Volunteers in the Public and Nonprofi t Sectors 123
and administer zoning laws. Some agencies need volunteers for a fi nite
amount of time to focus on one project or program, while others need
volunteer support on a continuing basis, such as for a general educational
development or tutoring program.
During the prerecruitment process, it is also important to note
whether certain days of the week or set hours are required or whether
volunteers may select the days and hours that are most convenient for
them. This is important because of decreasing numbers of people who
are available to work daytime hours because they are in the paid labor
force. Moreover, individuals who hold full - time jobs may be reluctant to
volunteer on an ongoing basis. Agencies may need to identify or develop
projects that do not require long - term commitments. This is referred to
as an episodic volunteer (Macduff, 2005). Many local communities and
United Way agencies sponsor “ paint your heart out ” days or “ Christmas
in July, ” which allow a team of volunteers to paint houses or nonprofi t
buildings, perform landscaping, build fences, patch roofs, and so forth.
These projects typically last one day or are completed in a weekend.
There are three types of episodic volunteers:Temporary. The volunteer provides service for a short duration,
perhaps for a few hours or days.
Interim. The volunteer provides service at regular intervals for, say,
six months, making a commitment to work on a special project or
provide a service for a limited amount of time.
Occasional. The volunteer provides service for regular intervals for
short periods of time. This could be someone who volunteers for
the same event year after year, say, for an annual fundraising event
(Macduff, 2005).Agencies need to understand how episodic volunteers differ from
traditional long - term volunteers and develop opportunities for them.
Agencies should try to create positions where the volunteer does not have
to be in the offi ce for long periods or can work independently at home, as
in Internet volunteer programs.
The Lions Clubs International, Rotary International, and Kiwanis
International are reducing their requirements for meeting attendance.
They are creating cyberclubs that conduct business on the Internet and
family clubs to involve parents and children (El Nasser, 2007). For programs
that require consistent hours and long - term commitments, agencies may
target retired citizens or students, who are likely to be more fl exible than
working adults. Research on older adults found that there are now more