Your thoughts on Volunteering or Volunteer Management!

Happy New Year to all who read this blog around the world. One of my many resolutions is to get to know more people globally that are involved in Volunteerism and Volunteer Management. I’d like to start that process by inviting you to write about your experience. Maybe you have never written before? Maybe you have an inspiring story to tell? Maybe you would like to kick start a debate? Maybe you want to share stories about volunteers in your organizations or a story about your volunteering? Maybe you want to share an inspiring poem you wrote?

Why not share your writing on a blog that has had close on 250,000 page views with the most popular blogs receiving between 25,000 to close on 29,000 reads?

I am happy to volunteer my time to help you review and edit or just hear your suggestions first and help you turn it into an inspiring blog post. Nothing will be published until you are entirely satisfied. It doesn’t matter what experience you have or if you’ve never written before. Because I believe that if it is written from the heart then the story will take care of itself! J

Please get in contact with me by emailing acim4me@live.com

And don’t forget to like my FB page on Volunteering

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Volunteering/1459337747677886?ref=hl 

Thanks for reading

DJ 

Follow me on Twitter: @thedjcronin

Why volunteer management requires specific skills

I came across some great writing on Volunteer management today thanks to a twitter prompt from Rob Jackson from Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd

Skills - Third Sector is an organisation based in the UK that helps to make sure that charities and social enterprises have the right people with the right skills to make a difference to people and their communities.
They believe that a thriving voluntary sector is crucial to building stronger communities and delivering good quality services.

Here’s some of what they say about Volunteer management in a position statement released on May 31st this year

“Skills – Third Sector champions the skills of volunteer management. From our research and experience we know that the nature of volunteering means that people who manage volunteers require specialist skills – skills that are distinct from those needed to manage paid staff. By skills we mean the knowledge, understanding and experience that someone needs to do their job well.”

I like this language on Volunteer management. They go on to say – “Managing volunteers is a skilled job that is different from managing paid staff. While the role has more in common with other management roles at a senior or strategic level, at the day to day level there are a number of important differences.”

They go on to list some of these and then talk about Evidence for specialist volunteer management skills

“Research on Valuing Volunteer Management Skills carried out by the Institute for Volunteering Research identified: “several differences between managing volunteers and staff including differences in terms of motivation, recruitment methods, attendance at meetings, taking holidays, boundaries between paid and volunteer roles and the need to deal with mental and physical decline as volunteers got older.”

The volunteer managers interviewed felt strongly that: “There was a need for volunteer management to be seen as a more clearly defined profession.”

Nodding your head? Are we not hearing this globally for some time now?


One of their conclusions states that “Not understanding the different skills needed to manage volunteers and how they differ from managing paid staff, can lead to poor quality services for the people who use the services and poor volunteering experiences for volunteers”

I felt that this was simply a well articulates position paper and something that should be adopted by professional associations for volunteer management firstly and secondly embraced by all bodies and associations involved in volunteerism.

A call for action as well as a wake up call.

At the very least please publish these types of articles and position papers on your websites.

To read the full article just click on this posts title.

Volunteer Week, Volunteer Management and Mr Belser

I haven’t blogged for awhile. This time I will utilise the most common Volunteer Management excuse – I have just been too busy.

This week has been National Volunteer Week in Australia (NVW ) . And for me personally it’s probably been the best in a long time. So now that it’s over I can pen a few words about my experience and impressions of the week. Personal musings as it were and I hope you can share yours too.

I need not preface this blog by saying Volunteers Week is all about the volunteers…and not volunteer management. Because both are interlinked.
Although peak bodies for volunteering do much to promote these weeks, which are celebrated at different times throughout the globe by the way, I belive that the volunteer management sector have a huge role in ensuring that these weeks are successful. Now what makes a NVW successful you may ask? Recognition of volunteers? An understanding of volunteerism? More recruitment? Just thank you? All of the above?

Sue Hine in her latest blog writes a salient piece on the marketing of volunteering and it is well worth a read. Check it out through the link on this site.

On the ground and at the coal face Volunteer managers and coordinators should be ensuring that volunteers feel valued. And during this week we put in a lot of effort through recognition, promotional and thanksgiving events. All of which must be planned for and organised. Because it is at an organisational level that volunteers should feel valued. We can sing and dance about volunteering all week until the cows come home, and get plaudits from Prime ministers and Presidents but unless this is occurring at a local level then the message and purpose gets lost for volunteers.
Another reason why peak bodies for volunteering should engage more with the volunteer management sector no? It’s just common sense to me. Some are getting it though.

