No Free VOLUNTEER

NO FREE VOLUNTEER

No salary does not mean no cost. In fact,the actual money paid for each volunteer can be a huge surprise when totaled up. And then there’s the ever-present and ongoing hassle factors…

STAFF RELIEF

Plenty of tasks to do with a limited amount of time and not enough paid arms and legs. How would you like to free up some of that experience and effort?

FIND & RETAIN

It is getting harder to find volunteer based on available time and the value of one’s time. The pot needs be sweetened more each year. Once found, try to find them in a crowd. Now consider the price of retention.

RESTROOM BREAK

It can be very challenging to secure staff for repetitive tasks or perform necessary duties in isolated locations. What happens when an emergency occurs and no substitutes?

SITTING ON JOB

The further you get away from your HQ, the harder it is to staff and find good ones. If a car veered onto the course, this person would not be able to get off his phone and out of the chair fast enough.

SAME PHRASE

How many times are you willing to repeat the same message over and over again? Typically those jobs are a one time task. Most volunteers want to interact with the participants in a more personal manner.

MAGICIAN

Oh how quickly a volunteer disappears into a running, walking or standing crowd. The presence of a Spinhead makes it possible to find a needed official, especially so when needing the police or medical professional

TRUE PURPOSE

Officers are put on the road to focus on traffic, not direct the participants. When a participants pulls them away to answer a question, there is no protection in place

RELIABILITY

Have you really put yourself in the shoes of a volunteer? What would it take to get you to go volunteer your time at another event? Will your priorities change? What happens if circumstances or weather is less than ideal?

VOLUNTEERS EAT TIME

Most people give their time to show their support, meet like others, and interact with participants in a fun, invigorating way
Take a close look at the tasks assigned. Remote, repetitive and isolated chores are certain to require more time and effort to get, engage and retain reliable volunteers
Better staff effectiveness to give chores to Spinheads. This reduces volunteer counts or reallocates them to provide participants with more personalized service

RUN NUMBERS: Get a handle on your volunteer costs in minutes

BETTER USE: Allocate effectiveness of human and non-human capital