Recruiting and retaining staff in nonprofits [Expert Insights]
Lindsay Purchase interviewed Mike Morrice on behalf of Workplace Tribes.
Above: Mike Morrice speaks at a public event. Photo by Brian St. Denis Photography & Design.
Volunteering is sometimes understood to be a minor commitment, good for those with a desire for involvement without obligation, or for people equipped to deal with tasks regular staff consider undesirable.
For Mike Morrice, volunteerism is both an essential and esteemed practice that carries significant responsibility and produces commendable results.
Morrice is the co-founder and Executive Director of Sustainable Waterloo Region, an organization committed to fostering responsible environmental practices in local businesses.
Their goal, he explained, is to have “Organizations of all kinds really integrating environmental sustainability into their overarching decision-making in a way that is also financially profitable for them.”
Morrice continued, “We create a community of support for organizations to plug into to access networks, and expertise, and resources to substantiate their progress for environmental sustainability.”
Sustainable Waterloo Region currently operates with seven staff members and 45 volunteers, though Morrice claims the difference between the two is hours worked, not level of dedication.
“In terms of expectations, some might say, well, the expectation of a volunteer should be less than staff, but I don’t really see it that way,” he said. “When we have volunteers committing to follow through on particular projects … we maintain pretty high expectations of both our staff and our volunteers, and I’m confident in those expectations.”
As a not-for-profit organization, dependable volunteerism is a high priority matter.
The key to their success, Morrice believes, “is simply putting the needs of volunteers first.” Although he admitted that it can be difficult to find volunteers who align in skill and enthusiasm with the level expected by Sustainable Waterloo Region, once the proper fit is found, a high degree of success can be attained.
Maintaining a mutually beneficial relationship, he said, is a matter of asking the questions “Where does volunteering fit for you?” and “How does it meet your needs?” Failing to understand the requirements of volunteers runs the risk of investing in poor stock, and wasting the time of both parties involved.
Integrating volunteers with paid staff is critical to nonprofit success.
This practice of accommodation is a philosophy that carries through to treatment of staff as well. “I feel like … when I’m interacting with staff or volunteers, my management … is more tailored to the person and their personality than whether they’re a volunteer or staff,” Morrice commented.
However, there are certain challenges associated with such dependence on volunteers. Morrice acknowledged, “I think any nonprofit will be clear that getting strong web support … is a challenge.”
In addition, Morrice said, “It is a bit of a juggling act for our staff to maintain a work-life balance when we’re as connected with volunteers as we are.” Volunteer interviews must often be done at night or on weekends, in addition to the 9–5 schedules of staff.
The cooperation and passion of staff and volunteers is reflective of Sustainable Waterloo Region’s larger devotion to its environment ideals.
Morrice concluded, “Those who are passionate about our mission and looking for a meaningful experience, we’ll find something for them, and if not we’ll help connect them to others to volunteer with them (instead). Ultimately that’s going to benefit the entire local movement when it comes to sustainability.”
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