How to Become a Volunteer Treasurer

Are you already interested in a specific cause, or directly involved in a nonprofit’s activities? If so, becoming a volunteer treasurer is likely to be very easy. If the position is currently open, and you already have a background in accounting or finance, all you will likely have to do is simply volunteer to serve!

Recruiting for this position is notoriously difficult for many nonprofits. Some nonprofits might post the position on websites that help connect volunteers with nonprofits that are looking for people with specific skills and backgrounds. Other times,  the executive director or board members will reach out to their circle of contacts to find a good candidate. When this happens, you might not even have any experience, or even formally apply for the spot,  but find yourself “drafted” into the position by the board.

Before applying for, or accepting, the position the first thing that you should ask yourself is whether you have what it takes to be a great treasurer.

Are You Organised?

One misconception about the job is that you must be a licensed accountant, or, come from a background involving banking, or even bookkeeping, to be successful in the role. This common misconception simply isn’t true. What you will need, however, is the ability to think logically. You will also need to be very detailed oriented, and able to perform your duties is a very methodical, step-by-step manner. It will also help if you are good at math and performing calculations and can be depended upon to handle cash.

Are You  Dependable and Trustworthy?

Can your nonprofit count on you to do your best to fulfil the role? As a volunteer treasurer, you are an officer of your board, and will have the same the fiduciary responsibilities shared by all board members. You and every other board member are responsible for ensuring that your nonprofit operates in a legal, financially sound and sustainable manner and that all your actions are to serve your NFP’s core mission and benefit the public good.

Will You be Comfortable in the Role of Watchdog?

The treasurer is responsible for the oversight and protection of their nonprofit’s finances. Many times, in a small nonprofit, you will be responsible for the management of all areas of your NFP’s finances. This means that you will handle the cash, write the cheques, disperse funds, track and record transactions, and take steps to secure your NFP’s financial documents and other important information. There may also be other duties such as creating the budget, reporting before your board about the nonprofit’s financial health, and ensuring that your NFP is meeting all of it’s required regulatory obligations such as filing super and calculating GST among others.

In larger NFPs, you may have a finance committee and staff members to assist you in your role, but ultimately the burden and responsibility to see that everything is done legally and according to your nonprofit’s internal charter, bylaws and policies, rests squarely on your shoulders.

Can You Act as a Detective When the Need Arises?

Ideally, the outgoing treasurer will meet with you before you begin your duties, and all your nonprofit’s past records will be presented in a straightforward, accurate and organised manner. This often isn’t the case. Before your arrival, your nonprofit may have experienced mismanagement, turnover or other upheavals, so you should be prepared to use your analytical and organisational skills to uncover errors or even deliberate malfeasance. You should be prepared to make corrections and update your NFPs accounts and other records. While some mistakes can be attributed to human error, others may be the result of planned actions by those inside or outside of your organisation. You will be expected to use your critical thinking skills to help uncover activities that carry the risk of loss and take steps to reduce these risks and secure your NFP’s finances.

Can Your Board Count on You to be a Wise Counsellor?

One of the most important functions of the treasurer is to present financial information to the board in a way that is both accurate, and, easy for board members and other stakeholders to understand. You will need to be prepared to make regular reports on the NFPs finances to the board. You will also need to make yourself available to answer questions about the past, present and expected future status of your nonprofit’s finances. You should also be prepared to use this information and experience to assist in your board’s strategic planning sessions and provide your perspective and opinion when important decisions are being made that will impact your nonprofit’s financial stability.

While some of these responsibilities can seem daunting and overwhelming, especially to novice treasurers, take comfort in knowing that Admin Bandit is here to support you. Our software has been created with your needs especially in mind and is designed to help walk you through the steps of many of the duties that you will need to perform to fulfil your role. Getting started is fast and painless. Give our 55-day trial a chance today, at no charge to you,  to see how quickly and easily you can manage your nonprofit’s finances!

Read Full Post »

Be Collective – An Innovative Free Volunteer Software

Several sites exist that seek to match volunteers with opportunities. What sets Be Collective apart from these other platforms is its additional useful features that transform it from a simple volunteer search engine into a social portal for positive change. The following overview describes how organisations and individuals can use it to increase their impact.

