Combined, Alliance member organizations staff over 500 full-time employees. Groups at all levels are increasing their staff capacity with strong interns, fellows, volunteers, and contractors. As our groups grow, it’s important to weigh the benefits and challenges of working with temporary contractors versus permanent staff, the legal and ethical considerations of unpaid interns and volunteers, and how to best manage volunteers us the ladder of engagement in your organization.

Below are the top 3 tips from each of the speakers on the Alliance’s recent Mutual Aid Call, “Boosting Capacity With Temporary Staff.” Visit the Alliance’s Resource Library for a recording and full notes (members-only link).

Emily Stumhofer, Staff Attorney, Nonprofit Risk Management Center

• Don’t be hesitant to use volunteers and temporary staff, but make sure you’re using the right policies and setting good guidelines.
• Never ask your volunteer to sign an employment contract, follow your employee rules & procedures, fill positions that sometimes are filled by a paid staff, or require a prescribed work schedule.
• In general, don’t pay your volunteers. Payment or benefits may cause your volunteer to be legally considered an employee, and then you’re liable for back wages and taxes. If you decide to pay your interns, follow the Department of Labor guidelines.

Jane Kaminski, Membership and Outreach Assistant, Bike Pittsburgh

• Keep volunteers engaged and give them responsibilities that make them feel invaluable to your organization.
• Always have your volunteer / intern report to one person.
• Build community between part-time and full-time staff. Ex: staff lunches and meetings. Invite your volunteers / interns to public events and give them a role there.

Kirsten Franklin-Temple, Alaska & Washington State Director, Corporation for National & Community Service (AmeriCorps)

• Know that there’s a federal program out there (AmeriCorps) that you can tap into and it’s just a matter of connecting with them at a local level.
• AmeriCorps volunteers cannot be involved in advocacy or any work that may be perceived as trying to influence legislation/policy.
• Have a set project in mind that you want your service volunteer to focus on. What projects, initiatives have been on your to-do list that you never seem to have time to launch? Start with the end in mind – where do you want the project to be in 3 years?

Kim Cummings, Director of Executive Transition Services & Association Teams, Nonprofit Association of Oregon

• Carefully consider whether it’s the right time and project to hire a consultant.
• Contact all references supplied by the consultant. Request additional references if you don’t get the information you’re looking for.
• By law, independent contractors provide their own work space and equipment, determine how and when to accomplish contracted work, and establish their own fee structure.

For more detail on the webinar, check out the recording below. If your organization is a member of the Alliance, you can also see full notes from the call in the Alliance Resource Library (members-only link).