Make Program Dreams Come True Without Going Broke
* Another method of maintaining services while minimizing financial outlays is to increase family or client participation. Not only does the work that the family or client volunteers do help the agency, it also helps them develop skills and gain self sufficiency. Some agencies may be able to recruit client participation in projects such as painting, spring cleaning, carpentry or other minor repairs.
* Costs can also sometimes be reduced by having clients help each other; this approach will not work for all agencies but clients often have more credibility with each than any service provider. Pursuing this option may mean setting up a mentoring program with formal relationships and expectations, a training program with supervision of the interactions, and an evaluative process, but the outcomes (increased confidence and self-esteem for the helper clients, improved role modeling for clients receiving help, development of potential job skills, an opportunity to test out a possible career path) are very powerful and still less expensive than using staff time to provide all the services. As a bonus, the agency may find future employees in the client-volunteer pool.
Expanding the Team – Volunteers
* In addition to the work that they provide, volunteers constitute part of a comprehensive fund raising strategy: they provide a direct link to the general public, helping to spread the word about the agency's good works. They often become donors themselves, and may recruit friends and contacts as donors as well. For many funders, volunteers demonstrate community support and program legitimacy. Many funders allow volunteer hours to be used for in-kind matches for funding grants. Some corporations and funding organizations require volunteer opportunities for members of their groups before they will commit to funding.
* Volunteers can save the organization money by doing tasks that range from mailings, reception, or program activities, to high-level services such as legal counsel or financial services. Although volunteer placement organizations will not place volunteers to take the place of a paid employee, there are still innumerable ways to use volunteers to reduce overhead. Encourage staff, especially managers, to provide lists of ways that volunteers can participate in their work area. Don't accept resistance as an answer, but probe to learn the source of the resistance and how to overcome it. Make sure that staff understand how important is for volunteers to be involved with the organization.
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