How Does Be Collective Benefit Volunteers?

It’s a social media channel that’s free for everyone to use. It makes it easy for volunteers to find volunteer positions based on their skills, passions, background, experiences, availability and location. It also gives users the chance to meet new people who share their interests.

When volunteers create a profile, they can apply for positions, as well as host their own events to increase support for their nonprofits. Be Collective also allows individuals to message directly with those who share their concerns on the local, regional, national and international levels, bringing together people from all over the world and encouraging them to work together to make a genuine difference.

Both individuals and organisations can use the channel to build their social reputation so that it’s easier than ever to gain real-world experience solving difficult problems while also gaining recognition for your hard work to strengthen communities. Not only does this help volunteers learn new skills and enhance existing ones, but it also allows individuals to be able to demonstrate and verify the experiences that they have gained through volunteering, further strengthening their career opportunities in both the for-profit and not-for-profit sector.

Users can connect with the causes that they care about, as well as other organisations, so that they can see their group memberships at a glance and share it with others to increase support for their favourite causes.

How Be Collective Benefits Nonprofits, Social Enterprises and Other Organisations

Be collective makes it easy for NFPs to manage their volunteer program. Not only can nonprofits list their opportunities for volunteering, but the platform allows users to allocate social credit to individual volunteers so that they can be recognised for completing specific tasks and rewarded for continuing to volunteer over the long-term.

Communicating with individuals and groups is easier, as automated features make it easy to send and receive alerts, notifications and custom messages that improve the flow of information between the organisation, single or multiple locations, and individual as well as groups of volunteers.

The site also features robust analytic tools so that NFPs can track engagement throughout their volunteer program at every level, so that its easier to spot trends and take actions to bolster support for the cause. Users can also customise lists and folders so all the information that they need to administer their program is easy to access.

Unlike many other social media channels, the platform puts privacy permissions directly in the hands of its users, so that each individual user has control of how their personal information is used.

Harness the Full Power of Your Events and Activities

Both individuals and organisations can use the platform to improve their storytelling so that it garners more attention for their work. Users can upload documents and even bring the entire recruiting processes online. Verification of hours worked, tasks accomplished, the giving and receiving of feedback, and issuance of references, can all take place directly from this platform. The system even makes it easier to ensure that shifts are completely covered with notifications of shortfalls so that everyone involved can pitch-in to help, without duplicating their efforts. Volunteers can also use this feature to help them keep track of their shifts and avoid scheduling conflicts so that they can better manage their time.

Who Created Be Collective?

The platform is sponsored by the Wise Family of the Wise Foundation, the creators of the Body Shop and the same people who funded the Big Issue in Australia. The site has been actively used by individuals and volunteers in Victoria and New Zealand, and popularity for the program is spreading throughout the country. Just as LinkedIn can be thought of as a professional networking platform for employers and job seekers, Be Collective can be viewed in a similar way, with the added bonus that it’s designed specifically to highlight philanthropic activities. It can help call attention to some of society’s most significant issues, and bring together everyone in an effort to discover and implement real solutions to benefit everyone and encourage greater volunteering in the country.

Read Full Post »

How to Maximise Single Volunteer Events

One of the hottest trends in volunteering today is single day events. Australia Day and National Volunteer Week are two of the many annual events that inspire thousands to help others by donating their time, energy and talents to others! This type of volunteering allows people that are passionate about your cause to act on your behalf for a very short span of time. While single day events are very popular now, even donating as little as a a day, or just a few hours of time, can provide a significant boost to NFPs!

Like other forms of volunteering, one-day events raise awareness about the needs in your community and help your NFP make a real difference! Use these tips to make the most of these events!

Divide the Work

To make the most of a single day, and a crowd of volunteers, you will need to divide the workload up into a series of specific tasks. Divide your volunteers into teams, and have a member of your staff lead each group to help them stay on top of their tasks for the day.

Manage Work and Teams with Event Apps

Use event apps to help you keep track of the number of tasks, and hours, worked by individuals and groups of volunteers. In addition to making it easy to keep up with the contributions made by your single day volunteers, many apps will sync with social media channels, making it easy to give shout outs and offer recognition for work, and, issue challenges to others to pitch in, do their part and join in the fun!

