The Nonprofit FAQ

It seems rude to evaluate volunteers. Do we really have to?

Experienced leaders and directors of volunteer programs have observed over and over again that lack of feedback and direction can drain the energy from a volunteer program. Directly stating goals and holding people to reasonable standards in achieving them is essential to the continuing success of volunteer projects. The way the evaluation process is conducted may well be different when the subject is volunteer performance, but the need for doing it is no less strong. See "Volunteer Evaluation" by Steve McCurley and Rick Lynch accessible via CASA Nuts and Bolts Volunteer Supervision section at http://www.casanet.org/program-management/volunteer-manage/voleval.htm. CASANet has a great deal of volunteer-related material; check http://www.casanet.org/. Repaired broken link 2/2/05 -- PB