Stage 1 – Initial Meeting

As soon as you receive an email from us alerting you to a match, contact the volunteer ASAP and arrange a time to talk. The sooner you engage with the volunteer, the greater your chance of a successful outcome. If meeting in person, do it at your work so they can ‘see’ your organisation in action.

• Discuss the project in more detail
• Find out more about the volunteer’s skills, experience and community interests
• Tell the volunteer about what your organisation does

If you think it’s a good match then proceed!

If not, close it down clearly and diplomatically. You can report this online and we can assist you if necessary.

Stage 2 – Detailed Scoping of the Project

At this stage you should have detailed discussions about:

• What are the objectives, deliverables and timeline of the project
• What is the level of support, training and assistance you can provide.

The best wish outcomes occur when both sides are clear about what’s required of them, and fulfil those obligations. It’s not just the volunteer who has responsibilities!

Stage 3 – Managing the Project

Maintain regular contact with the volunteer to ensure the wish is on track. And if you have any queries, problems or hiccups, you can login into ‘My Wish Account’ and request assistance from goodcompany.

Further Information

Your responsibilities to the volunteer

Please consider each of the following points when managing the volunteer experience:

• Project information: Background information, clear project scope with boundaries, KPI's, expectations, deadlines, resources available, potential pitfalls, how the job will be evaluated, reporting back to goodcompany.
• Communication of your organisations’ mission, culture, values
• Demonstrate that the task/activity contributes to your organisation’s purpose and benefits the community.
• Infrastructure: allocation of adequate equipment, desks, computers, etc?
• Introduction to and provision of, contact details for key people in project.
• Suitable training/induction including relevant reporting, emergency procedures, grievance resolution, potential discrimination & abuse, building layout, and any other relevant policies. You should take care to prepare volunteers for their duties and for any physical or psychological stresses that may be involved.
• OH&S and working conditions: suitable hours, accommodated around work commitments.
• Do your current policies and procedures adequately cover volunteers? If not, what do you need to change?
• To provide adequate supervision, if required.

Other considerations

• Have you informed relevant staff internally of this volunteer and have their support?
• Do you want publicity for the work that volunteers do? Do you have the support of your stakeholders and are they prepared for this? (Includes board, suppliers, consultants, etc), have you informed the volunteer?
• Who will cover any costs associated with the project (inc. travel)?
• Is any additional insurance required to cover public liability and professional indemnity? Who will pay for it?