Introduction

Hi, I’m _____, and this is _____. Our goal in these interviews is to understand how the Volunteer Center web site can best serve the needs of non-profits and volunteers. To do that, we’d like to ask you some questions about <organization name>, how volunteers fit into your mission, and your experience using the Volunteer Center web site when working with volunteers. All together it will take no more than 1 hour.

Before we get started, there are a few things that you should know. First, when we write our report for the Volunteer Center, we may want to quote things that you have said, but we will not include your name or other identifying information. If there’s anything in particular that you really don’t want to be quoted, please let us know.

Also, this interview is completely voluntary – if for any reason you want to stop, please just let us know, we can end the interview at that point. We can also discard anything you’ve told us up to that point if you would like.

Third, if you would like, we can provide you with the final report once it is completed.

Finally, would it be okay if we audiorecord our conversation? This is just so we don’t miss anything – no one outside myself and the other people in the class will have access to the recording, and we would transcribe what you said before sharing it with anyone else.

Do you have any questions for us? Okay, let’s get started.

Warm up

• What is your job title at <organization name>?
• About how long have you been in that role?
• If you had to describe your job responsibilities in a few sentences, what would you say?
• Before your current position, did you work in other positions where you interacted with volunteers? [if yes] Could you tell us a little about what you did in those positions?
• Have you also been in the volunteer role, either in the past or presently? [if yes] What kind of volunteering did you/do you do?

Role of Volunteers in the Organization

• We looked at the web page for <organization name> to get a general sense of what the organization is about, but if you had to describe the mission of <organization name> in a couple sentences, what would you say?
• How do you see volunteers as fitting into that mission? What is <organization name> able to do by including volunteers that it couldn’t do without them?
  1. If they don’t bring it up, ask about some likely candidates:
     1. More hands to do the work
     2. Specific expertise than in-house staff lack

• Train future non-profit workers

1. Raise awareness
2. Bring in broader range of perspectives/experiences

• What kinds of people typically volunteer with <organization name>?
  1. If they don’t spontaneously provide: Ask about…
     1. younger/older
     2. working/retired/stay at home

• specific education/expertise/skills

• Do volunteers typically volunteer on a single occasion, for a limited period of time (like a few months or a year), or on an ongoing basis (like over multiple years)?
• What kinds of work do volunteers do for <organization name>?
• From what you know, what are the reasons your volunteers have for volunteering?
• If you imagine your dream volunteer, who would that person be? What would make someone the perfect volunteer for <organization name>?

Volunteer Center Web Site

• How do you go about finding volunteers?
  1. If they only mention the WVC web site, ask if they use other methods as well, like word-of-mouth, flyers, etc.
• What do you use the Volunteer Center web site for?
  1. Posting needs (distinguish on-going volunteering from one-off events)?
  2. Time tracking?
• How often do you use the Volunteer Center web site? [can ask separately for each kind of use]
• [for each kind of use] Could you think back to the last time you used the web site in that way, and tell us about that situation?
  1. Ask if that was a typical situation; if not, could they give an example a typical situation
  2. Can invite them to pull up the web site and show what they were doing
• What does <organization name> gain from using the Volunteer Center web site?
  1. If they don’t bring it up: Can ask what they did before
• Have you experienced any challenges with using the web site?
  1. Specific things to follow up about if they don’t bring it up:
     1. Ease of use
     2. Reliability

• Couldn’t do what they wanted to do

• Are there specific features that the Volunteer Center web site doesn’t have, but that you would love to have? This can be pie-in-the-sky, don’t worry about whether it’s realistic. Could be things you’ve seen on other web sites.

Volunteer Center Goals – Community of Volunteers

• What role do you think the Volunteer Center plays in this community? (not just for you, but for the community overall)
• In your experience, do volunteers often form bonds with each other? (as opposed to with staff, clients, etc.) Why do you think that happens OR why do you think that doesn’t usually happen?
• What effect do you think it has when volunteers form connections with each other? Pros/cons of that?

Conclusion

Is there anything you think would be useful to know about how you use the Volunteer Center web site that we haven’t talked about yet?

[after any response they provide]

Thank you, that’s all of my questions. Do you have any questions you’d like to ask me?

[after their questions are answered]

Thank you again. If there’s anything you’d like to follow up on down the road, feel free to contact us via e-mail or phone. And here is a token of appreciation for giving us your time today. [ give them the gift card]