Sample Text: Volunteer and Donation Management

  1. Introduction

Volunteer: Any individual accepted to perform services by the lead agency (which has authority to accept volunteer services) when the individual performs services without promise, expectation, or receipt of compensation for services performed. See 16 U.S.C. 742f(c) and 29 CFR 553.101

Source : NRF

  1. Purpose, Scope, Situations, and Assumptions
  2. Purpose
  3. Emergency Support Function (ESF)-<XX>: Donations and Volunteer Management provides guidance on the role in donations management in a public emergency and establishes a consistent framework for coordinating with volunteer organizations supporting a response. Any reference to donated goods and services in this annex means unsolicited goods and unaffiliated volunteer services. This plan does not affect the established procedures of voluntary agencies regarding their respective procedures for solicited goods and services. The procedures outlined are for the coordination, acceptance, control, receipt, storage, distribution, and disposal of donation management responsibilities.
  4. ESF-<XX> outlines a donations management program for <Jurisdiction>, which can be implemented for large-scale, high-visibility disasters, or for smaller-scale disasters, which may also generate a flow of unsolicited donated goods and volunteer services. It strives to adhere to the National Donations Management Strategy as outlined in the National Response Plan and its replacement the National Plan Framework[1].
  5. ESF-<XX> is the primary agency that strengthens and promotes volunteer activities through the application of three focus areas: partnerships, national service, and volunteerism. Volunteer programs include the Citizen Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve Homeland Security

Source: The District of Columbia’s Emergency Response Plan, updated December, 2005

  1. Scope
  2. This guidance applies to all agencies, organizations, and personnel with direct and indirect donations management responsibilities under the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP).

Source: The District of Columbia’s Emergency Response Plan, updated December, 2005

  1. Situations
  2. The donation management coordination program for <Jurisdiction> will be implemented once it is determined that the public emergency is of such magnitude or is receiving such high-media attention that donations management at the <Local Jurisdiction> level is needed.
  3. Assumptions
  4. Donations management response activities may be necessary before a public emergency declaration, and hence, require rapid coordination to mitigate potential donations problems in the response phase of disaster operations.
  5. In the event of a public emergency causing large-scale loss of life and destruction of property, donors will offer assistance of virtually any kind, including cash, goods, equipment and loan of equipment, and the services of individuals.
  6. Offers of assistance will be made directly to all levels of government (Federal and local) as well as to voluntary organizations.
  7. In less-than-large-scale or “high-visibility” public emergencies, donations management will be handled by voluntary organizations with or without Federal or local jurisdiction involvement.
  8. Certain key preparedness steps are critical for the successful implementation of this ESF. Those steps include the following:
  9. Train participating organizations.
  10. Conduct donations management exercises.
  11. Educate the public including the widespread dissemination of the Donations Management Brochure L-217 (English and Spanish versions).
  12. Conduct after action briefings on donations management operations.
  13. Lack of a management system for donated goods and volunteer services may easily result in further chaos and confusion in response and recovery operations. Unsolicited shipments of donated goods and large numbers of unaffiliated volunteers may interfere and impede critical disaster response and recovery operations.

Source: The District of Columbia’s Emergency Response Plan, updated December, 2005

  1. Concept of Operations
  2. Preparation
  3. Actions and activities that develop volunteers and donations response capabilities may include planning, training, orientation sessions, and exercises for ESF-<XX> personnel (i.e., county, regional and State) and other ESFs that will respond with ESF-<XX>. This involves the active participation of local inter-agency preparedness organizations, which collaborate in such activities on a regular basis. Local agencies will jointly address planning issues on an ongoing basis to identify response zones, potential staging areas, and specific requirements. Initiatives also include the following:
  4. Conduct planning with ESF-<XX> support agencies and other ESFs to refine volunteers and donations operations.
  5. Maintain and distribute as necessary a roster of agency contacts and support personnel.
  6. Conduct training and exercises for EOC and volunteers and donations response team members.
  7. Provide identification for all volunteers.
  8. Provide and maintain records (via individual agencies) of all volunteers.
  9. Advise the EMA of any ESF support required in the management of volunteers.
  10. Prepare and maintain emergency operating procedures, resource inventories, personnel rosters, and resource mobilization information necessary for implementation of the responsibilities of the lead agency.
  11. Ensure lead agency personnel are trained in their responsibilities and duties.
  12. Develop and present training courses for ESF-<XX> personnel, including coordination with ESF-7 (Resource Management) and Logistics.
  13. Conduct All-Hazards exercises involving ESF-<XX>.
  14. Mitigation
  15. Coordinate with the EMA to assist in the promotion of the benefits of individual, neighborhood, and community preparedness.
  16. Promote VOAD.
  17. Response
  18. Coordinate operations at the ESF-<XX> position in the EOC and/or at other locations as required.
  19. Establish and maintain a system to support on-scene direction and control and coordination with EOC, State EOC, or other coordination entities as appropriate.
  20. Monitor and direct volunteer and donations resources and response activities to include prepositioning for response/relocation due to the potential impacts of the emergency situation.
  21. Inventory, update, and maintain a database of offers of services, goods, and monetary donations.
  22. Participate in EOC briefings, development of Incident Action Plans (IAPs) and Situations Reports, and meetings.
  23. Coordinate all resources into the affected areas from designated staging areas.
  24. Ensure appropriate information intended for public distribution is made to Public Information (ESF-15) for dissemination throughout the media.
  25. Coordinate with the EMA for the prioritization of volunteer resources when there is a shortfall in volunteer resources available.
  26. Coordinate with support agencies to task and utilize volunteer resources.
  27. Coordinate with other ESFs and serve as an informational group on the availability and coordination of resources from volunteers and donations.
  28. Catalog and update local unmet needs and communicate those needs to Volunteers and Donations primary support staff.
  29. Coordinate with ESF-7 to identify staging areas for donations, given the location, scope, and magnitude of the event. (Donations strategy will replicate that of FEMA’s G288 Donations Management Workshop.)
  30. Coordinate with ESF-7 in identifying Volunteer Reception Centers.
  31. Recovery
  32. Recovery operations of ESF-<XX> will be a continuation of activity begun during the Response Phase and may continue beyond EOC activation period.
  33. Recovery Centers will be established to serve as reception centers for resources and to properly disburse goods and materials to the affected areas.
  34. Local staging areas will be established to facilitate disbursement of goods and services of the impacted areas. These staging areas might also serve as storage depots.
  35. Security in the area will be instructed to admit only volunteers with proper identification (i.e., a voluntary organization I.D.).
  36. Activity by organization/agencies involved with ESF-<XX> in recovery operation may continue even though recovery centers have closed.

