Code of Conduct
These are our detailed policies regarding volunteers at the Otter Tail County Historical Society (OTCHS). These policies cover the definition of a volunteer, confidentiality, copyright issues, when additional screening is necessary, inappropriate communications, when volunteers can represent our institution, online safety, ending your role as a volunteer and dismissal of a volunteer.
Purpose of Volunteer Policies
These policies are written to provide overall guidance and direction to staff and volunteers engaged in volunteer involvement and management efforts. These policies do not constitute, either implicitly or explicitly, a binding contractual or personnel agreement. OTCHS reserves the exclusive right to change any of these policies at any time and to expect adherence to the changed policy.
Definition of a “Volunteer”
A “volunteer” is anyone who, without compensation or expectation of compensation, performs a task at the direction of and on behalf of OTCHS. A “volunteer” must be officially accepted and enrolled by the agency prior to performance of the task. Unless specifically stated, volunteers shall not be considered “employees” of the agency.
“Mandatory” Service
OTCHS also accepts as volunteers those participating in student community service activities, student intern projects, alternative sentencing or diversion programs, corporate volunteer programs, and other volunteer referral programs. In each of these cases, however, a written agreement must be in effect with the organization, school, or program from which the special case volunteers originate and this agreement must identify responsibility for management and care of the volunteers. This agreement must be reached in writing before the volunteer begins an online assignment, and it is the responsibility of the volunteer to secure this agreement with the appropriate organization. Remember: not every program recognizes virtual volunteering as meeting mandatory community service obligations. OTCHS staff is happy to speak with supervisors by phone or in person to explain our program and answer any questions.
Volunteers Under 18
If you are under 18, please let at least one of your parents know you are going to volunteer with OTCHS. We strongly suggest that you give your parent the URL of our organization (http://www.otchs.org/LibraryResearch/virtualvolunteer.html) so they can read through the materials themselves. We also suggest you copy at least one of your parents on any correspondence to OTCHS staff and we would be happy to do the same, per your request. Your parents are invited to call or e-mail the Virtual Volunteering Project Manager, Kathy Evavold, with any questions or comments about our program (218-736-6038, kevavold@otchs.org).
Service at the Discretion of the Agency
Our agency accepts the service of all volunteers with the understanding that such service is at the sole discretion of the agency. Volunteers agree that the agency may at any time, for whatever reason, decide to terminate the volunteer’s relationship with the agency.
The volunteer may at any time, for whatever reason, decide to sever the volunteer’s relationship with the agency. Notice of such a decision should be communicated as soon as possible to the volunteer’s supervisor.
Representing the Virtual Volunteering Project
Volunteers are asked to not contact organizations or individuals on behalf of OTCHS unless they are given express written directions to do so by the Virtual Volunteering Project Manager. Prior to any action or statement, which might significantly affect or obligate the agency, volunteers should seek prior consultation and approval from appropriate staff. These actions may include, but are not limited to, public statements to the press, coalition or lobbying efforts with other organizations, or any agreements involving contractual or other financial obligations. Volunteers are authorized to act as representatives of the agency as specifically indicated within their job descriptions and only to the extent of such written specifications.
Confidentiality
Volunteers are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of all proprietary or privileged information to which they are exposed while serving as a volunteer and after volunteering has ended, whether this information involves a single staff, volunteer, client, or other person or involves agency business. Failure to maintain confidentiality may result in termination of the volunteer’s relationship with the agency or other corrective action.
Screening/Reference Checks
For some tasks, volunteers must submit samples of work and professional references. If such is required, it will be outlined in the job description.
Copyright/Ownership Issues
Material produced by volunteers for OTCHS, including indexes, graphics materials, web page design, narratives, research, compilations, instructional texts, etc., becomes the property of OTCHS upon submission. Volunteers are not permitted to maintain a copy of these materials or give them to any other entity unless written permission is received in advance from OTCHS. As possible, volunteers will receive generalized credit (mention of their name) on the OTCHS web site for their contributions if they wish to be recognized and a log of donated time with basic task description will be maintained by OTCHS. Our office manager calculates volunteer hours into a dollar amount called “volunteer help utilized” and that figure is used on our financial statement.
Online Orientation
Volunteers are expected to follow all directions provided to them in the online orientation and submit a completed volunteer application. By replying to this orientation with a request for an assignment, the volunteer is agreeing to both the policies set forth in this orientation and the policies outlined in this volunteer handbook.
Contacting Other Volunteers
Occasionally, volunteers may need to contact other volunteers with regard to their activities with the Virtual Volunteering Project. We expect all such communications among volunteers to follow general netiquette guidelines. Other than e-mail addresses, the Virtual Volunteering Project Manager will not share contact information about a volunteer with another volunteer without the express consent of all parties involved. We encourage volunteers to use common sense when communicating with other volunteers – or anyone – online. We suggest your following this rule: don’t reveal anything about yourself online to someone that you would not feel comfortable revealing to a stranger you met on the street.
Inappropriate Communications
If at any point you receive any e-mail that you feel is inappropriate, for any reason, and you believe you have received it in conjunction with your involvement with the Virtual Volunteering Project, please forward the e-mail and other details about the communication to the Virtual Volunteering Project Manager.
ONLINE SAFETY
The safety of our volunteers is important to us. To that end, the Project will not release a volunteer’s phone number, age or other personal information to anyone outside of our organization or to other volunteers without that volunteer’s written permission to do so. We do list volunteers who have completed assignments for us, along with the city where they reside on a page on our web site. We are happy to remove any or all of this information for a particular volunteer per that person’s request.
Anti-Virus Software
The nature of online volunteering means a lot of contact between computers – e-mails, attachments, transfers of files, etc. Because of this interaction, volunteers and organizations can be at risk for transmitting computer viruses between each other. All online volunteers should have anti-virus software installed on any computer they use in conjunction with the Virtual Volunteering Project, and we expect you to update this software regularly. Likewise, the Virtual Volunteering Project as anti-virus software on its computer systems, and updates this software regularly. Computer virus protection for your own computer is your responsibility.
Ending Your Rule As a Volunteer
You can cease volunteering with the Project upon the completion of any volunteer assignment, or when you are not currently engaged in an assignment. You may stay subscribed to the e-mail lists as long as you wish, regardless of your volunteering status with the Virtual Volunteering Project. Unsubscribing to the VVProjectVols list, however, means you are no longer volunteering with our Project; if you unsubscribe, please send the Virtual Volunteer Project Manager an e-mail to let us know that you will no longer be volunteering with us and why.
Dismissal of a Volunteer
Volunteers who do not adhere to the rules and procedures of the agency or who fail to satisfactorily perform their volunteer assignment are subject to dismissal. No volunteer will be terminated until the volunteer has had an opportunity to discuss the reasons for possible dismissal with supervisory staff. Possible grounds for dismissal may include, but are not limited to, the following: gross misconduct or insubordination, theft of property or misuse of agency materials, abuse or mistreatment of clients, staff or other volunteers, failure to abide by agency policies and procedures, and failure to satisfactorily perform assigned duties.