What Does a Volunteer Coordinator Do?

There are jobs in the work world--either paid or nonpaid--that are often hard for people to comprehend. We here words like "coordinator" and "facilitator" in a job title and wonder what exactly that means. In the world of nonprofit organizations and charities, there are those who would argue that the Volunteer Coordinator is one of the most important jobs an organization can fill. Whether you are considering a career in nonprofit management or are interested in volunteering or working with a nonprofit agency or charity, understanding what a Volunteer Coordinator does can be helpful.

A Volunteer Coordinator is the person in a nonprofit organization who recruits, trains, places, and supervises volunteers and, in many cases, interns and other non-paid personnel. In some organizations, the Volunteer Coordinator will also serve in some other capacity such as helping to track and maintain records on in kind donations or work with human resources on recruiting employees as well. Some Volunteer Coordinators serve a public relations function--visiting businesses, clubs and other public entities to tell the story of the organization or cause and possibly even asking for donations in addition to recruiting volunteers.

A Volunteer Coordinator will likely create job descriptions, training sessions, training materials, evaluation and other "details" to help with the placement and maintenance of volunteers. This position often works with regular staff to identify the volunteer needs and will use staff input to design accurate job descriptions. There may be committees or others who help choose and recruit volunteers but the day-to-day details will likely fall on the desk of the Volunteer Coordinator.

A Volunteer Coordinator may be in charge of not only "hiring" volunteers but also "firing" them or letting them know if things are not working out or they are not a good "fit" for the organization or the project. Whether it is for a short-term project the Volunteer Coordinator will be trying to "staff" it with the most appropriate volunteers. Additionally, this person may be responsible for filling out any paperwork or doing any reporting for interns or student volunteers. If there are time sheets or other forms to be tended to, the Volunteer Coordinator may be the one in charge of keeping all the records relating to volunteers and volunteering.