I attended the One Big GLOBAL Thank You run by Volunteering Queensland on Tuesday. It was such a great event where volunteers through modern technology were able to share their inspiring stories via the web. So we had volunteers from flood affected areas in Queensland connected to volunteers from the earthquake affected Christchurch in New Zealand get together online and talk.

It was very emotional and groundbreaking stuff

Another item that really pleased me was the fact that Jelenko Dragisic, CEO of Volunteering Queensland in his inspiring speech mentioned volunteer Management and the need to support VM in the future through educational pathways such as their Cert 4 in volunteer coordination.

Finally a CEO who was linking volunteering and volunteer management. Yes the week was all about the volunteers. But the acknowledgment that volunteer managers and coordinators make a significant difference in our sectors was refreshing.

Volunteering Queensland is doing some amazing things – you only need to search out their website.Is there a possibility of them being a global leader on how volunteering peak bodies should interact with the volunteer management sector?

On a personal level it was an emotional week for volunteers I believe in Queensland. I heard people speak of the enormous contribution of volunteers during the floods. Such as the guy who owns Drift restaurant in Brisbane. Readers around the globe may recall an image from the Queensland floods of a riverside restaurant being swept away and floating down the river. This week the owner spoke of the hundreds of volunteers who turned up to help the next day. He was touched. We all were. and by the thousands who got up one morning and headed out in our community to assist.

This week I was fortunate enough to hear Fral Streit from Volunteering Queensland talk about her memories of that week. Where thousands of volunteers self mobilized. During her talk she was moved. Everyone listening to her were too.

There was an emotive touch to proceedings to volunteer recognition events in Queensland this year I believe. And in many other places too.
And although I wasn’t personally affected by natural disaster I felt that emotion.

It was probably reflected in my own address to volunteers this year. I spoke about time and the here and now. I spoke about how we often get distracted and worried about a future that is yet to come and a past that will never return. I spoke about the gifts that we miss in the here and now. The present. And how we sometimes forget to acknowledge what happens now. The gifts that people give. The gift of time. In essence the extraordinary act of volunteering. And then I spoke of Mr. Belser. The author of this piece is unknown. It resonated with me and I hope it resonates with some of you too. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.


It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, girls, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.

Over the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday."

Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.

"Jack, did you hear me?"

"Oh sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It's been so long since I thought of him. I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago," Jack said.

"Well, he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him he'd ask how you were doing. He'd reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his side of the fence' as he put it," Mom told him.

"I loved that old house he lived in," Jack said.

"You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man's influence in your life," she said.

"He's the one who taught me carpentry," he said. "I wouldn't be in this business if it weren't for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important... Mom, I'll be there for the funeral," Jack said.

As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser's funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.

The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time.

Standing in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing over into another dimension, a leap through space and time.

The house was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture... Jack stopped suddenly.

"What's wrong, Jack?" his Mom asked.

"The box is gone," he said.

"What box?" Mom asked.

"There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever tell me was 'the thing I value most,'" Jack said.

It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.

"Now I'll never know what was so valuable to him," Jack said. "I better get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom."

It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died. Returning home from work one day Jack discovered a note in his mailbox. "Signature required on a package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within the next three days," the note read.

Early the next day Jack retrieved the package. The small box was old and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago. The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention.

"Mr. Harold Belser" it read.

Jack took the box out to his car and ripped open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack's hands shook as he read the note inside.

"Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It's the thing I valued most in my life." A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, as tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch.

Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover. Inside he found these words engraved:

"Jack, Thanks for your time! -Harold Belser."

"The thing he valued most...was...my time."

Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and cleared his appointments for the next two days. "Why?" Janet, his assistant asked.

"I need some time to spend with my son," he said. "Oh, by the way, Janet... thanks for your time!"

A Thank you speech to volunteers without mention of the words “thank you!”

Giving time is a precious thing. What you do matters. There is nothing that you do that is meaningless. Words like “you are so lovely” may be true in some cases but your contribution is far more than this. Words such as “what you do is so nice” while on some level ringing true does today not truly capture the essence of what volunteering is all about.

Applying to you are words such as skilled, dynamic, innovative, diverse, inspiring, contributing, making a difference, important, leading and part of the team.