Create a Sense of Belonging

Help your volunteers get into the spirit of things by giving participants a specially themed t-shirt or other swag that commemorates your single day service event, and helps them feel a part of your organisation and its community!

Connect Your Volunteers to One Another and Other Opportunities

Create a member directory, or, provide an online forum where volunteers can connect with one another and your organisation long after the event is over. By giving your volunteers a way to keep in touch, you further strengthen your bonds with them and your organisation, and help them feel more engaged with one another and your work, which is crucial to convincing them to volunteer again and continue supporting your work.

Know the Why

Want to keep your single day volunteers coming back for more opportunities to support your organisation? Discover their “why.” There is a reason why each volunteer chooses to donate their time to a specific cause, and it’s your job to learn this reason. Once you know it, you are more able to create a customised program that helps each volunteer meet this specific need.

It could be something simple like altruistic leanings and you are simply the closest nonprofit to their home, or, it could be something personal, such as sharing something in common with a founder, or, even one of your service recipients.

Whether someone has volunteered for just one day, or even for a longer period, once you know someone’s reason for volunteering, take the time to save this information in their volunteer profile. Mark this alongside their contact information, and list of skills, talents and preferences. This way, you can make them aware of new opportunities to volunteer with your organisation in the future, as well as be able to best match them to tasks and duties should they continue their support.

Give them a Purpose

To remain motivated throughout the day, volunteers need work that is meaningful to them. Help them stay energised by giving them a sense of purpose. Look for ways to connect tasks to the mission and help them keep the bigger picture top of mind. When assigning tasks, let your volunteers know precisely how that task benefits your service community.

Don’t Bore Them!

Avoid pigeonholing your volunteers into one or two repetitive tasks that they do over and over. Look for ways to add variety and spontaneity to their activities. Of course, there will always be tasks that are routine and that must be done more than once. However, you can help your volunteers break up the monotony.

Set Measurable Goals

All of us work harder, and better, when we have something to strive towards. That’s why its so important to give your volunteers a clearly defined, realistic goal at the start, even if they will be with you for only one day!

Don’t Forget to Say Thanks!

Once your volunteer has completed their work for the day, don’t forget to express your gratitude! In addition to saying thank you in person, post a list of your volunteers on your website, along with the results of their work! One way to show just how much work you were able to accomplish by having everyone join in and take part is to shoot some video or take candid pics of your volunteers in action. Be sure to capture clear before and after shots to show just how much difference was made during your single day of service event to encourage others to join in next time!

Read Full Post »

3 Ways to Attract Younger Volunteers

Human capital and the ability to raise funds are the lifeblood of any organisation. In the past, nonprofits could rely upon the public’s very human need to give back to society to help drive their recruiting efforts. Today, younger adults are more likely to commit to a nonprofit because its values and work, align with their own interests. In other words, if you want to attract younger volunteers, you should seek to build meaningful relationships with them, and offer them work that they find valuable and personally enriching.

There is also some research that suggests that today’s youth are hesitant to claim the mantle of volunteer, spending more of their time in activities related to education and paid work. When our young people do volunteer, they tend to do so informally, rather than connecting with a public institution and working through them.

Nonprofits need this generation to grow, so your NFP will need to change up its recruiting practices. The following tips can make your NFP and its volunteering opportunities more appealing to Millennials and younger adults.

Connect with Millennials on their Terms

If you want to target younger adults for recruitment, you must target your messages to match this generation’s preferred means of communicating and gathering information. In the past, your recruiting efforts likely focused on personal, face-to-face recruiting drives, and notices that you posted on your website, in your email newsletter, or via direct mail. Today’s young adults conduct most of their business in the virtual, digital world via mobile devices. To reach them, you must go where they are!

This means using apps that make it easier for the public to connect with your nonprofit and learn about your openings for volunteers. It’s also a good idea to invest in developing your website so that it’s easy to navigate, especially on mobile platforms, so that young adults can quickly browse your site and learn more about your cause and the work that you are doing to make a difference. You should also invest in developing your social media channels, posting your volunteer positions on them, and encouraging all your supporters to like, share and follow your posts to increase engagement with your cause.

