Shanti National Training Institute

Program Development

SNTI has worked effectively with a number of non-profit and governmental agencies to develop new or to build capacity in existing volunteer programs. Our involvement ranges from consulting during the planning phases then providing as-needed technical assistance as staff implements the program, to year-long projects in which SNTI works side-by-side with staff to develop and implement a volunteer program. SNTI also consults with organizations seeking to strengthen a particular aspect of their program, such as designing a more effective recruitment strategy or building staff's supervision skills.

Case Study

In a recent year-long project with a public health department in a large city, SNTI worked with senior managers, program managers, and volunteer managers to develop a centralized volunteer program. Previously the agency had several small volunteer programs residing independently in various departments. Recruitment, screening, training, and supervision were being done by each department without any coordination. It was the agency's goal to bring these functions together into a coherent, cost-effective centralized function. SNTI and staff developed an agency philosophy of volunteerism, a project plan, timeline, agency-wide volunteer program guidelines and policies; and recruitment, screening, and training procedures. SNTI presented a series of trainings to staff on volunteer management, conducted planning meetings, provided technical assistance with implementation, and designed and field-tested an organization-wide orientation. At the conclusion of the project SNTI produced a comprehensive volunteer program manual for staff.