Add appreciated, valued and respected. And knowing the difference between any lip service during National Volunteer week and true appreciation demonstrated in a myriad of ways throughout the year.

Knowing why you are here. Understanding your motivation. Embracing whatever motivation brings you here from altruism to seeking experience or seeking to gain something for yourself.

Matching your skills and personality to meaningful tasks. Inviting and welcoming your feedback and suggestions. And listening.

And telling your story.

And being proud of your efforts.

Because volunteering is a great story, a powerful movement as well as an invigorating energy for our globe and you are part of that.

It’s good news week....every week

Today I met a guy who volunteers one day a week at a school tuck shop.He inspired me.

A few days ago I gave a talk to over 70 volunteer managers and coordinators in Adelaide. I left the venue having met some really inspiring people.

I spent a day at the Lyell McEwin hospital and was amazed at their inspiring volunteer services staff and volunteers. I spent an hour on my own wandering around having a look at their volunteers in action. I had a wonderful conversation with a volunteer at their café. They were friendly, generous with their time and…I say it again…inspiring.

I suggest if you work in this field visiting a place where there are volunteers and from a distance observing the work of volunteers. Hospitals can be a good place to do this. Watch the friendly faces meet and greet, direct, ease concerns, and add the human touch.

It’s a humbling experience especially if you remove your hat of Volunteer manager. Because at the end of the day, beyond the processes, beyond the PDs, systems and paperwork here are the people. Volunteering.

Today thousands upon thousands of people volunteered their time in your country. Tomorrow thousands more will do the same.

But you won’t read about this in your local paper.

The world lately seems to be getting a battering. Natural disasters seem more prevalent. There are uprisings and wars. Many national economies are basically stuffed. And we see this daily in our news bulletins and in our papers.

Even our politics, in my opinion, seem to be getting a little nasty. Harsher word are being employed. We can do better.

There are even those who are talking of end days and 2012 in apocalyptic ways.

And despite the gloom and doom our media portrays, people will wake up in the morning and volunteer some time.

Volunteer counselors will listen to people. Volunteer firefighters will put out fires. Volunteers in hospitals will bring comfort to patients. Volunteer lifeguards will save lives. Volunteers will raise funds for medical research. Volunteers will work to save our environment. Volunteers will work in schools and clubs and better the lives of our children. And much much more.

Why?

It’s human nature.

Volunteering may be taken for granted by some. It may be misunderstood by others. And it is generally not reported on by mainstream media.

Could it be that good news in no news?

No matter, volunteering will happen tomorrow and beyond. Volunteering is one of the most inspiring stories of human kind and I am lucky to count myself as a participant in volunteerism.

"Life isn't as serious as the mind makes it out to be."
— Eckhart Tolle

Volunteer Management: Be careful what you wish for!

Have been watching the Energize Hot Topic with interest this month. Link to the site is on the right hand side of this page. I always encourage readers of this blog to have a look at the Hot Topics both on Energize and the OzVPM sites. For Volunteer Management to move forward we need to engage with these hot topics. By engaging, I mean more than just reading. When I was President of AAVA some years back I used to constantly encourage the board to respond to Hot Topics. I believed then as I believe now that Professional Associations for Volunteer managers should be taking every opportunity to respond to issues of the day.

Anyway, back to the Energize Hot topic. In this months topic Susan J Ellis explores some of the issues of vocabulary and labelling, pointing out that how someone defines the core word of our field often has strong impact on some critical, practical matters.

It was in fact a couple of responses to this Hot Topic that got me in turn responding. I simply had to respond to the people who gave their opinion on what a “True Volunteer” was.

I have come across in the last 12 months some people within our sector talking about “True Volunteering” and “Pure Volunteering”. Some have a view that volunteering should be solely altruistic. Some say there should be absolutely no tangible benefit to the volunteer themselves. I once came across an organisation that wouldn’t take on job seekers as volunteers simply because they would up and go as soon as they got a job! Some people hold the view that if you volunteer for selfish reasons it not volunteering in its truest essence! Humbug!

I worry when people judge the motivation of people who volunteer. Ask their motivation by all means. Plan your program accordingly. Use people’s motivations for research and study but judge it? Please no!

If someone comes to your organisation and they want to volunteer their time simply to have volunteering on their resume or to utilise volunteering as a stepping stone into paid employment do you have a problem with this? I don’t.

