PowerPoint Presentation

Satellite Partner TrainingVolunteer Management

NATIONAL SPONSORSWelcome to the volunteer management module of the Inter-Faith Food Shuttles Cooking Matters Satellite Partner Training.

1AgendaRecruitment: Building a sustainable program for maximum outreach

Cooking Matters Gold Standards: Resources for Volunteers

Training: Preparation & hosting

Retention: Keeping volunteers fulfilled and effective

Recognition: Impacting their experience

Volunteer Resources

This training module has several goals. We aim to prepare you for all aspects of volunteer management for Cooking Matters courses, including recruitment, training, retention, and recognition. We will introduce you to the resources available from both the Food Shuttle and Cooking Matters to support your efforts.2Volunteer Recruiting

We will start by covering Volunteer Recruiting.

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Looking at the Satellite Partner Timeline, you can see that volunteer recruitment and training is an early and significant part of the process. Volunteer recruitment does not have to be limited to right before class; you should be working on it throughout the year. 4Volunteer Recruitment

Do I know what qualifications I am looking for?Do I know how to train the volunteer?Do I have a firm description of the goals and objectives of the work to be done?Will the work be meaningful? Will the volunteer be busy for their whole scheduled shift?Will the volunteer feel ownership and responsibility for the task at hand?Is a comfortable workspace available?What is the time commitment required?

Because of the unique program model used by Cooking Matters, it is important that we recruit specialized volunteers from the culinary and nutrition communities. We will provide you job descriptions that you can use during recruitment.

Being specific about what you expect will help you find volunteers who are a good fit for your program and, in turn, help the volunteer choose the opportunity that is right for them. Knowing what your volunteer expects from Cooking Matters can eliminate miscommunications and increase volunteer satisfaction.

These are questions to ask yourself when designing a volunteer position.

Volunteers are the heart of Cooking Matters teaching model so answering these questions is an essential part of successful courses. 5

Cooking Matters Volunteer RolesBuilding Blocks for a Successful Recruitment Strategy: Volunteer RolesChef instructorsNutrition instructorsClass assistants ShoppersInterpreters

Lets discuss the Building Blocks for a successful recruitment strategy, starting with roles that volunteers can play with your program.

Chef Instructors teach participants how to cook healthy, low-cost foods using the lesson plans and recipes for each class provided in the Cooking Matters curricula. Nutrition Instructors teach how to make healthy choices using the lesson plans provided in Cooking Matters curricula.

Class Assistants & Shoppers help facilitate classes by assisting with onsite or offsite class preparation and implementation. Duties may include shopping for food, managing class materials, helping with set up and clean up, and working with course participants as needed.

Class Managers can help keep harder to manage classes focused and moving forward. It can be helpful to recruit teachers or those with classroom/group management and discipline skills for this role if you choose to include a class manager in your courses.6

Cooking Matters Volunteer RolesVolunteer DescriptionsBuilding Blocks for a Successful Recruitment Strategy: Job DescriptionsSample job descriptions and applications can be provided

Having clear descriptions of the available volunteer positions are essential for meeting and managing volunteer expectations. We will provide you with sample descriptions for each volunteer role. Feel free to tailor them to meet the needs of your program.7

Cooking Matters Volunteer RolesVolunteer DescriptionsSharing the Cooking Matters modelBuilding Blocks for a Successful Recruitment Strategy: Sharing the ModelExplain Cooking Matters unique program model, distinctive volunteer needs and program impact.

Another important aspect of successfully recruiting suitable volunteers is to clearly communicate the benefits of Cooking Matters, its unique program model, distinctive volunteer needs and significant program impact so that prospective volunteers have an understanding of the program and its needs.

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Cooking Matters Volunteer RolesVolunteer ExpectationsVolunteer DescriptionsBuilding Blocks for a Successful Recruitment Strategy: Volunteer ExpectationsSharing the Cooking Matters modelMotivational Expectations: Opportunity to make a difference, support Cooking Matters mission, feeling connection with community

Other Volunteer Expectations: Organized Cooking Matters staff, provide appropriate tools/equipment/resources, offer a safe workspace, good use of their time/skills

The key to recruiting great volunteers is asking the right questions! People have different motivations for volunteering; some want to make a difference while others may need to fulfill a requirement. Understanding their motivation can help you determine fit and placement, while helping them meet their needs while working with you.

Clearly communicate expectations to volunteers and ask them what they expect from working with you. Some ideal characteristics of Cooking Matters volunteers are people who are passionate about the work, motivated, experts in their subject, organized, and flexible.

