This requires ongoing contact with direct service staff and participation in planning sessions no one else in marketing would ever attend. This poses a serious problem for the VRM, who must be in the loop about what is going on so volunteers can be placed into all units throughout the organization. On the other side of the coin, however, the marketing staff is removed from the daily operations of the organization and outside of any decision making about client services. It also provides the volunteer resources manager (VRM) with access to resources in media relations, technology, graphic arts, and other elements important in recruiting and recognizing volunteers. On the plus side, this placement acknowledges volunteers as vital to strong relations with the community. In most cases, this means a transfer out of the chain of command running the organization’s direct client services, a move that could have unintended consequences. Interestingly, a new trend for larger nonprofits seems to be to put volunteer services into the marketing or public relations department. What roles do volunteers fill and in what units? What future plans might expand those functions and therefore affect organizational placement?
The key is to make the choice strategically. While there is no definitely right or wrong department or level in an organization where volunteers belong, where they appear on the organizational chart sends a message as to their importance. The question of where to “place” responsibility for the administration of volunteer involvement surfaces repeatedly, with no agreement upon standard practice.
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