HSUS  Animal  Expo  2016  Workshop   Engaging  Volunteers:  Think  Creatively  and  Develop  Dedicated  Volunteers    

Increase Volunteer Dedication Creative  Ways  to  Help  Your  Volunteer  Program      

 

Presented  by:  Barbara  L.  Klein,  BowWow  Connections  Inc.   Email:[email protected]  

Where Do Volunteers Volunteer:

Non-­‐profits  are  big  business  for  America’s  economy.  There  are  approximately  1.41  million   nonprofits  with  an  estimated  80.6  million  people  volunteering  each  year  (Urban  Institute,   2015).  Public  charities  make  up  the  largest  share  of  the  nonprofit  sector  equaling  94.5   thousand.  That  equates  to  54.4  million  specifically  public  charity  volunteers.  Animal  and   environment  organizations  are  part  of  this  public  charity  sector  with  43  thousand  operating   nonprofits.  This  equates  to  2.4  million  Animal/Environment  organizations  and  when   divided  by  the  total  number  of  volunteers,  only  approximately  only  5.7  new  volunteers  per   year  find  their  way  to  volunteer  in  the  Animal/Environment  sector.  This  is  why  it  is  so   important  to  keep  our  volunteers.  The  pool  of  volunteers  available  to  animal  organizations   is  quite  small.  

 

How Much Is A Volunteer Worth? Volunteer  service  is  worth  an  estimated  $173  billion  to  according  to  the  Corporation  for   National  and  Community  Service  (Volunteer,  2015)  research.  Volunteers  are  estimated  to   volunteer  7.7  billion  hours  of  time  in  one  year.  This  equates  to  an  average  of  $23.07  an  hour   according  to  the  Independent  Sector  (IS)  report.     “The  value  of  volunteer  time  provides  one  way  to  measure  the  impact  millions  of   individuals  make  each  hour  they  dedicate  to  making  a  difference”,  according  to  IS.    

Who Are Our “FREE” Work Force: (aka Volunteers)

• 25.3%  of  Americans  over  16  years  of  age  volunteered  (80.6  million  people)  in  2014   • 20.2%  Never  married   • 30%  Married   • 31.6%  Adults  with  children  under  18  years  old   • 26%  Adults  without  children  under  18  years  old  

                   

 

Recap: Our “FREE” work force:   • Married   • With  Children  under  18  years  old   • Women   • Age  35-­‐55  years  old   • 65  Years  or  older      

What Motivates Our “Free” Work Force?   91-­72  Years  Old  -­  Traditionalists  (1925-­‐1944)   • Competent   • Civic  duty     • Commitment,  stay  for  many  years     • Communicate:  phone,  written  letters,  in  person     71-­52  Years  Old  -­  Baby  Boomers  (1945-­‐1964)   • Ambitious,  competent,  competitive   • Part  of  the  bigger  picture,  make  an  impact     • Short  term,  specific  assignments   • Use  their  special  skills   • Communicate:  email,  phone,  or  in  person        

Why Volunteers Leave:

   51-­32    Years  Old-­Generation  X-­ers  (1965-­‐1984)   • Adaptable,  confident,  self-­‐starters,  determined   • Cause  that  impacts  them  directly   • Technologically  savvy,  highly  educated   • Communicate:  email,  text,  Facebook          31-­12  Years  Old  -­  Millennials  (1985-­‐2004)   • Highly  educated   • Make  a  difference   • Civic  duty   • Enthusiastic,  fun,  and  eager   • Communicate:  Facebook,  Twitter,  text   • Extremely  technologically  savvy   • Crave  personal  attention,  lots  of  praise     • Gain  professional  experience    

• Move  from  area   • Other  non-­‐profit  sways  their  interest   • Death  of  volunteer’s  pet   • Boredom   • Organization  Reasons:   • Lack  of  clear  organization’s  structure     • No  concrete  goals   • Not  knowing  the  organization’s  purpose  and  reason  for  existence   • Failing  to  recognize  their  contribution   • Lack  of  strong  leadership   • Lack  of  training   • Lack  of  appreciation   • Unable  to  develop  new  skills  and  experience  to  open  up  new  career  opportunities  

Compassion Fatigue:

• “Emotional  exhaustion,  caused  by  the  stress  of  caring  for  traumatized  or  suffering  animals   or  people”          

If you think you are . . . You probably are.

