I am going to conduct my own private Volunteer Management advocacy email campaign for the week. Lets see how powerful internet advocacy can be
Tonight I will send 5 emails and keep you updated on how I am going
1.To Pro Bono Australia
Here’s what they do according to their site
What we do...
"We publish news and information, both online and in print, about the community sector. We have a news media service, with our journalists providing extensive coverage focusing on issues which impact the community sector.
We also publish the Australian Directory of Not for Profit Organisations, a Guide to Giving which has assisted charities with fundraising and gathering support for over 20 years. On our website, Not for Profit organisations can advertise for employees or skilled volunteers, as well as find events and specialist community sector suppliers.
We encourage discussion on issues, and keep people informed through our regular email bulletins."
And here’s the email I sent them…
"Greetings. It was pointed out to me today that "Volunteer Management" was not a category in your Jobs section on this site. As Volunteer Management is an important and professional sector in our society I believe it deserves a category here on its own. It would also assist those looking for job opportunities within our sector. I look forward to hearing back from you re this feedback.
Kind regards”
2.To the European Year of the Volunteer Alliance website
What they do: EYV 2011 Alliance Website, the main portal for volunteer-involving organisations and volunteers throughout Europe to share and inform on issues relating to EYV 2011.
This website complements the EYV 2011 webpage on the Europa Portal managed by the European Commission www.europa.eu/volunteering.
And here’s the email I sent them…
“Greetings and congratulations on this momentous year for volunteering in Europe.
Some will say “It’s not about Volunteer Management it’s about volunteering”. If so, they miss my point and it is this:
Wherever volunteering is discussed Volunteer management needs to be on the agenda. It exists. Its important and in many organisations it’s the difference between an effective volunteer program and one that is disorganized and unappealing.
I am hopeful that there will be a focus on our profession during this year. Can you advise what that might be? I look forward to your response so that I may share on my blog.”
Good luck with the years events.
Many thanks"
3.To the professional body for Volunteer Managers in Australia – AAVA
Email addressed to the board of AAVA through their website:
"As an AAVA member I would like to express the following concerns and pose the following questions. I am sharing these questions on my blog site and look forward to your response so that I may share with readers.
•I am concerned that AAVA is not responding to the issues of the day in volunteer management
•As a member of AAVA I worry that members will leave as we receive very little correspondence
•What is AAVA doing to promote our sector and assist volunteer managers and coordinators ?
•Why isn’t AAVA participating in online Volunteer management forums, volunteer management journals or providing information on professional development
•Why is AAVA not engaged in the narrative of Volunteer Management?
•Will AAVA respond the latest Hot Topic by Susan J Ellis on Energize?
4.To IBM
Service Jam Whitepaper released this week
On 10-12, 2010 over 15,000 individuals from 119 countries registered to
participate in what was called "Service Jam", which brought together a global mix of perspectives to discuss, debate and discover the possibilities of new solutions to long-standing societal challenges.
Leaders from many sectors united to drive conversations on not only what is
happening today, but also how we might improve service tomorrow. IBM, in
collaboration with key partners, has published a white paper to summarize key findings and highlight creative ideas generated by Service Jam .
On Volunteer Management it stated:
"IBM will create and package solutions that leverage the company’s project management methodologies to help nonprofits prepare to receive volunteers, and corporations to offer them. The solution will be offered by IBMers around the world.
Like the Service Jam itself, each of these efforts will be conducted in the spirit of open collaboration. And each will be designed to deliver on the promise of the Jam; to provide better service to the people who need it."
