What is a Volunteer Coordinator?
Although supporting volunteers is a shared responsibility by the whole committee, appointing a volunteer coordinator is an easy first step in making sure your club is on top of everything when it comes to volunteers.
What does a Volunteer Coordinator do?
This role links the Committee and volunteers and ensures the needs of each are communicated and managed appropriately. This role does not necessarily supervise, manage and recruit all volunteers but rather oversees the planning and operations of the club volunteer plan, as well as support others throughout the club in their role of managing volunteers.
The Volunteer Coordinator is committed specifically to:
- Act as a point of contact for volunteer enquiries
- Identify any support required
- Support the club to determine the number of volunteers required
- Help recruit and match the volunteer to the appropriate role/task
- Recognise and reward volunteers throughout the year
- Work with the committee to support succession planning
Where does the role sit on my committee?
How the volunteer coordinator role fits within club structure may vary depending on the size of organisation.
Ideally this role would sit within the committee as a standalone role to ensure the person has the time to dedicate to it. It could also be incorporated into an existing role or spread across a couple of people with dedicated tasks (this may be a great option to get the role started).
What should I look for when appointing a Volunteer Coordinator?
Your volunteer coordinator is the face and first point of contact for any new and current volunteers so matching this role to the right person is key.
Some attributes you may look for include:
- Friendly and approachable
- Good communication
- Organised
- People person
- Problem solver
What support does my Volunteer Coordinator need?
It is important to support your Volunteer Coordinator so they do not feel isolated or overwhelmed. Although there is a dedicated person tasked with overseeing volunteering at the club, to ensure the club develops a culture of volunteering, every person still needs to play an active role in bringing the volunteer plan to life each week.
Ways your club can support your Volunteer Coordinator:
- Create a volunteering budget
- Include volunteers as a standing agenda item at committee meetings
- Include targeted planning sessions to focus on pre, mid and end of season review
- Provide them with the tools they need (e.g access to communication tools, access to information to support rostering)
Volunteer Coordinator position description templates
Check out below some ready to use templates for your Volunteer Coordinator. Pick the one that best suits your organisation