Do you see a volunteer as “less true” if they aren’t volunteering for altruistic reasons? I don’t.

I believe that we get into risky territory when we begin to use the language of “True volunteer”. I know plenty of people volunteering who utilise the experience they get as a stepping stone into employment or further study. I see their motivation to be different to other people motivations and I certainly see them as true volunteers. I know people who volunteer to purely escape social isolation. Should we be ever suggesting that they are not ‘True Volunteers”? I know people who are volunteering to add to their resume. I know people who are volunteering for a myriad amount of reasons. To me they are all volunteers. And they are all doing volunteering that, at the end of the day, is of benefit to the community.

What dangerous road do we go down if we start judging peoples motivation for volunteering? Do we hold separate recognition events for our volunteers – one for the “True Volunteers” and the other for the…what do we call them then….the “false Volunteers?” Do we provide a special training course for Volunteer Managers to decipher the “trueness” of volunteer applicants?

This is serious. There is a lot of debate going on about the definitions of volunteering at the moment; on this site, on blogs, at the UN and at the level of peak bodies. I urge caution as we move forward. I ask who do we risk alienating when we come up with our concrete definitions. On what basis do we come up with definitions? Are they guided by tradition, personal viewpoints, religion or morals? Whose?

What about volunteers who are excluded because of concrete definitions. Currently the peak body for volunteering in Australia states that volunteering only exists in the Not for Profit sector. They state this as though it is a fact. It is not. Hundreds if not thousands of people volunteer for private nursing homes and hospitals for example. If ones concrete statements are philosophical beliefs then name them as such. Don’t mistake or confuse them with facts.

There are many people out there in our communities doing work that benefits the communities. They see themselves as volunteers. We have no right, absolutely none, to judge their motivation… period!

So let’s be more careful as we move to define something that is so fluid and open. Let’s be careful what we wish for lest we alienate volunteers in our communities.

International Volunteer Day December 2010

Volunteering:

Building community

Social capitol

Connecting people

Involving people

Sue Hine in her blog today (address on links) states “Volunteering is an expression of active citizenship, giving, and value to community wellbeing” and then goes on to state:

“Note it is a description, not a definition.”

I kept coming back to that one line today. “Note it is a description, not a definition.”

Why did it resonate so much? Perhaps we can only attempt to describe volunteering. Perhaps it is a fallacy to attempt to define it. Perhaps we cannot define something as ever changing and fluid as volunteering.

Happy International Volunteer Day to volunteers all around our globe!

Why Volunteer Management must be inspiring!

"Before you can inspire with emotion, you must be swamped with it yourself. Before you can move their tears, your own must flow. To convince them, you must yourself believe."
– Winston Churchill

Our capacity as Volunteer Managers to inspire is enormous. Like other facets of volunteer management that we ourselves seem to not recognise, inspiring people is one of the strongest traits I believe in effective and progressive Volunteer Management.

To look at this in real simplistic terms we first look at our programs and teams.

Sometimes the simplest yet amazing fact passes us by. We are people who manage and lead and coordinate people who are in our team for various reasons and motivations. They are not paid. Therefore to retain these people there must be a number of factors:

• The cause
• The motivation
• The leader

Three equally valid reasons for volunteer retention in my view. I know some can exist without the other. People volunteer for organisations and couldn’t give a hoot about the cause for the organisation because their motivation is based on some other factors. I know people who continue to volunteer for organisations even though their view of the volunteer management style is somewhat negative yet the cause of the organization sustains them. And perhaps there are those who are simply retained because they arrive at some place of satisfaction or self worth due to Volunteer management.

So taking the above paragraph aside for just a moment I want us to contemplate on the role of the inspiring Volunteer manager in retaining volunteers, in having an impact on the organisation they work for and having an impact on the field of volunteerism themselves. For this is the potential power of Volunteer Management.

Volunteer management is powerful. Not potentially so. It is.

Our profession within volunteerism is akin to a box of matches. It only takes a few strikes to light it up. Think IVMD. Think retreats for Volunteer Management. Think effective associations for Volunteer Managers. Think individual Volunteer Managers networking. Think people in our profession who not only write on our issues through blogs and articles but those who respond and engage in dialogue.

We fail too often to see the inspiring quality of our field. Do we miss the tree for the forest? Isn’t volunteering powerful? Isn’t volunteering inspiring?…..just think of the superlatives you can link to the word “volunteering”

Then think of the capacity for effective Volunteer Management to inspire!

