The first and only book that addresses the top decision-maker's role in a volunteer program. It illuminates the issues necessary to facilitate volunteer program success, including developing a vision for volunteer involvement, addressing questions of policy, budgeting funds and other resources, staffing the volunteer program, assessing the impact of volunteer contributions, and dealing with legal, risk management, and insurance issues. Also includes the revised FASB regulations on accounting practices regarding donated time are explained.

Available in Japanese, e-mail info@energizeinc.com for more info.

Wish you could get your boss to pay attention to volunteer management trends and issues? Maybe get him or her to read a volunteer program-related book (or even a chapter)? Learn a dozen strategies for gaining the attention and support of top agency administrators by downloading the free booklet, “Stalking the Elusive Executive”

A Primary Reference for the 2008 Certification in Volunteer Administration exam.

Reader's Comments

"If your volunteer program is losing steam, this book will get it rolling. If your program is thriving, this book will validate the good work already being done. Either way, the book is a winner." --- (Front and Centre, January 1996)

"An invaluable tool...gave me the insight as to how to work with current staff to accept the challenge of working effectively with new volunteers." -- Elliot Shelkrot, President and Director, The Free Library of Philadelphia

"...a comprehensive structured approach to designing and administering volunteer programs..." -- Foundations News

"A classic...should be read by both the executive director and coordinator of volunteers. Susan is simply one of the best writers and thinkers in the field." --- Celeste Wroblewski, Associate Director for Volunteer Development, YMCA of the USA national office

"...should be required reading for agency directors and for those in the field looking to build credibility and speak the corporate language necessary to communicate our value to administrators." -- Karen King, Volunteer Manager, John Ball Zoological Garden

(When you've completed the book, remember to e-mail us at and share your review!)

Identifying a Leader
T he vast majority of people who direct volunteer programs do not do so as a full-time job. Rather, they work part-time at volunteer management while actually primarily filling a different function in the organization; they have been asked to assume leadership of the volunteer program in addition to their other responsibilities. In many cases they were "anointed" into the leadership of volunteers; they did not seek the extra responsibility and felt they had little or no option when their administrator offered it to them. Additionally, they continue to view their original job description as their priority and try to "squeeze in" the volunteer program as a secondary set of tasks. In terms of career goals, most of these part-timers have no interest in pursuing the volunteer management field. They see themselves rather as "social workers," "park rangers," "occupational therapists," or "probation officers" and consider the volunteerism "piece" of their jobs as something they will escape when they move up.

Logically, someone who sees volunteer leadership as secondary (perhaps even as distracting) will rarely give the type of direction to the program that will make it achieve its true potential. So why "anoint" a reluctant director of volunteers?

Table of Contents

1. Why Volunteers? pp.7-18
2. Considerations in Planning pp. 19-34
3. Budgeting and Allocating Resources pp. 35-50
4. Staffing the Volunteer Program pp. 51-72
5. Understanding the Volunteer/Employee Relationship pp. 73-86
6. Strategies to Create Teamwork pp. 87-106
7. Special Categories of Volunteers pp. 107-124
8. Executive-Level Volunteers pp. 125-138
9. Legal Issues pp. 139-150
10. Evaluation of Volunteer Impact pp. 151-158
11. The Dollar Value of Volunteers pp. 159-180
12. Executive Role Checklist pp. 181-194
Appendix A: Volunteer Management Task Outline pp.197-200
Appendix B: Volunteerism Resources and Bibliography pp. 201-208

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