Volunteer expectations can be motivational or logistical. It is important to understand and meet both. If a volunteer is unprepared for the equipment or workspace available, they may not feel they are effectively making a difference. 9

Cooking Matters Volunteer RolesVolunteer ExpectationsVolunteer DescriptionsResourcesBuilding Blocks for a Successful Recruitment Strategy: Resources What resources are available for recruitment? What partnerships exist to facilitate with outreach? Are there outreach tools available? ResourcesSharing the Cooking Matters model

We will discuss these in more depth later but I encourage you to start thinking about what resources to help with recruitment you have, or are available in your community. 10

Volunteer ExpectationsPartner CapacityResourcesBuilding Blocks for a Successful Recruitment Strategy: Partner CapacityVolunteer Expectations Who leads and is involved in recruitment?How can your parent organization support recruitment? What external partnerships exist to facilitate outreach?What are current competing demands for time/resources affecting volunteer recruitment?Cooking Matters Volunteer RolesVolunteer DescriptionsResourcesSharing the Cooking Matters model

When recruiting volunteers, dont forget to use the resources that may already be available to you! Partners often find success by reaching out to local universities or community college culinary programs. Also tap into your current volunteer database. At the Food Shuttle, we send out a biweekly communication newsletter to all volunteers to share newly available Cooking Matters opportunities.11

Volunteer Management ExperiencePartner CapacityVolunteer ExpectationsCooking Matters Volunteer RolesVolunteer DescriptionsResourcesSharing the Cooking Matters model

Now that we have established the building blocks, lets talk about where to find those volunteers.12Incentivize the ASKDevelop incentives for your current volunteers to help your organization recruit new volunteersOffer things like a VIP parking spot, a highlight in your newsletter, special seating at fundraiser, lunch with the Executive DirectorGroup ASKPresent opportunities in the community, like at religious services, alumni events, chamber of commerce, rotary meetings and school functions.Marketing ASKTraditional and social media marketing materialsKey Considerations: diverse pictures, accessible and appropriate language for the audience, appropriate placement in media

Volunteer Recruitment: Making the Ask

Dont rely solely on volunteers reaching out to you. The majority of people, when asked to volunteer, are willing to do so. Here are some suggested ways to ask them. You can incentivize other volunteers to recruit for you or offer awards for your top volunteers. You can reach out to community groups to recruit many people to work together. You can also use your organizations social media and traditional marketing methods to reach out to supporters. 13For culinary instructors, think outside the restaurant box!

Share our Strength eventsCollege Dining ServicesDeli workersPrivate ChefsCaterersHotel chefsSlow Food Community Gardens Chefs Move to Schools

You do not have to only recruit culinary volunteers from restaurants. As we mentioned earlier, you can look to local community college culinary programs, trade associations, Share Our Strength events, different foodservice providers, and like-minded organizations that use culinary professionals.14Finding Nutrition Instructors

Fitness CentersGym staffWeight WatchersDiet/Health CentersHealth Food Stores

School NursesCafeteria StaffHospitalsFaith basedRotary Clubs4-H ClubsWork study students

You can find nutrition instructors in a variety of places. Contact fitness centers, health food stores, school nutrition staff, hospitals, and local university nutrition departments. 15

Volunteer Recruitment: Broad OutreachVolunteer Matchwww.volunteermatch.orgIdealistwww.idealist.org1-800 Volunteerwww.1-800-volunteer.orgVolunteer Solutionshttp://volunteer.trust.comSenior Corpswww.seniorcorps.org Craigs Listwww.craigslist.com

Organizations can sometimes have problems with the consistency and retention of young volunteers under 24 years old. This is not always the case, depending on where your satellite is located. For the Inter-faith food shuttle, the vast majority of our volunteers are under 24 because of all the nutrition programs at universities in the area. All program students need volunteer hours, providing us with a steady base. If this is not as possible for you, consider the websites on this slide in reaching out to a broad base of volunteers.

16Initial ScreeningSifting for the Right Fit

Ask good questions:How did you hear about CM?What is your interest in our program?How would you like to volunteer for our program?What is your culinary/ nutrition/food background?

TALKING POINTS: Not every volunteer interested in Cooking Matters is qualified or a good fit for the program.

Their first contact with your program is a good way to find out a bit more about your volunteer.Some questions to think about asking:How did you hear about Cooking Matters?What is your interest in our program?How would you like to volunteer for our program?What is your culinary/ nutrition/food background?

Our favorite question is, What is your understanding of the connection between hunger and obesity? This gives us a good idea of their nutrition knowledge.