While Facebook is popular with older adults, younger ones tend to be more visual, and enjoy shorter, faster, and more spontaneous posts. Focus on developing your Twitter profile, along with your Instagram and Pinterest accounts to convey your NFPs story visually, and quickly get the word out about volunteer opportunities, breaking news and other needs.

Help Young Adults Become Passionate About Your Cause

Keep your messages focused on your mission, and present it in a format that’s fresh, entertaining and light. Tout the mutual benefits of volunteering with your NFP and offer opportunities for young adults to gain valuable work experience, learn new skills, and polish existing ones. Try to show your younger volunteers exactly how their role contributes to your cause, and how they are explicitly helping you to make a difference in your service community. Share your NFP’s stories of how young adults just like them have been able to create a tremendous impact through their work.

Be Flexible

Today’s young adults are very busy and always on the go. They may be less likely than previous generations to stay in one location or position for very long, which can make them hesitant to take on challenges and opportunities that may require extended time commitments. Wherever possible, try to be as flexible as you can with scheduling.

Offer a variety of volunteering positions that vary from short, online activities that require just a few minutes of their time, to longer ones that will allow them to do some of the work remotely. The easier that it is for young adults to engage with your organisation and act on its behalf, the more likely this generation will be to support your work by contributing their time and hard work!

Read Full Post »

Finding Volunteers To Support Your NFP From Your Email List

Your email list is one of the best resources you have. It consists of people who may have volunteered, are considering volunteering or are interested in your charity. That is why it is important to make the most of this method to boost the number of volunteers you have assisting your organisation.

Keep it short and to the point

While you make think a lengthy email is better, try to communicate all the information you have in one brief request. In today’s age, email holders are often overwhelmed with the number of emails that appear in their inbox. Keep it simple and to the point.

Emphasise the good they can do

Don’t just tell them what they can do, let them know how much they will be helping others by giving up their time. People volunteer to make a difference in the community, so demonstrate that in your email as much as possible.

Showcase the benefits

Volunteering can also teach individuals new skills which will often look good on their resume. Point these skills out to the reader so they understand that by giving up their time, they will also gain skills which can they can use to further their full-time positions or other volunteering positions in the future.

Personalise the email

Add the recipient’s name to the email so that there is a higher opportunity of them even reading it in the first place. It will increase your chances of being noticed and getting your message out there to your audience. Personalisation can increase the average open rate of non-profit emails to increase above the standard 25% to closer to 30%.

Add images to brighten their inbox

If your email text is all words, then your readers will likely skim over it and miss the important points. Add some interesting pictures so they can see at a glance what your charity represents and how they can help you individually. It will keep their attention for slightly longer and give you a fighting chance to gain extra volunteers.

Convey a sense of immediacy

Let your prospective volunteers know that it is important that they respond as quickly as possible. You don’t want to hear from prospects two months after your email goes out. Let them know that interest will need to be provided as soon as possible so you can move on to the next steps of the volunteer recruitment process.

These are all helpful tips to ensure that your email has more chance of being read, let alone acted upon. One bonus tip which you will find especially useful is to keep it real. Show your charity’s personality and aim through your email without trying to be something that you are not. Authenticity is extremely important in maintaining quality connections with your readers, your volunteers and the general public.

Read Full Post »

3 Skills For Volunteers

Volunteers don’t grow on trees, so it can be tempting to grab any Tom, Dick or Harriet and welcome them onboard, only to find they are the wrong fit for your organisation.

1. Passion plus professionalism.

Just because your volunteers are not getting paid doesn’t mean they get to leave their A game at home and do half a job. Commitment and reliability are just as important in volunteering as they are in professional activities as well as personal life. Passion is infectious too. Adding the right person with a positive spirit and fresh eyes, to an already committed volunteer team, can increase the energy and outputs and make even the most mundane tasks enjoyable. Professionalism also means demonstrating integrity and reliability. If you say you’re going to do something, then do it, and if you commit to being at a certain place at a certain time, then be there! People who give their best, are enthusiastic, willing and interested are invaluable, regardless of the skills they bring to the table. With the right attitude, they can learn and achieve just about anything.