Heres the communication I sent to IBM via Stanley S. Litow President, IBM International Foundation
“Dear Stanley. I encouraged many volunteer managers globally to participate in this service jam. I am hoping that your findings and solutions on Volunteer management will be a consultative process. Volunteer Management is already an established profession. Can you inform me how you will build relationships with, support and consult the Volunteer Management profession globally before offering solutions by IBMers around the world? My readers on my blog would love to hear from you on that matter. “
5.And my final email of the week goes to Kang-Hyun Lee, President IAVE
“Congratulations on the recent success of the IAVE conference in Singapore. As an advocate for effective volunteer management I am wondering what your thoughts would be on the possibility of having a one day international conference on volunteer management tagged to the IAVE conference in the future. Effective volunteering programs and effective Volunteer Management must be linked. The emerging profession of volunteer management should also be acknowledged globally. I am sharing this query with my blog and would love to hear an opinion that I can share with readers interested in our field."
Well. Let’s see what happens.
Action and words.
Watch this space
I have done something in response to your blog post!
ReplyDeleteHello DJ, my name is Diane Melley and I am a director of corporate citizenship at IBM. I wanted to weigh in on your post regarding IBM's Service Jam. Like the Service Jam itself, any offering that IBM develops will be done in a collaborative nature with external subject matter experts. We're not doing anything in a vacuum. For example, we recently invested with the Points of Light Institute to create service leader training that IBMers will use as they commemorate IBM's centennial with a global program of volunteerism (ibm.com/ibm100/us/en/service). We are just beginning to develop plans to create a Volunteer Management offering that leverages IBM's project management methodologies to help nonprofits prepare to receive volunteers, and corporations to offer them. We will make sure that relevant parties, such as yourself, are consulted as we proceed. You can read more about Service Jam in this recent opinion piece on the Huffington Post: http://huff.to/i4JMz9. Please contact me at dmelley@us.ibm.com if you'd like to discuss further.
ReplyDeleteI recieved this via email
ReplyDeleteDear Diarmuid Cronin,
I am writing from the EYV 2011 Alliance Secretariat, an informal Alliance of 35 European Networks active in volunteering. Each of the 35 European networks have members in Europe and beyond: http://www.eyv2011.eu/about-the-alliance
You may be interested in our Resource library with 9 themes: http://www.eyv2011.eu/resources-library
Quality of Volunteering, Recognition of Volunteering, Legal Framework for Volunteers, Volunteering Infrastructure, Employee Volunteering, Value of Volunteering, National Research, European Research, Global Research, General.
You will see that we also have a resource tag on "volunteering management" where you can find a number of best practices on volunteering management available for download.
Best wishes,
Céline Barlet
There is NO successful volunteer program without a successful volunteer manager
ReplyDeleteThanks Martin. Did it have any effect?
ReplyDeleteHi Diane
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for taking the time to reply to my blog. I am delighted that you have taken the opportunity to inform more people in the Volunteer Management community about matters such as IBMs work with Points of Light and your future plans. IBMs passion on Volunteerism is clearly evident and it is encouraging that you are reaching out and willing to listen to those who lead and manage volunteering effort. Too often, Diane, the sector of Volunteer Management is left out of the planning stage. This I believe has a negative effect on outcomes. There are many of us in this sector eager to assist and lead the way in providing more effective, enduring and innovative volunteer management solutions. I encourage you to explore the sector further by visiting the sites and blogs linked to my page. The willingness of IBM to consult with our sector is to be commended.
Dear Céline,
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for your response to my blog. Thank you for pointing us to this site and some information on Volunteer Management. I appreciate that you must be very busy with European Year of the Volunteer activity and I look forward to seeing how the year develops. I look forward to reading the resources on your site and will link to my own site.
Thank you for your comments verity.
ReplyDeleteEmail I received today
ReplyDelete“Thanks for your complement on the 21st IAVE World Volunteer Conference at Singapore.
Indeed, IAVE recognizes the importance of effective volunteer management and always had a tract for it in our conferences although
the name might not the same as you put it.
As I consider myself a volunteer manager or administrator, I have promoted the importance as much as possible. I also embraced the offer
to put a banner on IVMD in the IAVE website.
The 13th IAVE Asia-Pacific regional conference to be held at Changwon Korea will also have it on the program. I wish many Australian
Volunteer Management Advocators participate in the conference and renew the importance of it.
Kang-Hyun Lee, Ph.D.
World President of IAVE