Ways to Help Compassion Fatigue:

• Set  personal  limits   • Read  a  book  on  the  subject   • Take  a  class  or  webinar   • Train  your  staff  in  social  worker  skills   • Team  up  with  other  organizations  that  volunteers  might  have  the  same  emotional  struggles   that  you  have.  Building  a  support  network  can  benefit  your  volunteer  and  staff.        

Be Creative – Engage Volunteers

• Clearly  explain  your  organization’s  structure   • Explain  your  cause,  your  ideological  and  your  basis  for  your  actions,  your  drive  and  your   passion   • Share  your  goals,  your  mission,  your  vision  and  your  strategy  to  meet  these  goals   • Orientation  training  in  small  groups  with  personal  attention  and  training   • Specific  training  to  develop  new  skills   o Dog  behavior  training  for  specific  behaviors  such  as  aggression,  biting,   obedience,  shyness,  introducing  to  new  environments,  agility,  public  speaking   • Give  FREE  volunteer  t-­‐shirts   • Host  events/activities  to  showcase  your  volunteers   o Have  volunteers  be  part  of  news  broadcasts,  even  if  it  is  just  holding  a  puppy   or  kitten   o Acknowledge  volunteer  hours  by  different  color  t-­‐shirts  that  you  GIVE  FREE   o Allow  posting  on  the  volunteer  facebook  page.  This  can  be  done  in  a  way  that   you  can  edit  before  it  goes  public.   • Show  your  appreciation   o Saturday  picnics  at  the  shelter   o Appreciation  luncheons   o Saturday  picnics  at  the  shelter   o Appreciation  luncheons      

Think out-of-the-box:

High  schools  students  have  a  lot  of  energy,  especially  the  football  team.  This  event  we   worked  with  a  teacher  at  a  local  school  and  got  a  group  of  high-­‐schoolers  out  to  clean  a  field   next  to  a  shelter  so  the  volunteers  could  safely  walk  the  dogs.  The  kids  benefited  from  the   work,  including  girls,  and  their  only  reward  was  the  satisfaction  of  a  hard  job  completed.   Afterwards  the  shelter  taught  the  kids  how  to  bottle-­‐feed  orphan  newborns.  Even  the   football  quarterback  was  tenderly  feeding  the  babies.  Out  of  this  event  I  was  able  to  obtain   fosters  for  3  sets  of  puppies  with  their  moms,  raised  another  5  orphan  puppies  in  the   school’s  office,  and  the  teacher  involved  fostered  a  puppy  until  it  found  a  new  home.  This  all   happened  because  we  built  a  connection  with  the  students  and  the  school  on  a  level  that   opened  doors  for  them  to  help.  This  same  school  had  a  debate  team  that  went  in  front  of  the   City  Council  to  reform  the  city’s  old  shelter  and  stop  them  from  merging  with  the  county’s   high  kill  shelter.  The  City  Council  voted  5-­‐0  in  favor  of  the  reform.          

Think Creatively:

More  and  more  volunteers  are  looking  for  ways  to  volunteer  on  their  own  time  schedules.   Develop  and  encourage  programs  that  volunteers  can  do  while  at  home  or  out  of  the   shelter’s  time  restraints.  Give  clear  instructions,  goals,  and  deadlines.     Bring  out  the  creativeness  in  your  volunteers  by  tapping  into  their  creative  ideas.  Have  a   volunteer  host  a  yard  sale  for  a  specific  animal  they  are  fond  of.  If  you  have  a  volunteer,  or   like  the  Fit  for  Fido  campaign,  a  foster  that  is  involved  in  a  physical  activity  like  Crossfit,  let   them  develop  and  host  their  own  event.  Fit  for  Fido  was  expected  to  have  30  attendees  and   raise  around  $800.  Final  result  of  this  event  was  over  80  attendees  and  over  $3,000  raised  –   no  cost  or  time  commitment  from  the  organization,  and  they  had  great  media  coverage.  This   is  a  win-­‐win  situation.     Utilize  volunteers  to  develop  a  “Dog’s  Day  Out”  program  for  great  exposure  and  training  of   shelter  animals.  Places  they  can  visit  are  yoga  studios  (have  a  class  with  a  rescue  dog  or  cat),   malls,  parks,  beach,  popular  community  hangout  and  dog-­‐friendly  restaurants.  Make  sure   whatever  activity  the  volunteer  is  well  trained  for  specific  behavior  requirements  and  have   the  tools  to  do  the  job  well.     Plan  a  “Doggie  Beach  Party”  with  shelter  animals.  This  could  be  a  major  event  and  pretty   much  guaranteed  to  attract  a  lot  of  attention.  Let  your  volunteers  showcase  their  ability  to   handle  dogs  and  socialization.     Have  a  volunteer  head-­‐up  a  program  such  as  the  BoSo  (Buy1Send1)  program  for  enrichment   toys  or  form  a  group  to  make  your  own  “Up-­‐Cycle”  dog  and  cat  toys.  Who  wouldn’t  want  to   be  responsible  for  dog  and  cat  toys?  These  items  make  excellent  retail  items  at  events  and  in   your  shelter  store.    