“Your personal and professional lives will have to go hand in hand and will have influence on each other.” – Abhishek Ratna

2. Flexibility & Energy

While it’s true that volunteers bring with them strengths and skills that you may have targeted, and a particular task or role to perform, flexibility and ability to give new things a go is invaluable in a great volunteer. An open mind and willingness to learn, adapt and get stuck in can make the difference between a body just filling a chair and someone who is an asset to the team. Not for Profit organisations who rely on volunteer support need people who can take on a broad range of tasks, and do them with enthusiasm and a smile! You want people with a ‘can do’ attitude who come to hang out with you, make a difference and give their best because they want to. You want them to enjoy working with you and want to make a real impact, not people who just want to make their resume look better. The more positive energy given by volunteers, the more that flows back to them in return.

“Every time you empty your vessel of that energy, fresh new energy comes flooding in.” – Anthony Kiedis

3. Team player

If you could do it all on your own you wouldn’t need volunteers, so chances are there will be a team of people working together on a task or outcome, and teamwork is an essential skill for any volunteer. Depending on the array of duties you may be working with other staff, paid or volunteer, service users and the general public. Your volunteers will also be representing your organisation, so teamwork skills also contribute to being a good ambassador. Good communication and listening skills, being approachable and friendly, and generally amiable and cooperative are the starting points of good teamwork and the ability to play nice with others and work towards a common goal. An ideal team player is also a self-starter who can use a little initiative and identify what needs to be done and when without being given constant supervision and instruction.

“Teamwork is the secret that makes common people achieve uncommon results.” – Ifeanyi Onuoha

If your volunteer recruitment activities are effective, and your induction process is robust, you should be getting it right, most of the time. Keeping in mind these basic key attributes and qualities to look for in a volunteer will help ensure you get it right, more often than not.

Read Full Post »

Admin Bandit’s Top 6 Posts On Volunteering

Volunteering is a wonderful thing to do to boost your skills and help others, but did you know it can also boost your career? While you may not necessarily be getting paid for your volunteer work, it can still provide you with valuable knowledge of your particular industry as well as create quality references to fall back on during your personal and professional career.

Personal development is greatly enhanced giving you the opportunity to learn new skills or maintain and develop existing skills. Helping others can have a great impact on yourself and others and improve your self-esteem and sense of achievement. Volunteering can also bring people together from diverse and cultural backgrounds that you may not have the opportunity to meet in your regular day to day activities.

And of course, volunteering is not just for individuals. Businesses can also reap the rewards such as strengthening team bonds, increased morale, and of course, don’t forget good old fashioned fun.

Offering pro bono work is another way to offer your volunteer services in your own industry. Neo-philanthropist and entrepreneur Matthew Manos developed a “double-half” methodology – a 50% pro-bono business model that will have a great impact on your business and on you as an individual. Working on a volunteer project is also likely to make you more innovative, creative and resourceful – great qualities that can enhance your approach to business.

Perhaps you have the potential to take volunteers within your own organisation  Most volunteers won’t mind what they do as long as they feel their contribution is useful so by not accepting their help you could be overlooking a valuable resource. Or perhaps a retired business professional might be a great option to consider.

Anytime of the year is a great time to volunteer, and, more so around the holiday season. Whatever your reason for doing so, there are plenty of ways to give back to the community, without emptying your bank account. Depending on what it is you want to do, or whom you want to support, there is likely to be a lot of opportunity for you.

Whether you are seeking to volunteer or are taking volunteers, the relationships you create during these experiences will be the most memorable. Positive rewarding experiences are yours for the taking and with anything, today is a great day to start.

Read Full Post »

Volunteers – Are You Overlooking A Valuable Resource?

What roles can volunteers take in your not for profit?

That’s the question that sometimes stops organisations from accepting voluntary help.  What work can they do that is useful but not petty?

Actually, most volunteers won’t mind what they do as long as they feel their contribution is useful so by not accepting their help you could be overlooking a valuable resource.

Volunteer roles should not be limited to basic unskilled tasks but should be used to fill gaps that may exist. Sometimes the work might require high level professional skills.  For example, if you are recruiting a volunteer treasurer, the potential volunteer is likely to have extensive accounting experience and possibly CPA qualifications.  In addition, the organisation my require assistance with  the development of a strategic plan so utilising the skills of a retired business professional could be a great option to consider.

