The AGO hosted the spring meeting of Volunteers Connect on April 30, 2019. Laura Chernover of the Bata Shoe Museum presented on how they manage Volunteer Recognition. Emma Janssen of the Aga Khan Museum then led a discussion of how to foster Volunteer Spirit.
Volunteer Recognition
The Bata has developed a system of incremental rewards based on cumulative hours of service. Each level of participation unlocks another level of rewards, from store discounts, to event tickets, to full access to the Reciprocal Agreement, to lunches with curators or directors. At 1500 hours volunteers earn “emeritus” status and lifetime access to the museum. This system means younger volunteers who may not be able to stay for many years can still be rewarded. When asked if this approach favours retirees over full-time workers, Laura explained that people appreciate the flexibility of being able to arrange their time to earn hours at their own pace.
There is also an informal system of recognition, which includes continual personal thanks, staying responsive to training and other requests, and sharing positive visitor feedback, all of which let individuals know they are valued. Staff also organize trips to other museums to increase interaction among volunteers and help equalize volunteers who may not be able to afford to go on their own.
Other organizations then shared some of their techniques. TIFF selects four outstanding volunteers each season for recognition onscreen before film showings. (Apparently while this may cause a little jealousy, it tends rather to motivate others to be selected.) TIFF managers are also required to make note of volunteers’ extra efforts on every shift, before they get forgotten. Besides maintaining morale, explained Casey Lee, this system keeps managers in better touch with their volunteers.
Because their volunteers tend to be high school or college students, Young Peoples Theatre offers resume workshops. “When you’re 18-yeras-old, you don’t want a pin,” said volunteer manager Norah O’Donnell. “You want a job. And maybe pizza.”
Volunteer Spirit
This round-table considered the elements of volunteer spirit, including positive energy, enthusiasm, connection, cohesion and having a common cause. Why invest in spirit? Managers often find that the better your organization’s morale, the more secure your volunteers feel and the easier any transitions become. Happy and motivated volunteers also carry their positive energy beyond the walls of their institution, something that was important to the Aga Khan Museum.
Emma noted that staff must be responsible for spirit right from recruitment – the overall culture must empower everyone. Spirit then needs to be maintained with continual “touch”, as noted in the previous presentation on recognition.
Volunteers Connect meets semi-annually to share best practices regarding volunteer management and experience. Many thanks to Phyllis Couzin for organizing the Spring meeting – her last one! Phyllis is stepping down after four years and many successful events. Michelle Abrams (Info Guide) will co-chair the group with Mary Hookey (McMichael gallery), starting with the Fall 2019 meeting.
Did you know? Volunteers Connect has brought together volunteers and staff from dozens of cultural organizations around the GTA since 2012. Participants include both large and small organizations, year-round and festival-based volunteers, older and younger audiences, visual, performing arts, film, and more. This spring we had representatives from:
- Aga Khan Museum
- Art Gallery of Hamilton
- Bata Shoe Museum
- Canadian Opera Company
- Cycle Toronto
- Gardiner Museum
- Harbourfront
- Hot Docs
- ImagineNATIVE
- McMichael Canadian Art Collection
- ROM
- Sony Centre
- Tafelmusik
- Textile Museum
- TIFF
- Toronto Symphony Orchestra
- Volunteer Toronto
- Young Peoples Theatre
Interested in previous topics? See the report from Fall 2018 here.