17Initial ScreeningFollow Up

Encourage potential volunteers to review websites and learn more about the expectationsShare Our StrengthCooking MattersInter-Faith Food ShuttleYour organizationhttp://cookingmatters.org/get-involved/volunteer/

Before a volunteer commits, they should take some additional steps. First, they should review our organizations to get a good background and understanding of the program. Encourage them to research Share Our Strength, Cooking Matters, the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, and your organization if they have not already done so. After that, they should fill out a volunteer application, attend orientation, and talk to an experienced volunteer if possible.

18Initial ScreeningSaying NoNot every volunteer is the right fit and not every volunteer knows where they fit bestWill they be able to able to engage participants?Would they be better in a different role? Do they need extra time to build up experience?Would they be a benefit to helping the organization rather than being a course volunteer?

Sometimes you will come across potential volunteers that arent a good fit. Consider these questions before committing:Will they be able to engage participants in class?Would they be better in a different role from the one theyre applying for?Do they need extra time to build up experience? If so, consider having them be class assistants before transitioning into a culinary or nutrition educator role.Are they a better fit to help the organization instead of as a class volunteer?

19Training and Orientation

Next we will briefly cover volunteer training and orientation, which is covered more thoroughly in the next training module.

20Initial Volunteer TrainingMonthly group vs. individualCombined orientation and trainingClass Zero

There are many ways to conduct volunteer orientation and training, which we will discuss later. For now, consider what might be the best set up for the number of volunteers you are expecting to use. If you have a few consistent instructors, monthly group training may not be necessary. To save time, you could also consider combining orientation with specific class training.21Ongoing Volunteer training is correlated to gold standard programming!Ongoing Volunteer TrainingCreates a shared understanding of our work by familiarizing volunteers with the mission, vision, rules and best practices related to our work; refreshing and enhancing knowledge; and keeping them updated on changes, enhancements and new opportunities.

Helps volunteers feel prepared by increasing confidence and morale- higher morale leads to a greater willingness to contribute to the success of the program.

It is beneficial to provide ongoing training to volunteers. Ongoing training Creates a shared understanding of our work by familiarizing volunteers with the mission, vision, rules and best practices related to our work; refreshes and enhances knowledge; and keeps them updated on changes, enhancements and new opportunities.Ongoing training also Helps volunteers feel prepared by increasing confidence and morale; higher morale leads to a greater willingness to contribute to the success of the program.Ongoing volunteer training is correlated to gold standard programming. We will be providing you with potential topics for ongoing training in our satellite partner newsletters. Also let us know about any training of your own design. 22Gold Standards for Volunteers

Next we will discuss the Gold Standards for Volunteers.

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Implementing Gold Standards with VolunteersPartners are responsible for preparing volunteers to:

Interact with ParticipantsDemonstrate Subject Expertise and Classroom LeadershipDeliver Course Content Use Appropriate Delivery Methods

Similar to the Course Gold Standards, Cooking Matters has a list of key behaviors and actions that should take place within each class in order to make the experience as meaningful as possible for participants. A complete list of gold standards should be supplied to each volunteer. Additionally, we hope that each course coordinator and staff member who work with volunteers become familiar with these Gold Standards. Your program will be responsible for preparing volunteers to implement them.

The next four slides review the standards.24Implementing Gold Standards with VolunteersInteracting with ParticipantsWelcoming environmentDemonstrate respect and cultural sensitivityManage inappropriate classroom behaviors.

The first standard is interacting with participants. Volunteers should create a welcoming environment while demonstrating respect and cultural sensitivity. It is important that volunteers manage inappropriate classroom behaviors with other volunteers, as well as participants.

25Implementing Gold Standards with VolunteersDemonstrate Subject Expertise and Classroom LeadershipKnowledge of subjectPrepared and organizedClass on schedule

Volunteers must demonstrate subject expertise and classroom leadership. Volunteers must have good knowledge of the subject matter, be prepared and organized every week, and help keep the class on schedule. Your host partner should also play a role in class timeliness. 26Implementing Gold Standards with VolunteersDelivering Course Content Present, practice, and encourage use of information and skills regarding:Healthy EatingFood Resource ManagementCooking and Meal PreparationFood and Kitchen SafetyDiscuss course materials with participantsDistribute appropriate materials to participants

The third standard focuses on delivering course content. Volunteers must present, practice and encourage use of information and skills regarding healthy eating, food resource management, cooking and meal preparation, and food and kitchen safety. Volunteers should also discuss course materials with participants and distribute the appropriate pieces of information. 27Implementing Gold Standards with VolunteersUsing Appropriate Delivery MethodsHave participants cook and eat togetherAsk participants open-ended questions to encourage discussion.Team-teach, or work collaboratively with your co-instructor to guide discussion.Build on content from the previous weeks.

