volunteer management

Involving volunteers

In 2016 Northern Ireland, just under a third (32%) of respondents to the Department for Social Development's volunteering survey indicated that they had carried out voluntary work within the past year. 

Many voluntary organisations indicate that they can not manage without their volunteers.

As the accountable body, the board will maintain and regularly review the organisation’s system of internal controls, performance, and policies and procedures, to ensure that:

Positive working relationships within an organisation help to get things done effectively. Conflict in whatever form is distructive and detracts from a normal, productive, working environment.  Trustees need to ensure that they are giving leadership by modelling positive working relationships, as well as taking action to improve things when there are difficulties.  This is part of their duty in ensure their organisations are efectively managed.

For more information on managing conflict within committees.

The board has ultimate responsibility for directing the activity of the organisation and delivering its stated purposes. It will do this by:

Stewardship refers to the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to ones care.  Assets are everything your organisation owns- including money, money owed to you, equipment, goods, property or lands etc.

Every management committee/board should provide leadership to the organisation by:

Healthy conflict, in which conflicting viewpoints are debated, can be of significant benefit to an organisation, if it is effectively managed.  However unhealthy conflict can divert energy, demoralise staff and volunteers, and prevent the organisation from fulfilling its mission.

Voluntary organisations are strongly value-based, and may experience intense conflicts about directions and policies.  Others have difficulty due to conflicting roles or personal differences. 

This Diversity in Volunteering booklet aims to encourage organisations to reflect on diversity in volunteering, the barriers to diversity in volunteering and what it means to be a diverse organisation.  Published by Volunteer Now.

The Volunteers and Insurance information sheet from Volunteer Now explores what insurance cover organisations should have in place in relation to volunteers and their activities.

The Volunteers and the Law information sheet from Volunteer Now covers: