Tips To Keeping Your Volunteer Group Organized
We all know that a little organization can go a really long way. It saves time, energy and a lot of stress. How do you get your group organized when faced with a daunting project? It’s really not as tough as 
you might think.
Here are a few simple tips to get you on the right path.
The first thing you should do is get everyone together, face to face, and get all of your goals down on paper. Having them on paper is much safer than trying to keep everything and everyone organized in your mind. Once you have your goals squared away, you’ll need to formulate a plan to achieve them, documenting the steps necessary to get there.
Here’s where these particular organization tips come into play. Once you have your plans finalized, there are three things that you absolutely must utilize if you want to maintain order within your group:
To Do Lists – This is very important. First, create a master To Do List containing all the steps you documented above. Then divide the items (steps) on the list to all the members of your group. Give each group member a copy of the master list and a list of their own personal To Do items so they can see where their efforts will fit into the overall plan. Don’t be afraid to delegate!
Here’s an example of what a master To Do list would look like for a group who are going to start a community garden project…
Group Calendar – As you created the master and individual To Do Lists, you should have also given each item on the list a date which it needs to be completed. Being able to see all member tasks and completion dates will give the group members the motivation to complete their assigned tasks thoroughly and on time.
For even more organization, you can set up an online calendar of events using a free online tool such as Google Calendar. This will allow group members to have online access to the current tasks and due dates from any computer that has Internet access.
Create a Regular Schedule and Stick To It – As a group leader, sticking to a schedule will make you predictable to the other members in your group. They will know when, where and how to find you if they have an issue that cannot wait to be addressed at a later time.
Communication is key when it comes to keeping everyone in your group organized. This means that as the group leader, you will have to be reachable, usually by cell phone. Let everyone know that you are there if they need you and that all they have to do is call you. It is fine to let them know not to call before or after a certain time of day.
Keeping a set schedule also means setting up regular meeting times and places for your group to get together and discuss the progress toward your goals and possible re-prioritization of the items in your plan.
If you keep good records following the basic steps above, you will find yourself not only meeting your goals, but meeting them on time and with much less stress and complication.
These are basic steps for organizing a group. We want to know what you have done to help better organize your group. Just leave a comment in the comments field below and let us know what you do to help keep things organized.
you might think.
Here are a few simple tips to get you on the right path.
The first thing you should do is get everyone together, face to face, and get all of your goals down on paper. Having them on paper is much safer than trying to keep everything and everyone organized in your mind. Once you have your goals squared away, you’ll need to formulate a plan to achieve them, documenting the steps necessary to get there.
Here’s where these particular organization tips come into play. Once you have your plans finalized, there are three things that you absolutely must utilize if you want to maintain order within your group:
To Do Lists – This is very important. First, create a master To Do List containing all the steps you documented above. Then divide the items (steps) on the list to all the members of your group. Give each group member a copy of the master list and a list of their own personal To Do items so they can see where their efforts will fit into the overall plan. Don’t be afraid to delegate!
Here’s an example of what a master To Do list would look like for a group who are going to start a community garden project…
Group Calendar – As you created the master and individual To Do Lists, you should have also given each item on the list a date which it needs to be completed. Being able to see all member tasks and completion dates will give the group members the motivation to complete their assigned tasks thoroughly and on time.
For even more organization, you can set up an online calendar of events using a free online tool such as Google Calendar. This will allow group members to have online access to the current tasks and due dates from any computer that has Internet access.
Create a Regular Schedule and Stick To It – As a group leader, sticking to a schedule will make you predictable to the other members in your group. They will know when, where and how to find you if they have an issue that cannot wait to be addressed at a later time.
Communication is key when it comes to keeping everyone in your group organized. This means that as the group leader, you will have to be reachable, usually by cell phone. Let everyone know that you are there if they need you and that all they have to do is call you. It is fine to let them know not to call before or after a certain time of day.
Keeping a set schedule also means setting up regular meeting times and places for your group to get together and discuss the progress toward your goals and possible re-prioritization of the items in your plan.
If you keep good records following the basic steps above, you will find yourself not only meeting your goals, but meeting them on time and with much less stress and complication.
These are basic steps for organizing a group. We want to know what you have done to help better organize your group. Just leave a comment in the comments field below and let us know what you do to help keep things organized.