Book

Back cover: Why do people volunteer? People help other people because they have learned one of life's great secrets: help one other person and you will also help yourself and your community.  You Can Make a Difference is a celebration of the spirit of giving and a guide for those who want to take a step toward a more fulfilling life. 

Provides an innovative framework for successfully leading an  all-volunteer effort, whether it's a service club, community group, PTA, or religious congregation. Scheier challenges conventional wisdom  about boards, fundraising, and membership development when applied to  grassroots volunteer efforts. A highlight of the book is a collection  of easy-to-conduct group interaction exercises.

Packed with the advice, wisdom, and experience of over 85 real-life, on-the-job supervisors of volunteers, this guide offers a crystal clear analysis of what works and what doesn't in supervision. It also includes comments from volunteers about what they need from those who supervise them, as well as excerpts from classic articles and books by experts in the field and a self-assessment survey covering the attitudes and actions necessary to be an effective supervisor. 

This collection of seven original skits is complete with instructions, scripts and ideas for adaptation. Each skit incorporates songs using well-known popular music with lyrics written for the volunteer recognition occasion. Song sheets can be used separately.

Marlene Wilson moves from the hows to the whys of leading volunteer programs. She urges all who lead volunteers to move beyond thinking of themselves as managers to thinking of themselves as leaders—those who develop vision for volunteer programs and impart that vision throughout an organization. Includes16 of her most popular presentations from 1974 to 1999.

12 ready‑to‑deliver training sessions to teach paid staff the fundamentals of working with volunteers. Each training module is designed for delivery in 55 minutes of staff time. Each electronic module comes with: a complete PowerPoint® presentation; a timed script for the trainer highlighting “4 Key Concepts” on each topic; suggestions for expandable group activities; handout masters ready to duplicate, including a workshop evaluation form; and more.  The 12 topics range from Designing Positions to Volunteer Recognition.

The book first shows how to design the best assignments for volunteers as the initial step to recruit the most qualified people. What follows is a wealth of information on topics ranging from how your organization's image affects your success in recruitment to where to look for new volunteers, including your own backyard. The Volunteer Recruitment (and Membership Development) Book also offers a whole chapter on membership development for all-volunteer organizations, including how to get current members "off the rolls and on their feet." The Appendix,"Outreach in Cyberspace," explains the Internet as a powerful recruitment tool. 

The Volunteer Management Audit is a unique tool for analyzing the effectiveness of an organization's approach to and procedures for involving volunteers. It's designed to be administered by a team of staff and volunteers. The Audit provides a step-by-step guide to planning, conducting, and following-up the assessment process, with complete Scoresheets and instructions. 

A landmark book on the application of management principles to administration of volunteer programs.