Managing volunteers, who do unpaid and often very demanding work for a greater cause, can be difficult. Kayla Roux speaks to Rhodes University Environmental Representative Kiarin Gillies for some helpful tips and ideas on the subject.

Throughout life, many people take up certain causes and join movements that lie close to their hearts. Time, effort, money and other resources are often stretched upon taking on volunteer work, and when there is no remuneration involved, the management of such a group of volunteers can become a tricky task.

At Rhodes University, a university at which many societies and student groups are involved with all kinds of activism ranging from animal rights issues to gender action, there are a few individuals who have made managing volunteers a skill to be proud of.

“I would contest the idea of ‘managing’ volunteers,” says Kiarin Gillies, the newly appointed Rhodes Environmental Representative. “It brings up thoughts of ‘minions’, while I believe that volunteer-work is a two-way street”. It is important to remember that the sometimes hierarchal structure of the typical workplace does not exist in the relationship between the volunteers and the organisers of a project. While the organisers do possess the skills, knowledge and leadership abilities to steer the actions of volunteers in the right direction, volunteers should be treated equally as they are not being rewarded for their input in a project in the traditional way. “The delegation and the leading come from you, but it should be a reciprocal relationship,” says Gillies. “A space must be created where ideas can be shared”.

The first – and probably the most important – point in the management of volunteers and volunteer programs is recruiting helpers and interested parties. Building up a sense of excitement and riling people up around a specific cause or charity program is a vital element in any successful non-profit venture. Goals and aims should be clearly set out, and after this is done advertising or ‘volunteer-scouting’ can commence with the target of identifying individuals with the necessary skills, enthusiasm and interest in the area in which they will be volunteering.

Every organisation that aims to fulfil charity or other non-profit goals should have a specific part of their budget allocated to volunteer projects. This budget will be used to find and train volunteers where necessary, and to fund other expenses surrounding charity initiatives and activities.

Secondly, it is vital that everyone in the group or movement behind a specific project share the same expectations, aims and targets for the outcomes of that project. “The idea that both the volunteers and yourself need to have the same goals in mind is very important,” says Gillies. “If people are not on the same page, it is very difficult to achieve these goals”.

Support and feedback are two key principles in the relationship between an organisation and its volunteers. Supporting volunteers is vital, because the lack of remuneration and sometimes demanding nature of volunteer work often means that the resources and mental, emotional and physical stamina of volunteers wears thin. Gaining feedback from them about their experiences, difficulties, suggestions and ideas is also a crucial step in the successful execution of any volunteer project. “Listening is also important in terms of keeping 'tabs' on how everyone is doing and feeling,” says Gillies. “When teams fail it is sometimes a direct effect of negativity, and in order to keep people on track one needs to manage that”.

Offering recognition of the inputs and efforts of volunteers is a very important final step that ensures the retention of volunteers in a specific organisation or project. By making volunteers feel appreciated and acknowledging their hard work, you are ensuring future support and involvement.

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