Utilize all age groups:

Encourage  local  teachers  involved  to  bring  their  classes  to  your  shelter  and  read  to  the   animals.  Television  crews  love  this.  Offer  shelter  puppies  and  adult  animals  to  come  to   school  on  finals  day  to  help  calm  students  test  anxiety.  Again,  news  crews  love  this  stuff.   Develop  opportunities  for  the  whole  family  to  volunteer  at  times  that  are  convenient  for   families.  Let  our  “Traditionalists”  age  group  hold  animals.  Maybe  they  can’t  handle  walking   animals  but  a  few  minutes  of  hugging  the  scared  and  frightened  ones  can  benefit  both   human  and  animal  emotions.  Provide  a  clean,  comfortable  area  to  do  this.          

Volunteers are not paid - not because they are worthless but because they are priceless.

   

   

 

Sources:   American  Foundation  for  Suicide  Prevention  (AFSP),  Out  of  the  Darkness  Walks,    afsp.org   BarkPost,  The  Fatal  Epidemic  of  Animal  Care  Workers  That  No  One  Is  Talking  About,  Feb.  2015,                  www.barkpost.com/good/compassion-­fatigue-­animal-­workers   Bridging  the  Generations  Gap  in  Company  Volunteering,  Ryan  Scott,  Forbes  Leadership,  www.forbes.com   BoSo  Program  (Buy1/Send1  Enrichment  Toys),  BowWow  Connections  Inc,  facebook:  bowwowconnections   Bureau  of  Labor  Statistics,  bls.gov   National  Center  for  Charitable  Statistics,  Necs.urban.org   The  Faces  of  Volunteerism  in  the  U.S.A.,  Tessa  Srebro,  Feb.  2,  2016,  Volunteering  in  the  News   The  Flip  Side  of  Fatigue,  Beth  Gammie,  Animal  Sheltering  Magazine,  Humane  Society  of  United  States,          November/December  2015   Urban  Institute,  The  Nonprofit  Sector  in  Brief  2015,  Brice  S.  McKeever,  Oct,  2015   Volunteer  Value  Hits  $23.07  An  Hour,  Mark  Hrywna,  April,  2015,  www.thenonprofittimes.com    

 

           

 

XYZ Dog’s Day Out Volunteer Agreement As a Dog’s Day Out Gulf Coast Humane Society (XYZ) volunteer I agree to the following provisions: (Please Initial)

________

1. A XYZ volunteer can take only one dog out at a time for Dog’s Day Out (DDO) and for only a 2-hour increment.

________

2. A volunteer must meet with a shelter staff member for a brief orientation before taking a dog for DDO. You will be briefed at this time on safety, precautions, and the behavior of the dog. You also must see a shelter staff member to “sign-out” and “sign-in” a DDO dog.

________

3. You must let the shelter staff member know where you plan to take the DDO dog.

________

4. The DDO dog must be in a crate at ALL TIMES when traveling in your vehicle.

________

5. You may not take the DDO dog to your home unless you have been approved to be an approved XYZ foster and have prior approval. The purpose of the DDO is to get the animal exposed and socialized in public settings.

________

6. You must carry a working cell phone with you at all times. This is so the shelter staff can reach you immediately in case someone is interested in adopting the DDO dog or you need to reach a shelter staff member in the event of an emergency. You must carry with you the list of XYZ emergency numbers.

________

7. A DDO dog must wear a harness, leash, and if available an “Adopt Me” vest during the entire time they are out and about.

________

8. You must wear your volunteer nametag and your XYZ volunteer t-shirt. We will provide information cards for you to hand out to potential adopters.

________

9. You must be in control of the DDO dog at ALL times. Always be cautious of kids and other dogs either leashed or loose.

