Here at VMNH we have a very active volunteer program.  They are coordinated
through our Human Resources Office where a single person handles them all
but report on a daily basis to whoever is supervising their work.  For
example, a volunteer performing collections cataloging would report daily
and be responsible to the Collections Curator but for administrative
aspects (getting their badges, registering into the volunteer program,
reporting time worked, etc.) would go through the volunteer coordinator.
She coordinates their registration, training, coordinates their
assignments, tracks their hours, coordinates their benefits, etc.  She
interviews all volunteers to determine their interests and then contacts
appropriate departments to request projects and/or assigments.  She also
coordinates their security badges, access to areas within the museum, etc.
We occasionally have volunteers that enter the system through another
contact person (usually a student volunteer who has contacted a curator)
but the administrative aspects are still passed on to the volunteer
coordinator.

There are many reasons to have a single volunteer coordinator regardless of
where volunteers are working and who is their direct supervisor.  General
management reasons aside, because we are a non-profit agency, some of the
expenses associated with volunteering can be tax-deductible.  That
deduction requires documentation of the time donation, something that is
best standardized and streamlined by a single person who is familiar with
the legal ramifications of that documentation.

----------
> From: Richard Chute <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Volunteers
> Date: Wednesday, January 07, 1998 11:13 AM
>
> I'm interested in hearing from some others about how volunteers are
> organized in their institution:
>
> 1.  Do volunteers have a formal "volunteer organization"?
> 2.  Do they have a professional staff member to coordinate their
> activites?
> 3.  Who does the volunteer coordinator report to?  a) they are their own
> department/program; b) they are a part of the education department; c)
> they are a part of development department; d) they are part of community
> relations; or e) something else.
>
> Thanks!
> --
> Richard M. Chute
> Director of Development                 (909) 625-8767, x222
> Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden         Fax:  (909) 626-7670
> 1500 N. College Avenue                  [log in to unmask]
> Claremont, CA  91711-3157       http://www.cgs.edu/inst/rsa/