Volunteer Coordinator Job Description & Hiring Guide – Attract the Right Talent for Your Nonprofit 

Is your nonprofit hiring for your volunteer services department? With the myriad of tasks associated with a leader of volunteers’ role, crafting the perfect volunteer coordinator job description can be quite the challenge.   

The Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration outlines seven core volunteer management competencies that their organization utilizes as the basis for their certification criteria. They range from strategic planning, to developing partnerships, to recruitment and placement of volunteers, to developing and implementing a recognition and retention plan.   

Looking over the wide range of responsibilities in this framework, it’s easy to become overwhelmed when trying to determine what you need to include in a volunteer coordinator job description.  

Follow our tips below that will help you create an all-encompassing job description that will ensure your organization attracts quality applicants and makes the right hiring decisions.   

What’s Included in a Typical Volunteer Coordinator Job Description?   

Since volunteer coordinators (managers, directors, etc.) are responsible for such a broad range of tasks, it might seem daunting to craft a job description that provides enough detail on everything the job entails.   

So, how do you determine what is essential information and what is fluff?   

To provide a real-life example, below is some language from a sample volunteer coordinator job description based off the description provided by the US Department of Labor Dictionary of Occupational Titles: 

Job / Position Title: Volunteer Coordinator  

Supervisor: Insert Supervisor Title  

Status & Classification: Insert Part-Time/Full-Time & Exempt/Non-Exempt  

Insert a short paragraph about your organization, its mission, history, etc.   

Position Summary  

Add a paragraph about the volunteer program at your organization and how this role contributes to the success of the program and the organization as a whole.   

Duties and Responsibilities  

    • Consults with leadership and staff to determine organization needs for various volunteer services. 
    • Develop a recruitment plan to include marketing positions, interviewing and screening potential volunteers, and placement in roles.   
    • Oversee orientation and initial training requirements of all volunteers. 
    • Ensure program staff have skills needed to train, supervise, and engage volunteers placed in their department. 
    • Prepare and maintain all documents related to volunteer management, from policies and procedures, to job descriptions, to training manuals and more. 
    • Network with and speak to community groups to advance the visibility of the (your organization’s) volunteer program. 
    • Work with marketing and communications staff to develop content for social media, newsletters, annual reports, etc., to recognize volunteer contributions and to help promote the volunteer program. 
    • Maintain accurate records (both hard copy and digital). 
    • Analyze, prepare, and present outcome reports on the extent, nature, and value of volunteers. 

Knowledge and Abilities  

    • Communication 
    • Project management 
    • Organizational skills  
    • Attention to detail  
    • Strong written and verbal communication  
    • Conflict Resolution 
    • List any PC skills needed 
    • List any proficiency in software your organization uses  

Desired Qualifications  

    • Any degree and/or certification requirements 
    • Minimum years of relevant experience (project management, events, marketing, etc.)  
    • Commitment to your organization’s mission  
    • Language requirements   

Working Conditions  

Insert where the office is located and the working conditions. Include any scheduling and/or traveling requirements.   

Rewards and Benefits  

    • (insert organization benefits) 
    • Note: Please, please, please consider adding a salary range to the job description! Here’s why that’s important. Need more information on salary ranges for volunteer coordinators? Check out VolunteerPro’s VMPR for more information on median salaries.   

Join Our Team   

Insert your organizations work culture and EEO statement.   

Application Instructions 

For immediate consideration, please send a cover letter and resume to (name) at (insert email).  

More Helpful Skills Volunteer Coordinators Need  

As the world changes, your approach to volunteer engagement should also evolve. Your assumptions about what makes volunteers coordinators successful in their roles needs to be updated as well.   

In addition to the administrative paperwork and processes associated with leading volunteers, the people side of the equation is as important to your agency’s success. Being able to inspire others and manage diverse personalities is vital. Skills such as experience in related to human psychology, neuroscience, and motivational theory are being suggested more and more as essential to the roles and responsibilities of volunteer coordinators.   

If you want to hire an effective volunteer coordinator, or improve your own skillset, read on for suggestions on how you can add these skills to a volunteer coordinator job description.   

