The following was adapted from Supervising Volunteers, p. 19-20 
And Volunteer Management, p. 63

Conducting an orientation for new volunteers is always a good idea. It helps keep volunteers comfortable and provides them with the organization’s background and practical knowledge. It can also be an efficient way for your organization to clearly share your rules and expectations for volunteers. If the volunteers understand the organization’s systems, operations and procedures, they can contribute more productively.

Family volunteers also need an orientation to your organization. Each family member needs to know why they should be working here and what is expected of them, as individuals and as a group. Orientations for family volunteers should be adapted to be appropriate for the age and attention span of the children and youth involved, while also meeting your organization’s needs. It would be ideal to adapt a short orientation – no longer than 15 minutes in length - geared towards multiple ages and including questions for the participants, visual materials, and an interactive component.

Your orientation could include:

• A summary of your organization’s mission and values
• The history of the organization
• Your programs and services
• A description of the future plans of the organization.

The goal of this discussion is to allow the family to make an intellectual and emotional commitment to the basic purpose of the organization and to consciously decide that they believe in and are willing to work towards achieving your organization’s mission.

Consider including the following subjects for the orientation – particularly important for families interested in volunteering as an ongoing commitment:

• A tour of the work area
• The names and responsibilities of other volunteers or people they will interact with
• Your own schedule and when you will be available for questions
• Where the volunteers can leave personal property
• Where the volunteers will work
• Location of equipment and supplies (if any) the volunteer is authorized to use
• The names of the staff the volunteers should notify when they arrive/leave each day
• A review of how you will address performance problems

During the orientation, it’s important to make it clear that parents are responsible for supervising and helping their own children.

A question you might ask yourself when designing this orientation session is: What do my new volunteers need to know to feel at home here? No one remembers everything he hears, so develop a packet of written material for the family to keep and review after the session. Parents may want to review all of the pertinent information with their children before they begin their volunteer service.