Volunteer Policies

RICHARDSON ADULT LITERACY CENTER

Volunteer Policies

1. OVERALL POLICY ON UTILIZATION OF VOLUNTEERS

The achievement of the goals of the Center is best served by the active participation of citizens of the community. To this end, the Center accepts and encourages the involvement of volunteers at all levels of the Center and within all programs and activities.

2. DEFINITION OF “VOLUNTEER”

A “volunteer” is anyone who, without compensation or expectation of compensation beyond reimbursement, performs a task at the direction of and on behalf of the Center. A “volunteer” must be officially accepted and enrolled by the Center prior to performance of the task.

3. STUDENTS AND BOARD OF DIRECTOR MEMBERS AS VOLUNTEERS

Students and members of the Board of Directors may be accepted as direct service volunteers.

4. VOLUNTEER RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Volunteers are viewed as valuable resources to the Center, its staff, and its students. Volunteers have the right to be given meaningful assignments, the right to be treated as equal co-workers, the right to effective supervision, the right to full involvement and participation, and the right to recognition for work done. In return, volunteers shall agree to actively perform their duties to the best of their abilities and to remain loyal to the goals and procedures of the Center.

5. COURT ORDERED VOLUNTEERS

Volunteers who are volunteering because of court-ordered community service hour requirements must tutor in the RALC Office and be directly supervised by the Executive Director during regular hours. approved 6/93

6. CONFIDENTIALITY

Volunteers are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of all proprietary or privileged information too which they are exposed while serving as a volunteer, whether this information involves a staff member, volunteer, student or other person or involves overall Center business.

7. DRESS CODE

Volunteers shall dress appropriately as befits the tutoring site.

8. POSITION DESCRIPTIONS

Volunteer staff, the same as paid staff, require a clear, complete, and current description of the duties and responsibilities of the position they are expected to fill.

9. PROBATIONARY PERIOD

All volunteer placements shall initially be done on a 30-day trial period. At the end of this period, a second interview of the volunteer may be conducted, at which point either the volunteer or Center staff may request a re-assignment of the volunteer to a different position or may determine the unsuitability of the volunteer for a position within the Literacy Center.

10. VOLUNTEER TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

All volunteers will receive a general orientation on the nature and purpose of the Literacy Center, an orientation on the nature and operation of the program or activity for which they are recruited, and a specific orientation on the purposes and requirements of the position that they are accepting in that effort.

11. ON THE JOB TRAINING

Volunteers will receive specific on-the-job training or support to provide them with the information and skills necessary to perform their volunteer assignment.

12. VOLUNTEER INVOLVEMENT IN ORIENTATION AND TRAINING

Experienced volunteers should be included in the design and delivery of volunteer orientation and training.

13. CONFERENCE ATTENDANCE

Volunteers are encouraged to attend conferences and meetings that are relevant to their volunteer assignments, including both those of the Center and of other organizations.

14. VOLUNTEERS AS VOLUNTEER SUPERVISORS

A volunteer may act as a supervisor of other volunteers, provided that the supervising volunteer is under the direct supervision of a paid staff member.

l5. VOLUNTEER/STAFF RELATIONSHIPS

Volunteers and staff are considered to be partners in implementing the mission and programs of the Center.

l6. ABSENTEEISM

Volunteers are expected to perform their duties on a regular scheduled and timely basis.

l7. SUBSTITUTION

Volunteers may be encouraged to find a substitute for any upcoming absences that might be filled by another volunteer.

l8. TUTORING SITE

Tutors and students shall meet in mutually convenient public places. approved 1/91

l9. TRANSPORTATION

Volunteer tutors will not provide transportation for their students. approved 3/94

20. DEAF ACTION CENTER

Deaf and/or hearing-impaired students and volunteers will be referred to the Deaf Action Center. approved 3/2000

2l. STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE

Standards of performance shall be established for each volunteer position.

22. DISMISSAL OF A VOLUNTEER

Volunteers who do not adhere to the rules and procedures of the Center or who fail to satisfactorily perform their volunteer assignment are subject to dismissal. No volunteer will be terminated until the volunteer has had an opportunity to discuss the reasons for possible dismissal with the Executive Director.

23. REIMBURSEMENT OF EXPENSES

Volunteers will be eligible for reimbursement of reasonable expenses approved in advance by the Executive Director or Treasurer.

24. INFORMAL RECOGNITION

All staff and volunteers responsible for volunteer supervision are encouraged to undertake ongoing methods of recognition of volunteer service on a regular basis throughout the year.