402. Build a Better Volunteer Handbook with a Team Approach

In 2021, during the pandemic, Holden Forests and Gardens began work on the foundation components for their volunteer engagement strategy. One of those efforts was a volunteer-led task force to redevelop their Volunteer Handbook.

In this episode, Tracee Patterson Associate Director of Volunteer and Employee Engagement, Sarah Hartley Manager of Volunteer Resources, and Patrick Biliter Volunteer Handbook Review Task Force Team Leader share the work they did to evaluate and redesign their Volunteer Handbook.

After reviewing Handbooks from other organizations they created a digital document that focuses on supporting and engaging volunteers in the work of the organization. They wanted it to be useful for new volunteers as well as ongoing volunteers, and that the document would reflect the beauty of their forests and gardens.

They also wanted it to foster a shared culture and engage volunteers deeply in the work of the organization. Patrick shares their goals, and the steps they took as a volunteer-led task force including their first step of Appreciative Inquiry and the Group Meeting Rules.

You can learn more about that process in their Volunteer Resources Annual Report for FY20201.

While they had a strong foundation for the work that needed to be done, they did run into some challenges, including the work taking longer than planned. They were able to launch their QuickStart Guide for New Volunteers first, and on time, and follow that up with the full paperless, digital handbook. You are welcome to visit and explore their final product!

For More:

For more information on inviting volunteers to lead changes within your organization check out Season 2 of the Time + Talent Podcast, Episode 205: Digital Transformation as the New Normal - Moving Mentoring Online.

Guest Bio:

Tracee Patterson Associate Director of Volunteer and Employee Engagement

Tracee Patterson is the Associate Director of Volunteer & Employee Engagement at Holden Forests & Gardens. Her prior work in volunteerism involved administrative and teaching positions at John Carroll University and Kent State University, where she coordinated service-learning programming and taught service-based classes for students. Tracee enjoys volunteering for other environmental organizations as well as for social justice causes she is passionate about. Tracee was the recipient of the 2020 Volunteer Administrator of the Year Award, presented annually by the Forum for Volunteer Administrators in Northeast Ohio. She lives in northeast Ohio and enjoys hiking, kayaking, bicycling and yoga. 

Sarah Hartley, CVA Manager of Volunteer Resources

Sarah Hartley is currently the Manager of Volunteer Resources for Holden Forests & Gardens in the Cleveland, OH area, where she has worked since 2015. Before moving to Ohio, she spent eleven years as a volunteer coordinator at The Salvation Army Northern Division in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area spending a lot of time on their bell ringing volunteer program and various volunteer management systems. Sarah received her certification in volunteer administration (CVA) in 2019, and she has been working in the field of volunteer management since 2003 when she earned her Mini-MBA in Volunteer Management from the University of St. Thomas Center of Nonprofit Management.

Patrick Biliter Volunteer Handbook Review Task Force Team Leader

To avoid becoming a third-generation eastern Kentucky coal miner, Pat Biliter became a geologist instead, pursuing his studies at The Ohio State University, U.C.L.A., and the University of Utah.  Most children go through rock and bug collecting phases, but Pat never grew out of his.  His great passions in life include books, landforms, wildlife, blue-tick fox hounds, and his wife of 53 years, not necessarily in that order.  He spent his career and most of his adult life working in some 34 foreign countries in environmental remediation, disaster relief and military construction.  Upon retiring and returning to the United States, Pat began volunteering at Holden Forests & Gardens, the perfect venue for sharing his love of the outdoors and natural history with adults and children of all ages.

Contact the Team: [email protected]

Contact Tracee at [email protected]

Contact Sarah at [email protected].

Contact Patrick at [email protected]

Website: https://holdenfg.org/