116 Human Resources Management for Public and Nonprofi t Organizations
(SHRM) and planning. When one thinks of volunteers and civic participation,
nonprofi t agencies typically come to mind. However, the public sector has
also come to rely on volunteers for an assortment of purposes and in a
variety of environments.
While the use of volunteers in the public sector has grown, dependence
on volunteer use tends to be more pervasive in the nonprofi t sector. The
increase in volunteer activities has necessitated the increasing professional-
ism of volunteer administration. Organizations such as the National Center
for Voluntary Action, the Volunteer Center National Network, Min-
nesota Association for Volunteer Administration, North Carolina
Association for Volunteer Administration, New York Association for Vol-
unteer Administration, and South Carolina Association for Volunteer
Administration are examples of statewide associations of volunteer admin-
istration. There are also regional and citywide associations. The Association
for Volunteer Administration has a certifi cate program for managers of
volunteers. Other services include the provision of books, pamphlets,
training materials, and videos targeting the recruitment and management
of volunteers. These agencies also provide training related to the recruitment
and use of volunteers (Brudney, 2001). The National Association of Volunteer
Programs in Local Governments is an affi liate of the National Association of
Counties. Members have access to a mentoring program, where a coordina-
tor for new volunteers can fi nd resources or seek help from an experienced
manager for consultation or support. Other services include training and
educational workshops at the national Points of Light conference, as well
as state and regional levels. The association provides a quarterly newsletter
with program updates, news, and best practices.
In both public and nonprofit agencies, attention should be paid
to the recruitment, selection, training, evaluation, and management
of volunteers. While volunteers can be tremendous assets to any organi-
zation, they also present new human resources management challenges.
Administrative responsibilities are increased because agencies must keep
records and extend their liability insurance and workers ’ compensation
policies to volunteers.
Managing volunteer programs requires the development of human
resources management (HRM) policies and procedures to assist with the
integration of volunteers into the everyday operations of the agency. Paid
staff, unions, and board members need to support the use of volunteers,
oversight needs to be provided so that volunteers are properly used, and
strategies need to be developed to motivate and retain volunteers.
This chapter addresses these issues. At the end of the chapter, special
attention is given to volunteers who serve on governing boards.