Date of Completion
Fall 12-4-2015
Document Type
Campus Access Capstone
Degree Name
Master of Education (MEd)
First Advisor
Jeffrey Keefer
Abstract
Lucky Lab Rescue and Adoption is an all-volunteer 501(c)3 non-profit rescue organization. As the organization grows, they need to be able to quickly and effectively bring on new volunteers to support their mission of rescuing Labrador retrievers and matching them with suitable adoptive families. Volunteers are integral to this mission, and without foster homes, they would not be able to save the majority of the dogs that come through the rescue before being adopted. This project looked at the current state of the organization to determine what volunteers needed to be able to perform their duties to the best of their abilities. After an initial needs analysis including interviews, a survey, and a review of best practices, the project scope narrowed to focus on fostering and other “field” volunteer work, which is where the organization had the largest need, and where a training intervention would provide the biggest impact. Based on the analysis, a foster care handbook was created, along with other process documentation and templates, to help provide new volunteers with the guidance and direction they need to effectively complete volunteer tasks while connecting them to the mission of the organization. These new documents will create a better volunteer experience for both new and existing volunteers, and they will see the organization as professional, prepared, and supportive of their needs. As a result of the new resources created to support and train volunteers, the organization hopes to see an increase in returning and repeat volunteers, which will ultimately allow them to place more dogs in foster homes and forever homes, saving more lives and directly impacting their mission.
Recommended Citation
Boettcher, Jennifer D., "Enhancing the Volunteer Experience at Lucky Labs" (2015). Instructional Design Capstones Collection. 9.
https://scholarworks.umb.edu/instruction_capstone/9
Comments
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