Source: Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government Emergency Operations Plan, 2007/2008

  1. Organization and Assignment of Responsibilities
  1. STATE EM

When the disaster situation warrants, the Director will assign State EM staff to serve, along with volunteer non-profit agency representatives on a needs assessment team. The team will deploy to the affected area to determine the initial “needs list” for donated goods and to identify operating facilities to be used for donations management. Needs assessment is an ongoing process.

Upon implementation of the State Donations Plan, the Director will designate a State EM staff member as donations coordinator to assist the Donations Coordination Team in facilitating transactions concerning offers of cash, goods and services during the disaster operations.

The Governor may assign the Donation Coordinator and/or other State EM staff members the responsibility of reviewing applications, preparing a briefsummary for each application and submitting recommendations to the Donations Coordination Team.

  1. VOLUNTEER SERVICES
  2. State EM will encourage individuals interested in volunteering services to affiliate with a recognized private volunteer organization or other organized group of their choice to facilitate relief activities.
  3. Unaffiliated volunteers will be discouraged from going directly to any disaster site.
  4. State EM area Managers and local EM Directors may be asked to identify potential volunteers with specific technical skills.
  5. Certification and credentials will be required of some volunteers such as doctors, nurses and certain other specialist to ensure volunteers are qualified to provide the services they offer.
  6. State EM may identify a Volunteer Center, depending on the disaster needs and the number of offers to volunteer that is received.
  7. Volunteers will be advised they must be fully self-supporting for at least the first 72 hours.
  8. Organizations will be encouraged to provide volunteers with easily recognizable identification.
  9. Volunteer organizations involved in the disaster will request public volunteers, as needed, from the Donations Coordination Center.
  10. Requests from the disaster affected community for public volunteers will be made through the State Emergency Operation Center (EOC).

Source: Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government Emergency Operations Plan, 2007/2008

  1. Direction, Control, and Coordination

This donation plan and implementing procedures will be activated in the event of a catastrophic disaster or other significant disaster causing a major need for resources. The Director, State Division of Emergency Management, will determine when these resources will be implemented and will notify appropriate State EM personnel, local government officials and participating volunteer organizations prior to public notification.

Source: Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government Emergency Operations Plan, 2007/2008

  1. Disaster Intelligence

< > County Emergency Management Agency will provide EOC support, conduct briefings, direct needs assessments, distribute key information and serve as liaison to the State EOC for resource requests.

Disaster Intelligence: Information and analysis that describe the nature and scope of hazards and their impacts (social, physical, economic, health, environmental) that are key to rapid needs assessment and operational planning.

Source: Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government Emergency Operations Plan, 2007/2008

  1. Administration, Finance, and Logistics

Administrative support will be provided by other state agencies and volunteer organizations in implementing the Donations Plan. The Temporary personnel will be employed on an as needed basis.

Technical assistance is available from FEMA to provide guidance on:

  1. Establishing a Donations Coordination Team.
  2. Establishing a Donations Coordination Center.
  3. Processing offers.
  4. Evolving from response to recovery.
  5. Establishing donations hot line/phone bank.
  6. Developing Press Releases.

Source: Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government Emergency Operations Plan, 2007/2008

  1. Authorities and References.

State Division of Emergency Management

DHS Homeland Security Act (2002)

HSPD-5, Management of Domestic Incidents

HSPD-8, National Preparedness Goal

DHS National Incident Management System (2004)

DHS National Response Framework (2008)

Source: Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government Emergency Operations Plan, 2007/2008

[1]The National Response Framework has replaced the NRP and can be viewed online at