VOLUNTEER GROUPS

Volunteer-based organizations and groups have their own set of particular characteristics, challenges and opportunities. The most prevalent client request is for volunteer engagement: how do we motivate our volunteers to feel a sense of ownership, engagement and responsibility in the work that they do? Although this is not an easy task, I have designed processes to help with this particular challenge and other volunteer issues such as recruitment, orientation, training and retention of volunteers - an entirely different mindset and approach than with paid employees.

Featured Case Study: RS Foundation (now OBAT Canada)

Based in: Ottawa, Canada

Length of mandate: 5 months in 2013

Summary: RS Foundation is a non-profit organization that serves the needy in the South-Asian continent since 2000. They are renowned for their successful low-cost cataract surgeries and the implementation of a vocational center in Bangladesh. I designed and facilitated a process for the recently expanding team with the purpose of creating a clear workflow and a temporary organizational structure for the first year of their newly formatted team. Participants were able to identify the work that needs to be done, describe the responsibilities of different work groups within the temporary organization and come up with a plan of action to fill out the skills gap needed to get the work done.