Volunteer work organisers, also known as volunteer coordinators, manage volunteers and their relationship with paid staff within an organisation. They also monitor, evaluate and accredit volunteers. Volunteer work organisers work in most sectors, including the education, commercial and public sectors and creative industries, but predominantly in the voluntary sector. A volunteer work organiser coordinates all elements of volunteering either within their own organisation or on behalf of the organisation for which they are recruiting volunteers. Their role involves assessing the organisation's volunteering needs and then meeting those needs through the recruitment, placement and retention of volunteers. Their responsibilities includes
- researching and writing volunteer policies and procedures
- liaising with departments within their own organisation or with organisations for which they are recruiting volunteers to understand how they work, develop partnerships and assess their volunteering needs
- generating appropriate voluntary work opportunities and role descriptions based on the needs of the organisation
- raising awareness of the role and function of volunteers with paid staff within an organisation
- ensuring there is appropriate support and training for volunteers
- promoting volunteering or charities through publicity campaigns
- recruiting volunteers and ensuring they are matched and trained for a volunteer position;
- organising volunteer rotas, and providing volunteer inductions and training
- monitoring, supporting, motivating and accrediting volunteers and their work
- nominating volunteers and/or volunteer work providers for awards, and organising volunteer celebration events
- making projects sustainable and writing funding applications
- offering advice and information to volunteers and external organisations/voluntary work providers through face-to-face, telephone and email contact
- designing publicity material, press releases and articles
- organising profile-raising events to attract volunteers and new clients
- attending committees and meetings
- keeping up to date with legislation related to volunteering, and making any necessary modifications to accommodate changes
- managing budgets and resources, including reimbursing volunteer expenses
- monitoring activity, collating results and preparing reports for funders
- maintaining databases and undertaking any other administrative duties
When contacting a volunteer organization, tell the recruiter what you would like to do or what services you can provide. Mention your special skills as they can be greatly needed. The recruiter will most likely give you work or assign you to a project that makes use of your skills and allows you to develop new ones.
A charity officer undertakes a variety of functions which can vary considerably depending upon the sector and size of an organisation. In larger organisations, the role will focus on a specific area, such as project management or strategy development; in smaller charities, a charity officer will undertake whatever tasks are required. Typical job functions include applying for grants, administration, budget setting, dealing with volunteers, fundraising, PR and providing advice or information. A charity fundraiser is employed, directly or indirectly, by a charity or related organisation. They are responsible for achieving an agreed money-raising target through a wide range of fundraising mediums. Their responsibilities includes
- developing new and imaginative fundraising activities, many of which will be events-based
- working with all forms of the media to promote, market and advertise forthcoming events
- organising traditional fundraising activities, such as flag days and house-to-house collections of donated goods and monies
- increasing funds through researching and targeting charitable trusts sympathetic to the charity
- developing and implementing a strategy for the recruitment and development of individual and corporate supporters
- overseeing corporate fundraising, including employee giving and matched giving from employers
- building and maintaining profitable, long-term fundraising relationships with donors and potential donors - this may include the writing and circulation of regular newsletters
- raising awareness of the charity and its work at both a local and national level - this may involve giving talks to groups, doing radio interviews and writing press releases
- developing and co-ordinating web-based fundraising, online auctions and the selling of merchandise
- writing applications and mail-shots and organising the use of direct mailing to a wide range of potential and current donors
- recruiting, organising and working with volunteers and supporting them in their endeavours - in large national charities you may be responsible for several hundred volunteers working in your area
- preparing reports for both donors and trustees of the charity
- making risk analyses and balancing time-cost ratios to ensure you choose the most appropriate fundraising activities with the highest chance of success;
- monitoring income and expenditure against the budget allocated and the target that has been determined
Recent graduates are rarely accepted without relevant experience. The majority of roles ask for a minimum of two years, so taking every opportunity to gain experience in the field is crucial. This can be in the form of voluntary work during term time, in vacations, during a year out, or sometimes following the completion of your degree.Charities also look favourably on experience gained in marketing, public relations, advertising, sales and finance, so long as this is coupled with evidence of interest in the sector. charity jobs,charity jobs uk,charity work india,fundraising jobs,job in charity,volunteer jobs In terms of career development, there are advantages and disadvantages of working for different sizes of organisation and sectors. Generally, within the larger voluntary/charity sector organisations and private sector, bigger budgets and larger remits often mean more international travel, professional qualification opportunities and more training prospects. There is usually a structured route of promotion. However, roles within these organisations/sectors are relatively rigid, with specific people/departments undertaking specific tasks, and therefore individuals may develop a very specific skill set. Although smaller voluntary/charity sector organisations often lack the same level of structure and resources, a charity officer in that environment will be exposed to a number of different aspects of the organisation's work, undertake multiple roles and have the opportunity to develop a wide range of skills and experience.
