Volunteer Policy

Version 28/05/2020

According to the 6 B's Method for volunteer management.

Contemplate (Bezinnen): Who and what are we as an organization, why do we work with volunteers, what do we have to offer volunteers, what do we ask of them?
Bring in (Binnenhalen): Who do we want to bring in, how do we want to do that, where do we look?
Guide (Begeleiden): What guidance is possible, how and when to guide, who is the point of contact, what guidance is needed?
Reward (Belonen): In what way do we reward our volunteers, who takes care of that?
Retain (Behouden): How do we keep our volunteers, what is needed for that?
Terminate (Beëindigen): How do we say goodbye to a volunteer, do we hold an exit interview, what are the experiences of the volunteer in the organization, what can we still mean to each other?

As a volunteer, the following topics are the most important to go through:

Contemplate

Vision

The board is responsible for formulating a long-term vision and strategic annual planning. This vision is presented by the board to the members for approval during a General Members' Meeting (ALV). Where necessary, the Volunteer Coordinator can clarify this vision to volunteers.

Objectives

Every quarter, quarterly goals are announced by the board. It is intended that the board, committees, and individual members contribute to these according to their own insight, skills, and motivation.

Organizational Structure

Quarterly goals are determined during tactical meetings every quarter. Based on this meeting, an organizational structure meeting is held every quarter with the chairs of all committees and the board to discuss collaborations for the quarterly goals. Based on this, the organizational structure is determined, which can be viewed by all members via the Organization webpage.

The Volunteer Coordinator maintains the volunteer policy. Adjustments arise through evaluation interviews with individual volunteers, committees, and the board.

Bring in

Recruitment

Via Vacancy

A committee or the board is looking for a member and creates a vacancy for the website/newsletter/social media. The Volunteer Coordinator can help draft and promote the vacancy. The volunteer can register via an online form, email, or telephone. The application can go straight to the chair of the committee or the board. The Volunteer Coordinator is informed of the application (this happens automatically via the online form).

Via Open Registration

The volunteer themselves approaches (possibly referred by the Volunteer Coordinator) a committee or the board with the desire to become a member of an existing committee or board, or with the desire to start a committee themselves. The Volunteer Coordinator is informed of the application.

Via Approach

A committee or the board themselves approaches (possibly advised by the Volunteer Coordinator) a specific volunteer with the request to become a member of an existing committee or board, or the request to start a committee. The Volunteer Coordinator is informed at the latest as soon as the volunteer indicates they want to take on the role. To prevent conflicts between different committees eyeing the same volunteer, it is better to inform the Volunteer Coordinator earlier so they can advise and mediate.

Being aware of the rules

The volunteer must be aware of:

the volunteer policy as presented here,
the code of conduct within the association,
the possibility to talk to a confidential contact person themselves or to refer someone to them,
the general house rules,
working with quarterly goals,
possibly the privacy policy, depending on the role.

It is the task of the Volunteer Coordinator to point out these rules to the volunteer.

Handling Privacy

Volunteers must handle members' data carefully. The Volunteer Coordinator points out to the volunteer the careful collection, retention, and deletion of personal data. Specific instructions can be found in the House Rules.

Applying for a VOG

The Volunteer Coordinator requests a Certificate of Conduct (VOG) for the volunteer with checks on the areas necessary for all the volunteer's roles. One VOG per volunteer is sufficient, as long as all necessary areas are represented in the VOG. As an association, this can be done for free via Gratis VOG. The VOG must be delivered to the board and is recorded in the VOG overview. Each VOG is replaced every three years (or when a volunteer takes on a role that requires extra checking areas). After these three years or upon receiving a new VOG, the old VOG is destroyed. A VOG is never destroyed in between.

Volunteer Overview

The Volunteer Coordinator keeps an annual overview of volunteers with name, involved committee, role, start date, and end date. Upon welcoming a new volunteer, the Volunteer Coordinator notes this volunteer in the overview.

Google Drive folder

The volunteer is given access to the committee's Google Drive folder by the Volunteer Coordinator. The committee can provide an explanation of how to use this folder themselves. Through the Google Drive folder, we keep the association transparent and digital. We do this for various reasons such as ease of use, simple handover, reusability, and easier collaboration.

Guide

Joining a committee

Each committee has its own policy for introducing new members, including a welcome and onboarding process. New members are informed about how to hold meetings, organize, and communicate, for example. This policy is discussed at least once a year with the Volunteer Coordinator.

Asking questions

The volunteer can always ask questions about the role to the committee chair or the Volunteer Coordinator. General questions about volunteer work can be addressed to the Volunteer Coordinator.

Evaluation Interview

Each committee member is questioned about their satisfaction by the Volunteer Coordinator at least once a year or upon their own request. Each board member is questioned about their satisfaction by the Chair at least twice a year or upon their own request. The Chair and Volunteer Coordinator discuss the structure of a progress interview. Progress interviews are conducted to:

promote motivation,
resolve bottlenecks,
stimulate collaboration,
utilize capabilities as optimally as possible,
determine training or advancement needs.

Training and Courses

The Volunteer Coordinator is responsible for keeping track of completed training and courses by volunteers.

Internal training via Committee

Each committee is aware of the training it offers to its members. Committees encourage their own members to follow necessary training.

Internal training via Volunteer Coordinator

The Volunteer Coordinator is aware of internally offered training and can refer volunteers to committees.

