Managing a Volunteer Program Across Multiple Chapters

Whether you represent a fraternal organization or an association, you likely understand the virtues of chapter volunteering. Not only does volunteering empower you to support a worthy cause, but it also allows your members to build transferable skills and relationships with each other. Simply put, making volunteering a core value and activity for your organization can help develop your member base and secure their long-term loyalty.

While leveraging power in numbers benefits the organization you’re volunteering for, managing a multi-chapter volunteering program can be a logistical headache for chapter leaders. However, with some preparation and the right tools by your side, you can make your multi-chapter volunteer program a well-oiled machine. In this guide, we’ll explore how to do just that and, in the process, reap significant advantages for your organization. 

1. Establish a Unified Vision

As with any organizational initiative, you need to set out the vision of your volunteer program first so you stay true to your values. This is especially important for multi-chapter groups so all chapter leaders stay aligned throughout the rollout process. Here are some questions to answer as you start planning your program:

• What are the internal and external core objectives of this program?

• How will this program reflect our values and further our mission?

• What are our expectations for each member?

• How will we measure success?
• How will we standardize the program across numerous chapters?

Looking into the future can be abstract, so you can take non-traditional methods of answering these questions if that works better for you. For instance, you might create a word cloud of ideal adjectives to describe the program once it’s been rolled out. Regardless of what you decide, work with your chapter leaders and members to inform your decisions with well-rounded perspectives.

2. Use Volunteer Management Software

Just like any other aspect of managing your chapter, you need the right management software to get the job done efficiently. Fortunately, there’s volunteer management software available that’s directly tailored to large, multi-chapter organizations that you can leverage. 

Volunteer management software allows you to streamline workflows, schedule volunteer shifts, and communicate with members faster. Here are some features you should look for in order to access these benefits:

• Automatic volunteer scheduling. Perhaps the largest challenge of organizing multi-chapter volunteering initiatives is configuring schedules that work for everyone. The best volunteer management software should let you schedule volunteer shifts seamlessly based on your volunteers’ availability. The software should also let you know if an outing is due to be understaffed so you can either postpone it or downsize your plans for the day.

• Comprehensive reporting and analytics. Whether the data you’re reporting is specific to individual members, one chapter, or an entire organization, your chosen software should be able to present important information in a visually appealing and straightforward way. You should also be able to customize your reports based on key performance indicators (KPIs), such as the participation rate per chapter and the total hours volunteered.

• Volunteer-facing component. Your members are more likely to actively participate in your program when they have the means to do so right at their fingertips. Use software that empowers members to check their upcoming shift schedule, input availability, message with chapter organizers, and view their impact with custom reports. 
• User-friendly interface. Chances are, your members have varying degrees of technology experience and comfort. OmegaFi suggests using software with an easy-to-use interface, mobile app, and navigational features to get the best return on your investment. If the software is more advanced, ensure it offers comprehensive training resources, and take the time to help your members who have questions. 

These are only a few of the helpful features on the market. To find the ideal solution for your organization, be sure to leverage free trials, demos led by product experts, and third-party software reviews.

3. Create Consistent Training Experiences

Your volunteers want to make as big of a difference for your cause as possible and be as helpful as they can. You can empower them to reach their full potential by teaching them exactly what they need to know to succeed. That’s where volunteer training comes in! 

Not only does volunteer training help you mold the most effective volunteers, but it also helps communicate expectations across a variety of chapters and roles. Here are some components of volunteer training to keep in mind:

• Standardized curriculum. An effective standardized curriculum provides knowledge that every participant should know, regardless of their differences, to make them a better contributor to the program. For example, standard training should cover how to use volunteer software, the purpose of the program in the context of your organization and the nonprofit, and key policies to adhere to.

• Acknowledgement of common volunteer challenges. Being transparent about issues volunteers may face and providing strategies to help can mitigate retention issues down the line. For instance, a common issue in volunteer programs is burnout. During training, you might define burnout and offer solutions, such as allowing volunteers to switch roles or decrease their time commitment if needed. Simply addressing common issues can help volunteers feel more welcome to come forward if they’re struggling, cultivating a healthier work environment overall.
• Role-specific guidance. Your members have a wide variety of skill sets and roles within the volunteer program, meaning they should get specific guidance. Develop training materials based on the different responsibilities your volunteers take on. Let’s say you’re volunteering for a food bank—your role-specific training materials should look totally different for a meal packer than for an accountant working pro bono.

As you develop these materials, work with the nonprofit to ensure your visions are aligned. Also, keep in mind that your members all have different learning styles and schedules. Try to accommodate as many preferences as possible by providing online and in-person training options. 

Regardless of whether you’re using your volunteer program to teach skills or to build connections in the community, your members are committing extra time to participate. Dormie Network Foundation suggests showing your utmost gratitude for their contributions of time with small gifts, such as branded merchandise, or hand-written thank you notes. No matter what you decide to do, showing thanks will communicate the importance of your members’ work and help bring them together from different chapters

About OmegaFi

OmegaFi helps chapters, clubs, and groups drive their mission forward with scalable chapter management software solutions and best-in-class customer service.

About the Author

Melissa Geitgey
Director Of Marketing, Higher Ed Product Group at Togetherwork

Melissa Geitgey, APR, is the director of marketing for Togetherwork’s higher education product group. She has extensive experience leading marketing and communications departments to advance strategic initiatives and managing events. She graduated from Valparaiso University with a B.A. in Communications and received her Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) by the Universal Accreditation Board in 2011. Melissa is also a past president of the Public Relations Society of America Hoosier Chapter and former chapter Ethics Chair. 

When she’s not geeking out about marketing communications strategy and the creative process, Melissa loves spending time with her family, listening to live music, visiting art museums, restoring vintage handbags, and mastering subversive cross stitch.