The Current
definition of volunteering is outdated because it excludes large numbers of
volunteers around the nation who do not fit into the current one.
I have had
the privilege and honor of managing volunteer programs for the past 18 years
and have done so in both not for profit and private organizations. So I believe
I can speak with a certain knowledge of how volunteering works on many levels
in various settings. I am passionate about volunteering and effective Volunteer
Management and fear that if the definition of volunteering remains as it is
that we will have too many tiers of volunteering. Of course I understand the
fears too that volunteers could be “used” by privately owned organizations and
not used appropriately or to save staffing costs. This is where effective
Volunteer Management comes into place.
I believe
that not only do we need a broader and clearer definition of volunteering but
we need some type of accreditation body that can set standards for all
organizations that engage volunteers. This would be similar to the current
national standards but could go one step further in giving marks of approval to
organizations meeting these standards.
I am in favor of the definition being along
the lines of those in the UK, Canada and the United Nations.
The “Compact Code of
Good Practice on volunteering” (2008) cited at www.volunteering.org.uk contains a short definition of
volunteering as:
“an
activity that involves spending time, unpaid, doing something that aims to
benefit the environment or individuals or groups other than (or in addition to)
close relatives…and includes
formal activity undertaken through public, private and voluntary organisations
as well as informal community participation and campaigning.”
I have
written more about the topic on this blog.
