Risk Management Essentials

Articles from the Winter 2011/12 Print Edition

Employee or Volunteer: What’s the Difference?

By Melanie Lockwood Herman

Nonprofit organizations frequently depend on the service and commitment of volunteers as well as the labor of employees. The skills and talents of both types of workers bring nonprofit missions to life. At first glance, the simple difference between these two types of workers is that employees get paid and volunteers don’t. Yet many nonprofit leaders have discovered that there is more to distinguishing between employees and volunteers than whether an individual receives a regular paycheck. This article explores two subtopics under the umbrella issue of employee versus volunteer status: whether employees may also volunteer, and the consequences of compensating volunteers.

When Employees Also Volunteer

May your nonprofit’s paid employees also serve as unpaid volunteers? Each year the Center receives numerous calls and email messages from leaders who tell us that their dedicated, paid staff are eager to volunteer in the evenings and on weekends. In some cases these willing staff volunteer to work “off the clock,” while in other instances they sign up or formally apply for volunteer roles, such as volunteer ticket takers, coaches or special event staff, or as volunteer mentors in the nonprofit’s mentoring program. But we also receive calls from employees who want to know whether they can be forced to “volunteer” and on occasion from employees who are indignant after having been told that they cannot volunteer their services in the agency where they are employed. more…

Volunteers, Social Media and Risk

Here are a few tips for managing the risks that arise from volunteer use of social media or the use of social media to attract, support and connect volunteers.

Don’t overreact — Posting a “tit for tat” response to every negative post by disgruntled volunteers may cast your nonprofit in a negative light. Stakeholders may begin to wonder why your staff have enough free time to pounce on every post, or why the nonprofit is so defensive when criticized. The truth is that not every volunteer will have a positive experience at your nonprofit. No organization will live up to the expectations of everyone who signs up to serve. more…

Developing Risk Management Policies for Your Volunteer Program

There is no single way or ideal approach to managing the risks that arise from volunteer service. In No Surprises: Harmonizing Risk and Reward in Volunteer Management, the Nonprofit Risk Management Center explores various facets of risk associated with volunteer programs and organizations. This popular book, now offered as a 5th edition, outlines practical ways to manage a wide array of volunteer risks. Before you set off to draft new policies or polish existing guidelines, consider the following tips for ensuring that your volunteer risk management program rests on a solid foundation.