If your club is supported by volunteers it should have a Volunteer Policy in place.  If you didn’t see one when you started in your role as volunteer treasurer, there’s a high probability that your club does not have one.

Why do you need a volunteer policy?

Even if yours is a small club, a policy will help maintain consistency in the way volunteers are recruited, trained and treated, and set guidelines for what is expected of them.  By putting a Volunteer Policy into place you are also meeting part of the National Standards For Involving Volunteers in Not For Proift Organisations.

What could be included in a Volunteer Policy?

The standards tell us that the policy should clearly state the organisation’s:

a)      general philosophy on volunteer involvement;

b)      commitment to establishing and maintaining a quality system for managing

c)       volunteers;

d)      broad objectives for involving volunteers;

e)      line of authority and accountability for managing and implementing the quality system

The policy should include sections on:

Responsibilities:  Who is responsible for recruiting, managing and training volunteers?

Recruitment and selection: What skills or knowledge are you looking for in your volunteers?  How should it be demonstrated?

Formal requirements of the role: Will the volunteer need a Working With Children Check or some other kind of background check?

Induction and training:  What should your volunteers know about working with your club? What training will they need and how will it be provided?

Expenses: What costs may be incurred in the role?  Which will be reimbursed by the club and which will the volunteer need to pay for?

Dispute resolution: How are disagreements handled within the club and what is the formal process for resolution?

Role specific information: For formal roles such as Club Secretary or Treasurer, you may wish to include information relevant to their specific functions.

You can find a sample policy on the Volunteering Australia website and quite a detailed policy and procedures manual at Volunteering WA.