The final gold standard for volunteers is using appropriate delivery methods. Participants should always cook and eat together. Volunteers need to ask open-ended questions and encourage discussion from everyone. The team teaching method should be used with co-instructors to work collaboratively. Finally, instruction should build on content from previous weeks and link back to it when appropriate.

Implementing all gold standards will result in an effective learning environment for participants as well as a positive experience for volunteers.

28Volunteer Retention

Retaining volunteers is just as important as training them. Well cover that next.

29WHY do volunteers stay with organizations?Four management practices that have a positive effect on volunteer retention:Recognition activitiesTraining and professional development opportunitiesUsing screening procedures to identify suitable volunteersMatching volunteers with appropriate tasks

Source: Volunteer Management Practices and Retention of Volunteers, Mark A. Hager, Jeffrey L. Brudney, Urban Institute, June 2004

It is important to retain volunteers so you have a solid base from which to draw for Cooking Matters courses. It is labor and time intensive to constantly be training new volunteers, especially if they do not have established volunteers to shadow. Here are four management practices that have a positive effect on volunteer retention:

Recognition activities

Training and professional development opportunities

Using screening procedures to identify suitable volunteers

Matching volunteers with appropriate tasks30WHY do volunteers stay with Cooking Matters?Key retention factorsClear communications/expectationsAppropriate and engaging trainingChance to cultivate new skillsOpportunities to connect with like-minded volunteersOpportunities to connect with clientsRecognition & reward

Here are some key factors that boost retention. Consider these when interacting with volunteers and planning events for them. Review volunteer satisfaction surveys after class and after orientation to make sure these needs are being met. Well review those materials next.31HOW do we know why volunteers stay with Cooking Matters?End-of-Course Survey for VolunteersAnonymousGauges volunteer and host site staff satisfactionProvides knowledge that can aid recruiting/retentionReinforces that we care about their feedback and want to improve their experienceLet volunteers know that the end of course survey will be automatically sent via email a few weeks after the course endsThe survey is designed for the course team which includes: ALL volunteers, no matter their role, and host site staff

32We know that these are key retention factors for because of the results of the Cooking Matters End-of-Course Survey for Volunteers. Each volunteer should complete a survey at the conclusion of each course. It allows volunteers to provide feedback and it helps us to understand volunteers perspectives on working with Cooking Matters.

The survey is anonymous and sent via email a few weeks after the course is over. Volunteer Recognition

One of the key factors for volunteer retention is recognition, which we will cover now. Share Our Strength has recognition at the national level, but you should also consider it from a local perspective.

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Volunteer recognition is a small but key part of your timeline. We will go over specific ways to do so in a moment.

34Why does Share Our Strength recognize volunteers?Connect new volunteers to Share Our Strengths role in ending childhood hunger.

Appreciate volunteers who have taught milestone course series.Encourage volunteers to continue teaching Cooking Matters courses in their communities.

Establish and maintain a connection with volunteers at the national level.

35These components of the volunteer process go hand-in-hand. Recognizing your volunteers is an important step in retaining them for continued commitment. Usually, volunteers want to continue to serve a program where they feel valued and feel that what they are contributing is important.

How does Share Our Strength recognize volunteers?Volunteer Milestone Gifts1st course: Re-useable grocery bag (Distributed at local level)3rd course: Cooking Matters water bottle5th course: Insulated bag10th course: Signed copy of The Light of Conscience15th course: Induction for course instructors into the Cooking Matters Hall of Fame, paid travel to and registration for Conference of Leaders

As you can see, volunteers receive different gifts as they reach various course teaching milestones. The annual Conference of Leaders, which volunteers attend for free after their 15th class, is a highlight for everyone involved. 36How can you recognize your volunteers on the local level?Acknowledge each course with a handwritten thank you noteAcknowledge volunteers in your organization's newsletter or on social media Share quotes from the participant surveys with volunteers so they know theyve made an impactHighlight participants positive feedback about the class results to your volunteers so they can see the impact of their contribution.Personal thank you phone call from someone higher up in your organization to the volunteerProvide a letter of recognition to the volunteers place of employment or professional organizationCreate and provide a certificate of appreciation

37It is important to recognize your volunteers on the local level as well. Dont underestimate the power of the spoken and written word! Here are some helpful hints. At the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, we give small gifts from our warehouse, feature top volunteers in our newsletters, and throw an annual volunteer appreciation party. All of these have led to highly engaged and active volunteers. Next UpCourse Coordination: Before Class StartsSatellite Partner BlogSatellite Partner TimelineHost Site SelectionVolunteer TrainingCourse Materials Preparation

This concludes our volunteer management training module. Next, we will cover the steps to planning a successful Cooking Matters Course.

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