From a volunteer’s perspective there are also many opportunities available from both local to overseas organisations.  The Australian Government through AusAID have established the Australian Volunteers for International Development program where you can volunteer for short and long term projects.  As discussed in previous post there are many other organisations that you can volunteer for in overseas countries.  These opportunities provide great experience for the volunteers that can significantly enhance their career prospects.

One way to assist in determining which roles a volunteer can do is to complete a simple skills and task assessment matrix.  The first step to complete this matrix is to brainstorm what tasks can be performed by a volunteer.  Then with each task identify the required skills, experience, objectives, timelines as well as the priority for this role within your organisation.  This then makes it easier to create a position description for the role so you can attract the right person.

The roles of a volunteer can be vast but the important issue is to identify what skills are required as this will then make it easy to recruit for that role.

Read Full Post »

Appreciating your supporters

How do you show your appreciation for your supporters?  Your supporters can come in many forms and it is important to acknowledge them and give them some form of recognition.

For example, a supporter can be a donor who has made a significant donation to the organisation.  This doesn’t always have to be a financial donation as some people prefer to donate their time, a local company may donate a piece of equipment or perhaps your local politician allows you to use their photocopier.

If your organisation runs an event, you may have a lot of volunteers who act as marshals, assist with registrations or you may have parents who act as umpires or referees at sporting events.  Whatever the case may be you should make sure you show your appreciation.   Here are some ideas:

• Hold a lunch or function where all the volunteers are invited.
• Make reference to the supporters in a newsletter or on your website.
• Include their details in a list as part of the printed annual report.
• Send a xmas card that thanks them for their participation and assistance during the year.  The xmas card may be a picture of all the volunteers.
• Send them a gift.  For example, it may be a key ring, a diary or a pen with details of your organisation on it.
• Provide a certificate of appreciation for their efforts.
• National Volunteer Week occurs each year so use this as an opportunity to show your appreciation.  National Volunteer Week for 2013 is between 13 – 19 May.

These are just some ways to show your appreciation but there are so many other ways you could do this.  Also, it can cost a lot more to acquire a new supporter than it does to retain one so make sure you take the time and effort to show your appreciation as without these supporters a lot of organisations would fail to exist.

Read Full Post »

Admin Bandit Twitters US$1,000 for Breast Cancer

Winning a prize recently in an international Twitter competition was worthy of a press release, so here it is…..

Canberra-based software company Admin Bandit has won US$1,000 on Twitter for Bosom Buddies, a local volunteer group that supports women living with breast cancer. 

Director Nerida Gill secured the donation on the popular social networking site by entering a competition run by Kayako, an international provider of online help desk software, which invited entrants to nominate a charity to receive a funding boost.

 

“A number of friends and family have suffered from breast cancer, so this cause is close to my heart,” Gill says. “Bosom Buddies provides vital aftercare for women who have undergone painful treatment for a disease that is frightening and often makes them question who they are as women.”

As a provider of volunteer treasurer software in community groups and a user of Kayako, Gill is also pleased to have won funding for an organisation staffed by volunteers. “Everyone at Bosom Buddies gives their time and energy simply because they care,” she says. “This kind of selfless giving is the backbone of our communities.”

Bosom Buddies is delighted with the unexpected windfall: “Nerida’s donation is like a rainbow delivering a pot of gold,” says Marilyn Brookes, chair of the organisation’s breast awareness education subcommittee. “We raise all our own funds, which is time-consuming and hard work.”

 

Brookes says the gift will be used to provide a range of support for those experiencing breast cancer, as well as their families and supporters, including: education materials, 24-hour telephone support, a one-on-one buddy system, hospital visits, and practical surgery aftercare in the form of soft prostheses and cotton shoulder bags to hold post-surgery tubes.

 

Kayako Chief Operating Officer Ryan M Lederman is also pleased to assist such a strong initiative. “We’re glad Admin Bandit chose to donate their US$1,000 to Bosom Buddies,” he says. “Breast cancer is a very important problem facing the world today.”

 

Lederman adds that Twitter was the perfect forum for hosting the competition. “Social networking is hot right now,” he says. “We believe in building relationships that last a lifetime and we want people to know they’re our highest priority. Twitter is one of the best ways we know to do that.”

 

Read Full Post »