Management of volunteers in faith-based organisations

Abstract

In South Africa, government cannot take sole responsibility for meeting people’s basic physical, economic and psycho-social needs as well as addressing social issues. Collective responsibility and co-operation with organisations in civil society is strongly promoted by the South African government. In a media release from the Department of Social Development, it was said that Minister Skweyiya had been meeting with the religious sector since the year 2000, to discuss government's efforts at fighting poverty and exploring the partnership between government and the religious sector (Minister and Catholic Development and Welfare Agency work together to assist orphans and other vulnerable children, 2003). Government has committed itself to partnerships with various religious organisations of which the Catholic Development and Welfare Agency and the Dutch Reformed Church are examples. This study was an exploration of the management of volunteers within Lewende Woord Ministries Trust , a faith-based organisation (FBO) situated in Pretoria. The focus of the study was on current volunteers involved in Lewende Woord Ministries Trust. The organisation was established in February 1986. At first it functioned as a church organisation, looking only after the church members’ spiritual and physical needs, but later changed its operational structures to function as an FBO. Today the organisation greatly relies on volunteers for a variety of services, both in the congregation and the surrounding communities. The objectives of the study were to determine the dynamics of volunteerism in FBOs within a broader theoretical framework of volunteerism; to investigate volunteerism within the context of Lewende Woord Ministries Trust, with specific reference to the structure, functioning, activities, motivation, and the management of volunteers; and to provide guidelines for the management of volunteers in an FBO in order to achieve the goal of the study, namely to provide guidelines for the management of volunteers in an FBO. From the research findings, it became clear that to effectively manage volunteers in FBOs, there are key aspects that need to be taken into consideration, namely motivational factors, needs, recruitment, effective training and retainment of volunteers. The main recommendation of the study is that FBOs implement the proposed guidelines for the effective management of volunteers, in order to make the utilisation of volunteers more efficient.