________

10. The DDO dog must NEVER be off leash for any reason or taken to an off-leash dog park at any time.

________

11. The DDO dog must NEVER be left unattended in a vehicle regardless of the outside temperature. The DDO dog must NEVER be tied or leashed to an object under any circumstances.

________

12. The DDO dog can only have treats provided by XYZ. NO PEOPLE FOOD. Please limit the treats to a reasonable amount to assure they will not be sick. Too many treats make a sick dog the next day.

________

13. The DDO volunteer must have an air-conditioned vehicle and the dog MUST ride in the air-conditioned portion of the vehicle.

________

14. The DDO dog must NEVER be walked on hot pavement.

________

15. The DDO volunteer must always provide the DDO dog with fresh water and a bowl to drink out of.

________

16. The DDO volunteer must ALWAYS pick up the DDO dog’s poop.

________

17. The DDO dog must not interact with other dogs. This is for the safety of the volunteer and the XYZ dog.

________

18. A shelter staff member must be contacted immediately in the event of an emergency or if the DDO dog does not appear to be feeling well or exhibits unusual behavior.

Dog’s Day Out Volunteer Agreement page 2

I have read this agreement thoroughly and promise to abide by the GCHS DDO rules. I have received a copy of this agreement along with GCHS emergency contact numbers.

Date: ______________________ Volunteer Cell Phone Number: (______) ______________________________

___________________________________________ Volunteer Signature

____________________________________________ Print Name

___________________________________________________ Shelter Staff Supervisor/Member

Time Out: __________________ am / pm

Time In: __________________ am / pm

Animals Name: __________________________ Microchip Number: ____________________________________

XYZ EMERGENCY Contact Numbers: Clinic Office---------------------------------------------------------------------------- XXX-XXX-XXXX Adoptions, Front Desk -------------------------------------------------------------- XXX-XXX-XXXX Shelter Manager------------------------------ XXX-XXX-XXXXext. 302, cell XXX-XXX-XXXX Volunteer Coordinator ---------------------- XXX-XXX-XXXXext. 301, cell XXX-XXX-XXXX Executive Director -------------------------- XXX-XXX-XXXX ext. 308, cell XXX-XXX-XXXX                

Use  volunteers  that  have  office  skill  to  create  Excel  spread  sheets.  Let  them  take  ownership   of  the  project  and  train  others  to  keep  the  project  updated  on  a  regular  basis.  You  can   created  spreadsheets  on  owner  surrenders  as  they  call  in  and  can  be  tracked  and  sorted  by   a  variety  of  categories.  Heartworm  positive  dogs  can  be  kept  on  track  throughout  their   treatment  and  status  of  owner  compliance  with  dogs  adopted  before  or  during  their   treatment.    

 

 

 

24-HR S & N Event Event: ACCOI 24-Hour Spay and Neuter Campaign Date: Late Winter/Early Spring Location: Indio Warehouse or Polo Fields (tent event) Target Areas: 92201, 92203 Revenue/Expenses: To offer free spay and neuter to all Indio residences in a target area (zip codes) for domestic cats and dogs over the age of TBD. A current City of Indio dog license will be required or a license purchase at time of event. Cats will require a minimum charge for the service ($5-$10). Revenue will be generated through the license fees and future revenue through renewals. This will also give ACCOI a better idea of the percentage of dogs and cats in the target area for future grants and program assistance through national resources.

Marketing: Advertising of the event can be distributed through City of Indio finance department (with any bill sent), utilities bills, business licenses, City paychecks, public facilities, newspaper advertising, radio, etc.

Funding: Volunteers, national organization, collaboration with other local and national rescue groups.

Day of the Event: Vouchers will be offered to all residences in the target area with a prior reservation and a time will be established to the animal owner when they can bring in their animal to be spay/neutered. This will spread surgery times through the 24-hour period.

Equipment/Volunteers: Volunteer surgical veterinarians and technicians will be need on the day of the event. Qualified animal care/surgical prep volunteers and registration volunteers will be needed. A mobile hospital could be a possible solution.

Goal: To reduce dog/cat overpopulation. Goal will be to spay/neuter at least 300 animals within a 24-hour period. This figure could change depending upon available statistics and records of the target areas.

Sustainability: A continued effort beyond this event and a strong plan of action will be needed to assure achieving a high impact to reduce overpopulation in the target areas. A plan for specific ongoing funding will be necessary.

 

NOTES: