Timeline of volunteering

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Audience
Organization

What challenge inspired this recipe?

We believe that visualizing the volunteers journey with us is a great source of motivating the volunteers to get the best out of the experience and provide a framework with milestones of what happens during the duration of volunteers. For this we came up with the system that in the common living space or in the working place we put up the personalized journey of the volunteer on a flipchart. The journey contains all the milestones of the volunteering but the volunteers can also add their inputs on what else they considered as a milestone.

✍️Egysek

Ingredients :

Plan for volunteers journey, a timeline on flipchart, bigger space where you put it.

Step by step guide

First of all you need to create the milestones of volunteering in your program for the volunteers which is also concrete but tailor made. Tailor made in a way when the volunteers are staying for different duration.

The timeline is on a flipchart and involves all the concrete milestones of what happens during the program with the volunteer. There are also sections where the volunteers can add their own milestones. It can be decorated with pictures, emojis, notes, some gifts etc.

It should be put in a visible place where the volunteers work the most together and it can also help the reflection process month by month.

What you include on the timeline can differ based on the program.

Sample timeline:

  1. Arrival day of the volunteer – giving the starter package and welcoming;
  2. Onboarding phase;
  3. Start of the mentoring;
  4. Introducing to the buddy;
  5. First day at work;
  6. First informal event – ex. picnic , Halloween party etc;
  7. On arrival training – National Agency;
  8. Mid- part of volunteering;
  9. Personal things: birthday, name day etc.;
  10. Holiday together;
  11. Vacation together;
  12. Realization of own initiative;
  13. Mid term training – National Agency;
  14. Closing month;
  15. Youthpass;
  16. Farewell party;

Important to highlight!

We think it is a great practice because:

  • it gives a frame of volunteering and helps to validate the different milestone in the volunteering
  • it can be modified by the volunteer and a place to collect memories
  • great farewell party gift
  • for the organization it is also easier to keep in mind what comes and when – in case the volunteers are staying for different duration
  • volunteers appreciate it a lot and give positive feedback on it

Upscaling option – we can also add the steps in the preparation phase with the volunteer, when the volunteer got accepted for the project. We can also add some challenges and add it on the timeline – for example a photo of the suitcase upon arrival, how many places in the country has been visited etc.

Before you start cooking, keep in mind…

The success can always depend on the motivation of the volunteer.