which to volunteer so we don't
lost them outright.

We have three parties a year for our volunteers: in the fall, during the
holidays, and in the spring.  We say thank you, have drawings for door
prizes, hand out certificates, etc.  It doesn't have to be fancy or
expensive.  The staff has fun along with the volunteers so it serveas as
a much-needed break.  We also send out birthday cards to each volunteer.

If at all possible, get a staff position, even half time, dedicated to
the job of Volunteer Coordinator.  It really helps to have someone to worry
about the recruiting, placing, tracking volunteer hours (this is very
important to justify your program to the powers that be), planning parties
and coordinating orientations.  Our volunteers put in over 14,000 hours
of service last year.  Even at minimum wage (which is well below what it
would cost to pay someone to do what the volunteers do in most cases), the
savings in wages surpass the salary of a volunteer coordinator (at least
in this neck of the woods).

I suppose the most important thing to do is to project your enthusiasm and
dedication for what you do to the volunteers.  Enthusiasm is contageous;
if you feel what you do is important and worthwhile, others will perceive
helping you as equally valuable.

And for goodness sakes, don't think you can rely solely or even primarily
on self starters!  They will take the initiative to do something inappropriate,
without proper guidance and supervision.  You'll only have to wind up re-
doing it yourself later, which is a waste of your time and the volunteer's.


Amy A. Douglass
Tempe Historical Museum
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