Volunteer Task Force Draft Proposal
Problem Definition:
The problem is that we have been much too busy to concentrate our energies on the development of an effective volunteer coordination process. This problem exists because those who have taken on leadership roles to keep our new miracle station on the air (thank you, thank you, thank you) have been very busy putting out fires.
Goal: Develop an effective volunteer coordination process. Build a community of people who enjoy working together, learning from and teaching one another. Create a culture of people who care about and support one another and the radio station.
This document does not address membership qualifications (eligibility to vote in elections, etc.) This proposal pertains only to the work requirement for people who program a show. This task force is charged with creating a workable system for involving all programmers in the on-going tasks of running the station. Requirements for membership (for programmers or other volunteers) should be discussed separately from the work requirement.
This proposal does not include a recommendation regarding the number of hours a programmer is required to work per month. The task force believes this should be discussed and decided by all volunteers attending the general meeting.
To ensure efficiency, minimize confusion and create clear channels of communication the Volunteer Coordination Task Force will be responsible for communicating with volunteers. This includes an initial explanation of the work commitment expectations, requests for volunteer assistance, assigning volunteers to teams and any other communications pertaining to the volunteer work commitment.
How this process functions:
- Volunteers are organized into teams according to skill sets.* These teams perform tasks identified by the following committees, based on the committee’s current goals:
1. Marketing & Outreach
2. Training
3. Music Library
4. Fundraising
5. Equipment and technology
6. Administration
*For (hopefully) many people there will be the added benefit of skill development. - Each team will have a Team Leader who is a member of the committee with whom the team will work. Team leaders delegate and monitor the completion of tasks necessary to accomplish a goal. Examples of goals may include organizing a fundraiser, creating and distributing a program guide, or planning a VFR volunteer appreciation party.
- Each team leader reports the number of hours each member of the team has worked to a designated member of the Volunteer Coordination Task Force on a monthly basis.
- The nature of our work requires flexibility. If a volunteer works on a fundraiser for 40 hours within a few weeks these hours go into a “bank account.” This gives the volunteer a chance to take a break and pick up the details of the life they neglected during those weeks. These hours can be used for future months until the bank account is depleted.
- A balance will be found between the need for volunteers by a committee (which will vary over time depending on the number and nature of its goals) and the skills volunteers can offer these committees.
- Volunteers may work on different teams at different times based on a desire to be part of a particular project or to learn particular skills.
- This is a process. To begin, there will be a small number of volunteers brought in to perform the most pressing and necessary tasks. Other volunteers will brought in to the process as it is developed. This will help reduce the frustration people feel when asked to do something without being told what that something is. Volunteers will be encouraged to trust the process and not to feel uncomfortable about the fact that they have yet to be included in the distribution of tasks. They will not be penalized while the task force and the committees organize and prepare for them.
The next steps for the Volunteer Coordination Task Force:
1. Collect from all committees and collectives the tasks that fall under their purview. The most immediate and important tasks should be identified so that volunteers can be organized to begin work on these first. We recommend great flexibility while we determine which tasks will fulfill a work requirement. Anything reasonable should be included with the caveat that as priorities change tasks will be added and removed from the list.
2. Obtain from the Programming Committee a complete list of home and email addresses as well as phone numbers, show titles and show times of all current programmers.
3. Create a database of programmer contact information. This database will also be used by the task force for tracking hours worked as well as an inventory of each programmer’s skills.
4. We request from the board the funds necessary to purchase Microsoft Access and Word.
5. We will determine whether there is a current volunteer who can serve as a software consultant. If not, we will investigate the cost of this service and request the funds from the board. This person will consult with a member of any committee that determines a need for a database as well as a member of the task force to ensure maximum functioning of the databases.
6. Once programmer contact information is obtained the task force will contact all volunteers (via email unless an alternative is necessary) to explain the process as it is envisioned at this time and to disseminate a skills survey. The skills survey will be designed to gather information on a programmer’s current skills as well as those they would like to develop. A deadline for submitting the completed skills survey to the task force will be included.
Examples of tasks that committees will identify and forward to the Volunteer Coordination Task Force:
- Process program proposals
- Taking and transcribing meeting notes
- Facilitating a programming or other committee or collective meeting
- Cleaning (it will be a great day when Eric stops emptying the trash)
- Knock holes in walls (bathroom renovation)
- Check our calendar of meetings for conflicts due to religious/cultural/spiritual holidays.
- Plan the (bi?) annual Staff Appreciation Party
- Canvass local businesses for gifts/food for a fund drive
- Child care
- Create art for the cover of a program guide
- Copy the program guide
- Distribute the program guide
- Data entry
- and on and on . . .
