Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

One of the common questions Volunteer Toronto gets from volunteer managers is “How do I get my colleagues, senior leadership and others to buy-in to volunteer engagement?” A lot of volunteer managers are a team of one, leading or supporting a large and essential volunteer engagement approach. This means that others in the organization need to show support and sometimes supervise volunteers. While you might face some resistance to supporting volunteer engagement, it’s important to help other see the value of volunteers. Here are some helpful responses to the most common statements that staff and senior leadership might use when it comes to volunteer engagement.

“It’s more trouble than it’s worth”
Volunteers bring great benefits to:
- The organization by increasing the efforts, skills & perspectives contributing toward achieving your mission.
- The community by changing the quality and types of services you provide.
- The volunteers by providing valuable experience, skills and community.
- The staff by providing opportunities to practice supervision and management skills along with additional resources available to their area of work.

“I don’t want someone else to do my job.”
 Volunteers shouldn’t be brought in to do the same work as paid program staff. They should support that work by adding value for clients & the organization. When appropriate, staff can help identify volunteer roles based on needs.


“I don’t know how to work with volunteers.”
You may need to provide or find training for staff on some elements of volunteer management, but the added benefit is that this training will give staff a better understanding of the value of volunteer engagement.


“I don’t have the time.”
Staff shouldn’t supervise volunteers unless it’s part of their job description. Senior leadership should also provide support to these staff to develop management skills and recognize their contribution.


“We don’t really need volunteers.”
Remember your organization’s mission – if the strategic and work plans include volunteers to achieve your goals, then the benefits are clear and volunteers should be brought on board!

 
It may be difficult to get staff to buy-in to volunteer involvement – being prepared with answers to their comments can be a great start. If you really want to get a head start on getting staff ready for volunteers, check out Volunteer Toronto’s Custom Training. Our knowledgeable and dedicated trainers will come to your space to provide training on the topics you need.