External training via Committee

Each committee is aware of essential and useful training for its members. Courses that require something from the association (money, materials, volunteers) are submitted to the board and approved first.

External training via Volunteer Coordinator

The Volunteer Coordinator delves into current and additional training and can advise the committees about the training.

Reward

Appreciation

Appreciation can be expressed through provisions, attentions, and invisible factors. Provisions may include:

opportunities for professional development,
work guidance,
certificate,
facilities (e.g., reduced price, free entry, drinks).

Attentions may include:

annual outing, party, dinner, or barbecue,
attention on birthday, anniversary, illness, etc.,
at the conclusion of an activity, explicitly involving the volunteers in thanking them for their cooperation and effort,
nominating a volunteer for a local or provincial volunteer award,
participation in volunteer work is an important reason for awarding a Royal decoration.

In addition, invisible factors often play a role:

the atmosphere within the organization; volunteers must feel at home and appreciated,
the appreciation is not exclusively related to the person themselves, but mainly to the work being done,
the relationship between realizing the organization's goals and the volunteer work must be clear to all volunteers.

Expenses and Volunteer Compensation

Expenses or training costs are only reimbursed in consultation with the treasurer. There is no monetary volunteer compensation. In consultation with the board, necessary materials (such as shirts for trainers) can be purchased and given to the volunteer on loan.

Retain

Co-determination

There are three levels of input:

policy and vision: what does the organization focus on,
management and structure: how is the design of the organization shaped,
execution of the work: how is the work performed.

Policy and vision are determined by the board during the annual strategic meeting. Input as a volunteer is possible here through consulting the members via the ALV and member surveys. Management and structure are determined by all committee chairs and the board during the quarterly organizational structure meeting, following the quarterly tactical meeting. Input as a volunteer is possible here via the committee chair. Execution of the work is determined by all committee members during the committee meetings. Input is always possible here by the volunteer.

Insurance

Liability Insurance

What is this? Do we have this?

Accident Insurance

What is this? Do we have this?

Directors' Liability Insurance

What is this? Do we have this?

Safety Net Insurance

Volunteers of Uboulder are covered during their volunteer work, and while travelling to and from the activity, by the Municipality of Utrecht’s volunteer insurance. This arrangement is provided under the terms and conditions of the Centraal Beheer Volunteer Insurance. Volunteers and organisations do not need to register separately for this coverage.

This insurance is a safety net and does not replace a personal insurance policy. In most cases, coverage only applies insofar as the damage is not already covered by the volunteer’s own insurance or the association’s insurance. Only the personal accident insurance provides primary coverage. The arrangement may offer coverage for, among other things, accidents, liability, personal belongings, directors’ liability, legal entities’ traffic liability, and legal assistance.

Terminate

Deregistration

A volunteer can resign from their roles themselves. A statutory notice period of at least 3 months applies to board members. There is no official notice period for committee members, but the same minimum of 3 months is desirable. Also, with a possible departure in the future, it is useful to report this in advance. A deregistration is first reported to the chair of the committee or the board, who passes it on to the Volunteer Coordinator.

Exit Interview

The Volunteer Coordinator conducts an exit interview with the volunteer who stops their roles. The purpose of this is to find out the reason for stopping, areas for improvement, and how to conclude the volunteer period well.

The Volunteer Coordinator asks questions about:

Personal details - name, contact details, duration of volunteer work.
What did you think of the volunteer tasks? In terms of challenge, variety, gaining experiences, etc.
What did you think of the organization? Pleasant / less pleasant?
What change would you find desirable?
How did you find the management?
What is the motive for the termination?
What does the volunteer leave behind / how are things handed over?
How does the volunteer want to stop?
What does the volunteer still want to mean for the organization?

Revoking Access

The chair of the committee or the board will revoke the volunteer's rights when it comes to access to the Google Drive folder, mailboxes, and such matters. If a password has been given to the volunteer with general access, this password is changed and communicated to the remaining committee members. Volunteers can produce copyrighted documents. If the volunteer wishes to obtain a self-produced document for personal use, it is possible to receive a copy of the document from the chair of the committee or the board after checking actual contribution to the document by the volunteer.

Thank You

Volunteers who leave a role can be thanked during the ALV with, for example, a speech and a gift. Initially, this is the responsibility of fellow committee members or fellow board members (specifically the chair), but they can be helped by the Volunteer Coordinator or the board. In consultation with the board, the association can help with, for example, money, materials, or volunteers. In consultation with the Volunteer Coordinator, a certificate can be drawn up if the volunteer wishes.

Dismissal

A volunteer can be removed from their role by the board. Irresolvable unfunctioning of the volunteer is reported by the chair of the committee to the Volunteer Coordinator who, in consultation with the board, can decide to dismiss the volunteer. Other reasons for dismissal can be:

transgressive behavior,
failure to adhere to the code of conduct within the association,
temporary suspension of the member,
expulsion of the member,
termination of membership.

Automatic Expiration at General Members' Meeting

At the annual General Members' Meeting, all volunteers for that year are discharged, if granted by the ALV. Committee members are asked by the Volunteer Coordinator and board members are asked by the Chair ample time before the ALV if they want to continue with their roles. If a volunteer continues with a role and this is approved by the ALV, no farewell and introductory procedures need to be started (although a thank you and re-pointing out the rules is of course always allowed).