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Volunteer Management

Course Overview

We are updating the UNA Credential in Volunteer Management. While the following information provides a good idea of what to expect, you can expect a new and improved Credential in Volunteer Management soon.

Have your volunteer management practices kept pace in a world that consistently upends what we call normal? In spite of pandemics, funding challenges, and the call for social justice, volunteers still want to connect with your mission and serve your cause. It falls to you to find ways to maintain that sense of connection—even if they can’t help in person.

If volunteers are even remotely critical to your organization, you’ll want to make sure that you are doing everything you can to attract, retain, and celebrate these amazing people. The UNA Credential in Volunteer Management provides everything you need—live online-training, curated resources, and coaching from experts—to create and implement a volunteer management program that honors your volunteers and their good works.

  1. Classroom-style training focused on solidifying your familiarity with foundational concepts and practical applications (including recruitment and retention) and introducing Code of Ethics, and DEI supported resources—all synthesized to make the most of your time.
  2. Comprehensive resources to guide your shaping of best practices in volunteer management. You won't need to start from scratch.
  3. A consultation from experts in volunteer management to find answers to your specific questions. You won't be left wondering if your practices make sense.
  4. Expert ongoing coaching. You don't have to go it alone.
  5. Certification for your successful integration of best practices in the form of a Badge in Volunteer Management and a media guide for sharing that success. Taking a victory lap is its own reward.

Volunteer Management will be held in April 2024.

Each of the nine UNA Credential courses is offered online, once in a calendar year.
Please check the UNA Event Calendar for all upcoming courses.

Cost:
UNA Member Rate: $180 for the first person/$40 for each additional participant
Not-Yet-Member Rate: $360 for the first person/$80 for each additional participant

Volunteer Management Badge Requirements

HOW YOU'LL BENEFIT

Successful completion of this course will help you:

  • Integrate volunteer management into your organization's overall planning and development.
  • Learn more about the profession of Volunteer Administration and how important it is to uphold the CCVA Professional Ethics in Volunteer Administration.
  • Secure senior leadership support and resources for strong volunteer management practices.
  • Develop and implement effective volunteer-related training organization-wide.
  • Engage and recognize volunteers.
  • Recruit, track, and communicate with volunteers.
  • Demonstrate your commitment to program stability and sustainability to funders, stakeholders, and even your volunteers.
  • Demonstrate the ability to lead your organization forward and contribute to the mission.

 

In order to earn the UNA Badge in Volunteer Management, you'll submit, on behalf of your organization, the following items for review and approval:

Professional Ethics In Volunteer Administration

Write out one volunteer engagement experience, where there was a negative code of ethics incident, into a case study for learning and teaching others in the organization to engage in teaching policy through story.

Volunteer Philosophy, Mission, And Program Vision

Create a volunteer philosophy, mission, and program vision for the volunteer program and receive buy-in from your leadership team.

Volunteer Involvement Framework

Create your Volunteer Involvement Framework as a visual reference to understand current positions and explore new opportunities for volunteer engagement.

Types Of Volunteering

Of the different types of volunteering, and working off the Volunteer Involvement Framework, define two new types of opportunities for volunteers to engage with your organization and how these volunteers will contribute to your mission.

Position Description

Write a detailed position description specifically targeting a non-traditional volunteer, one of your newly defined gaps in volunteers.

Targeted Outreach Plan

Create one targeted outreach strategy for one of the new positions identified in the Volunteer Involvement Framework.

Prospective Volunteer Follow-Up Procedure

Provide a written procedure, flowchart, or outline of the process after a volunteer applies.

Volunteer Experience Plan

Submit a written operational plan for volunteer feedback, data gathering on the volunteer experience and how to effectively integrate into your daily operations.

Recognition Plan

Submit written operational plan for volunteer recognition and rewards, including customization for DEI. Prepare and submit one nominee for Utah Philanthropy Day.

Impact, Value, And Outcome-Based Measurement

Submit a list of impact statements, how these items will be tracked, and the process for sharing the outcome-based impacts.

Training Plan For Staff Integration And Action Plan For Support

Conduct an internal SWOT for volunteer engagement and internal integration of the program. Then write a detailed training plan to overcome the agency’s weaknesses and challenges.

Volunteer Handbook

Provide a Volunteer Handbook including all the concepts learned through the credential. Include legal statements, rules, guidelines, and important information for the success of each volunteer.

Note: Please follow specific guidelines in the participant folder, as they are always going to be the most current.

Kellie Mieremet

Subject Matter Expert: Kellie Mieremet

Kellie Mieremet is the Community Engagement Manager for The INN Between. She has a background in marketing, higher education, service-learning, and volunteer management. Kellie also comes with a deep sense of passion and dedication for the community and those that she serves. Before coming to The INN Between, she was the Volunteer & Engagement Director for the Family Support Center, she served a year as an AmeriCorps VISTA for the American Red Cross, Disaster Services as their Volunteer Coordinator. Prior to that she worked in higher education managing a service-learning program and then managed a federal grant focused on college access.

In 2015 she received her Master of Arts in Community Leadership (MACL) from Westminster College where she focused on how to locally support the profession of volunteer management. Kellie has now taught the Working with Volunteers course for the MACL program and most recently, taught the Utah Nonprofits Association’s Credential in Volunteer Management as the subject matter expert. In 2016, she sat for and earned the Certified in Volunteer Administration (CVA) credential. Kellie is the co-founder of Utah’s Professional Association for Volunteer Engagement (UPAVE), a community of practice designed to support the profession of volunteer management and the co-founder of Coffee with Coordinators in 2014, under the name Volunteer Managers of Utah.