Unlimited PotentialThe Importance of Volunteers for Extension Success

Improving Lives. Improving Texas.

Why do we want volunteers?

Volunteers: A Valuable Asset

Volunteers help Extension:

• Reach more people in Texas• Ensure that our programs

are relevant• Deliver Extension education• Interpret the value of

Extension to others

Volunteers: A Powerful Force

2009 Texas AgriLife Extension Volunteer Statistics:

• 104,672 volunteers statewide

• Total number of hours given: 4,058,422

• This is an average of almost 40 hours per person in 2009

Volunteers: A Powerful Force

2009 Texas AgriLife Extension Volunteer Statistics:

• The dollar value of the volunteer time given = $83,183,053.40 (figured using the value of volunteer time given by the Independent Sector, currently $21.47/hour)

• Contributions of Extension volunteers equal ~ 2,140 FTEs (full-time equivalents)

Volunteers: A Powerful Force

2009 Texas AgriLife Extension Volunteer Statistics:

• 18,639 volunteers helped teach and lead educational programs, reaching 3,023,932 Texans.

Without volunteers, our Extension programs will never reach their true potential.

It’s All In Our Attitude!• If our view of working with Extension

volunteers is a negative one, we will never fully utilize volunteers.

• If we never fully utilize volunteers, our programs will not have positive outcomes.

• Weak outcomes means not having an impact.

• Not having a true impact leads to becoming irrelevant.

• Irrelevancy is a great reason to downsize or do away with our organization.

Benefits of having Volunteers

Volunteers have credibility because they are unsalaried.

Benefits of having Volunteers

Receiving assistance from a volunteer (rather than from an employee) makes a difference to the recipient.

Benefits of having Volunteers

Volunteers are insider/outsiders

Benefits of having Volunteers

Volunteers extend our sphere of influence

Benefits of having Volunteers

Volunteers are valuable as objective policy or program makers/creators.

Benefits of having Volunteers

Volunteers bring the luxury of focus

Benefits of having Volunteers

Volunteers are more free to criticize

Volunteers feel less pressure and stress

Benefits of having Volunteers

Volunteers are always “private citizens.”

Benefits of having Volunteers

Volunteers can experiment.

Benefits of having Volunteers

Volunteers extend our budget.

Benefits of having Volunteers

Volunteers offer Extension unlimited potential.

They are gold. If, and how, we discover and capitalize on that gold is up to us!

Presentation References

Burkham, Angela & Boleman, Chris. 2005. Volunteer Administration in the 21st Century: Roles Volunteers Play in Extension. Texas AgriLife Extension Publication (D-1451).

Ellis, Susan J. 1999. From The Top Down: The Executive Role in Volunteer Program Success. Energize, Inc. Philadelphia, PA