Volunteer Discipline and Termination

1. Volunteer Discipline and Termination February 13, 2008 Melanie L. Herman, Executive Director Nonprofit Risk Management Center “If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties.” – Francis Bacon

2. The Landscape • What makes your operations risky? • Volunteers? • Urgency? • Partnerships? • Collaboration? ?

3. What Risk? • Volunteer suffers injury • Volunteer may be fearful and reluctant to serve • Volunteer may cause injury

4. Safe(r) Volunteering • Careful matching • Position design • What if? strategies • What else? • THREE questions… • What could go wrong? • What will we do? • How will we pay for it?

5. Volunteers = Risk + Reward • Think broadly about volunteer roles and desirable characteristics.

6. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 2. Screen volunteers.

7. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 3.Don’t solicit information during the screening process that isn’t helpful to determining eligibility or placement.

8. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 4. Customize your screening process to the risks of the position.

9. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 5. Provide training.

10. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 6. Provide safety equipment & tools.

11. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 7. Establish limits, rules and requirements.

12. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 8. Remember that you may need to adjust your supervision of volunteers based on the adequacy, thoroughness, and intensity of screening process.

13. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 9. Consider program design changes as a risk management tool.

14. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 10. Provide explicit direction and instruction.

15. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 11. Make your expectations clear.

16. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 12. Communicate!

17. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 13. Don’t assume an incoming volunteer knows what to do or what not to do.

18. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 14. Don’t sidestep your screening process because of a volunteer’s connections, position in the community, etc.

19. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 15. Don’t assume another organization will protect your nonprofit in the event a volunteer causes harm or suffers harm.

20. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 16. Put people first when designing risk management strategies; askhow will this play in Peoria?

21. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 17. Choose the practical approach to problem solving.

22. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 18. Consider how you will dismiss a volunteer whose continued service is disruptive or presents a danger to people or the organization.

23. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 19. Plan how to reassign a volunteer whose health concerns make their previous contributions no longer viable.

24. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 20. Watch carefully for rules that are ignored or evaded and take action without delay.

25. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 21. Volunteers are people; a one-size fits all approach rarely works.

26. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 22. Consider volunteer motivations when developing incentives and rewards.

27. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 23. Don’t be afraid to establish and enforce absolutes — the rules that cannot be ignored.

28. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 24. Accommodate reasonable requests.

29. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 25. Remember to consider the costs of harm… answer the question: “How will we pay for it?” before the harm occurs.

30. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 26. Establish a manageable and enforceable set of rules and policies for volunteers.

31. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 27. Ask volunteers what they think!

32. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 28. Involve volunteers in designing strategies to protect them.

33. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 29. Address perceptions as well as realities.

34. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 30. When something goes wrong, commit to conducting an incident review.

35. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 31. Prepare for volunteer complaints. What will you do?

36. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 32. Don’t assume volunteers are covered under your current insurance coverage.

37. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 33. Don’t assume that volunteers will support and follow your rules 100% of the time.

38. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 34. Hold volunteers accountable.

39. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 35. Involve volunteers in identifying and managing risks.

40. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 36. Consider establishing a grievance policy or other mechanism.

41. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 37. Supervise volunteer activities; praise work well done and coach to bring sub-par work up to your expectations.

42. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 38. Don’t be afraid to correct, discipline or fire a volunteer who is not adhering to the job description, policies or procedures.

43. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 39. Pair a neophyte volunteer with a successful volunteer to bring the new person up to speed.

44. Volunteers = Risk + Reward 40. Don’t make promises you can’t keep.

45. Volunteers = Risk + Reward BONUS Praise in public; criticize in private.

46. Reach out for help! • Nonprofit Risk Management Center • www.nonprofitrisk.org • Melanie@nonprofitrisk.org • (202) 785-3891