Human Psychology 

A skilled volunteer coordinator needs to understand some basic concepts of human psychology to be successful in their role. Below are a few examples of psychological concepts you can refer to as you build your organization’s volunteer coordinator job description.   

  • Concept – Social Proof: People are highly motivated to conform to social norms. At the same time, they are driven to define themselves as unique. 
     
  • How to Include It: Put it in writing that the volunteer coordinator at your organization is responsible for collaborating with your marketing team to help create social media and marketing messages for websites, blog posts, newsletters, annual reports, etc., to feature current volunteers as a means to both attract new volunteers to your organization and to inspire existing volunteers. 
     
  • Concept – Congruency: When volunteers make a specific commitment, versus a general one, they are more likely to follow through. They are also more apt to follow thorough when cues are in place to reinforce the behaviors related to the initial commitment. 
     
  • How to Include It: Encourage the volunteer coordinator to become an “architect of experience,” building in leadership pathways into the volunteer experience as part of their program development responsibilities. Also, consider adding the ability to analyze outcomes of volunteer activities and showcase those outcomes to organizational stakeholders, to hold your organization and your volunteers accountable for their original commitment. Volunteers will see the impact they are having and be inclined to stay with the organization longer.  
     
  • Concept – Authority & Similarity: People often suspend their critical thinking and defer to those they perceive as authority figures, especially when they are unsure of themselves. People are also influenced more strongly by those they perceive to be part of their “in group”. 
     
  • How to Include It: It may seem like a no-brainer, but leadership skills are a must when it comes to being a successful volunteer coordinator! Make sure you include language in your job description about the need to be inclusive, welcoming, and influential.  While volunteer coordinators often do not directly supervise paid staff, they are nonetheless middle managers.  Make sure those leadership responsibilities are included in the job description. 

Neuroscience  

Humans are predictable, and when you understand neuroscience, you catch a glimpse into clues regarding how people behave. Volunteer coordinators should possess people skills that include an understanding of these underlying patterns of behavior.   

For example, new volunteers at any organization negotiate many competing emotions, from surprise, joy, fear, anticipation, ambiguity, etc., until they are acclimated to their new environment.  Volunteer coordinators needs to be attuned to this reality and designing onboarding strategies that help volunteers transition from joiner to fully engaged team player. 

The power of inclusion and social proof as discussed above comes into play here, but also, volunteer coordinators should have the ability to integrate the SCARF Neuroleadership Model or others, into the onboarding journey.   

When it comes to leading volunteers, tasks in employing the SCARF Model might look like this:   

    • Rituals: Establishing safety, reinforcing connections between values of volunteer and organization.  
    • Relationships: Developing social capital, obligation, socialization. 
    • Training: Increasing self-confidence, helping connect the dots, providing a roadmap for organizational socialization.  
    • Cost/Benefit Analysis: Convincing volunteers that they have a true purpose, that the hassle involved in joining is truly worth it.  

Utilizing these skills come naturally to some volunteer coordinators; however, some may need to build this kind of emotional intelligence. Adding the soft skill of emotional intelligence to your volunteer coordinator’s job description will ensure you attract talent to your organization that can follow the model above, with ease and success.   

Motivational Theory   

Motivated volunteers are more invested in outcomes, thus, more productive in their role. This means that volunteer coordinators need to rely on their ability to influence others towards service, which can be a challenge given their historical lack of positional power in their organization.   

This lack of power stems from the fact that they don’t directly supervise the staff with whom volunteers work with, organizational leadership might not understand the impact of volunteers, and if volunteers feel the impact of this power imbalance, they will most likely leave.   

With this lack of organizational power, volunteer coordinators must rely even more on their ability to inspire action in their volunteers.   

Because the basis of volunteerism is about building relationships and is driven by emotions and personal motivations, you should include skills in your volunteer coordinator job description that state the importance of understanding how human motivation works in volunteerism.   

Some ideas include:   

    • The ability to track and report on outcomes.   
    • Future focused with the ability to celebrate progress and improvement.   
    • Experience with providing social proof for marketing messages.  
    • Create an inclusive community of volunteers and staff, encouraging participation in program development.  

