Adapted from Supervising Volunteers, p. 112

“The organization must have a mission and function in which youth volunteers will have some reason to want to be a part. The organization and its staff must want the participation of youth volunteers and believe that youth will actively assist the organization in achieving its mission and function.” Martha Mercer

Utilizing family volunteers is an extremely efficient and effective way to recruit additional help and supporters of your mission. Young people can be excellent and committed assistants, and recruiting an entire family to help multiplies the number of volunteers and increases the chance that they will continue to do work for you. When parents and their children are educated, valued and supervised adequately, families have the potential to become one of your organization’s greatest assets.

A 2001 Independent Sector report reveals that family volunteers perform, on average, 23 percent more hours of weekly volunteer work than other volunteers. 98% of social service agencies who involved families found it to be very effective, and 96% said that family volunteering offers unique ways to provide services.

The most effective supervisory technique is to allow family members to focus on the same assignment, truly volunteering as a unit. If the children are old enough (high school age or above), another option is that everyone comes in together but then scatters to do individual work.

Here are some tips for supervising family volunteers:

• Get to know all the volunteers and don’t fall into the trap of dealing only with the adults. It is recommended to ask the family to designate one main contact person so that you can communicate consistently with one person, especially for things like schedule changes.
• Help the family to organize their assignment so that all members are doing tasks they enjoy and are good at.
• Suggest that one or more family members break away to do a special assignment whenever you sense tension or see that someone wants to do more.
• Find ways to recognize each individual for his or her contribution as well as thanking the family as a unit.

By involving family volunteers in your agency, you are providing opportunities for children to become involved in volunteering at an early age, which often translates to them volunteering throughout their lives. You can show the impact they have had on your organization by discussing the contributions made by your family volunteers and how such progress would not have been possible without their help. In reality, you and your organization will benefit more than you ever thought possible.