Your Volunteer Coordinator Hiring Guide 

While your organization likely has an HR department that handles the hiring process, you may be called in at some point to weigh in on candidates or you may be the ultimate decision-maker.  

Check out our suggestions on how to hire a volunteer coordinator who will have the experience, skills, and passion you need to sustain volunteer engagement at your organization.  

Advertising 

Outside of the typical job search sites, if you are looking for a high impact volunteer coordinator, there are a few places you can advertise your position:  

    • Facebook Groups – for nonprofit job seekers, volunteer management groups, such as VolunteerPro Insiders. Just make sure you check that you aren’t breaking any group rules with your post.  
    • Nonprofit Associations – think local DOVIAS, professional associations, etc.  
    • LinkedIn – much like Facebook groups, you can share the job posting to nonprofit job seeker groups or volunteer management groups.  

Reviewing Applications  

If you have been asked to review applications and make recommendations on who should be invited to an interview, follow these steps to ensure you are bringing in quality talent.  

1) Read the cover letter. Don’t jump straight to the resume! Ask if you can read the applicants cover letter as well and look for these things:  

      • Attention to Detail: did they customize it to the job and organization?  
      • Spelling and Grammar: make sure there are no mistakes 

2) Scan the resume for an eagle eye view of the candidate’s qualifications.  

      • Look for the easy to find qualifications first. Does the role require a Certified in Volunteer Administration (CVA) or some other credential? Check for those that have it and reject the resumes that do not.  
      • Check for longevity. Even though people tend to move from job to job more frequently now than in the past, someone who changes employment every year can raise some red flags regarding their job performance once offered a position.  
      • The details matter. It should go without saying again but check for spelling and grammar mistakes. Ensure the applicant is using consistent verb tense.  
      • Check for experiences that match what the job responsibilities will entail. If you can, be open to different levels of experience and education. While a commitment to education is nice, a degree is not necessary for someone to succeed in volunteer management.  

Finally, look for facts, not fluff! A good candidate will back up their skills with hard facts, such as, grew volunteer corps by 75% or grew retention numbers to 90%.  

Even after taking this advice, trust your gut when reviewing resumes. If a reading a resume makes you want to meet someone, bring them in for an interview. If you can’t make it through reading someone’s resume in full, that’s a clear sign that they likely aren’t a good fit!  

Interview  

As I was beginning to outline this blog post, we had a member into our VolunteerPro Insiders group ask for advice on questions to ask in an interview for a volunteer management position.  

There were some great responses, here are some highlights:  

    • Can you demonstrate a time when you handled a difficult situation and what did you do? 
    • Can you describe a time where you helped someone to succeed? 
    • How will you create opportunities, train volunteers, etc. in a virtual setting. ? 
    • Provide an example of when you didn’t have the answer and how you handled that. 
    • How will you build and maintain relationships with our volunteers? 

Need more suggestions? Check out this Galaxy Digital article. 

Finding the Right Person to Lead Your Volunteers 

Success as a volunteer coordinator in today’s ever-changing climate requires thoughtful strategy to ensure that your organization creates an environment where everyone feels welcome, rewards for volunteering are plentiful, and volunteers have some say in how they contribute to the overall mission of your organization.  

Volunteer coordinators need to possess more leadership skills than previously thought. This is critical if they are to build a community from the grassroots to the grass tops. This will take all the skills listed above, and more. 

Did we leave anything out? Let us know in the comments what you include that we didn’t list! 

Still looking for guidance? Download our free Volunteer Coordinator Job Description template to tailor your organization’s specific, mission-based position descriptions for volunteer coordinators, managers, and directors. 

Ready to Hire a Kick-A** Volunteer Program Manager?

In addition to the tips above, I’ve also created a brand new e-book, How to Hire a Kick-A** Volunteer Program Manager! This 20-page ebook is written specifically for executive directors and other nonprofit leaders ready to hire a well-prepared, dedicated professional volunteer manager or coordinator.

Hiring the right person to lead and nurture your volunteer team is key to achieving your organization’s most important goals, and this free hiring guide is designed to give you all the tools to recruit, interview, and hire a truly kick-a** volunteer program manager, all the way from required skills to suggested interview questions and salary guidelines.