Where am I heading ?. I am heading towards such simple formulas for Volunteer Management that I wonder why its existence isn’t so prevalent and it’s this.

Effective Volunteer Management = Effective volunteer programs

Inspiring volunteer leadership = inspiring volunteering stories

An organisations view of and value in effective Volunteer Management is directly proportional to its view of and value in its volunteers!

The last one is a vital formula for our sector!

The word “effective” is there for a reason. Poor Volunteer Management can effectively ruin volunteerism within an organisation.

I will come back to “effective” Volunteer Management another day. And what I think that might mean.

Volunteering is inspiring. It is powerful. It is dynamic. It is simply awesome. No ifs and no buts. If organisations are privileged to have volunteers then they must realise this too!

It is your responsibility however to inspire and educate up on Volunteer Management within your own organisation.

How are you doing this? Let us know. How do you inspire others as a leader?

"Leadership is not magnetic personality, that can just as well be a glib tongue. It is not "making friends and influencing people", that is flattery. Leadership is lifting a person's vision to higher sights, the raising of a person's performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations."

- Peter F. Drucker

New South Wales Volunteer Awards

Hi to Kristin Romanis who is NSW Volunteer of the Year Award Manager. Kristin is doing a great job promoting this award in the state of New South Wales in Australia and has asked me to post some information about it on my blog. I am happy to oblige!

The NSW Volunteer of the Year Award program recognises and celebrates the enormous contribution of the 2.4 million volunteers in NSW to community life, and this year the Award is proudly supported by Westpac. NSW Minister for Volunteering, the Hon. Peter Primrose, is Patron of the Award.
The Award is an initiative of The Centre for Volunteering, the peak body for volunteering NSW. Now in its fourth year, this is the state-wide Award program recognising and thanking the 2.4 million volunteers in NSW, who generously give more than 235 million work hours each year in NSW, contributing an extraordinary $5 billion to the State’s economy.

There are three major categories of award:
• 2010 NSW Volunteer of the Year Award

• 2010 NSW Youth Volunteer of the Year Award (Judges Choice Award)

• 2010 NSW Youth Volunteer of the Year Award (Judges Choice Award)

• 2010 NSW Volunteer Team of the Year Award

• 2010 NSW Employee (Corporate) Volunteer of the Year Award
•
“The week in-week out contributions that volunteers make stretch from aged care, education and child welfare and counselling, through to emergency callout, event control to running sports, guiding young people clubs, environmental care and animal protection. There’s hardly an area of life which is not helped by volunteering,” said Lynne Dalton, CEO, The Centre for Volunteering.

The 2010 NSW Volunteer of the Year Award program is run at a Regional and State level – with 19 regions throughout NSW and eight of them in Sydney. The Regional Youth, Senior and Volunteer Team winners will be announced in Ceremonies in the Award’s 19 regions from mid-October to mid-November. Regional winners will then be entered for the title of 2010 NSW Volunteer of the Year to be presented on Friday, 3 December at Parliament House in Sydney, to coincide with International Volunteer Day on 5 December.

Ms Dalton is calling upon the whole of NSW to come together to support volunteers and the Award. “Together we can celebrate the wonderful work of these young volunteers who do so much to make a difference in the lives of others and the overall spirit of the community.”

Nominations close on Thursday, 30 September 2010.

To nominate people for the Award and for more information visit: http://www.nswvolunteerawards.com/

The Volunteer Management Sector Tipping Point

According to Malcolm Gladwell the tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend or social behavior crosses an invisible threshold and spreads like wildfire.

How do we as a Volunteer Management Sector get our new ideas and changes to be contagious and tip?

Gladwell also talks about the 20-60-20 change principle. In explaining this I will apply it to our sector.

The 20-60-20 principle states that generally the following occurs with people in organisations who are going through the change process.

20% will take the new idea on board and be willing to try change

60% will sit on the fence at the beginning of the change process

20% will be cynical about change and will only come on board with the new initiative when the critical mass (I.e. the above 80%) has moved forward.

I believe we have similar figures when it comes to new ideas and thought for Volunteer Management and the Volunteerism sector as a whole. I’ve met the change champions and the supporters, have seen the “wait and see” crowd and the fence sitters and have had reactions from the negative resistant saboteurs!

All of course when applied to certain ideas or suggested changes for our sector including

To educate up – no! To really educate up!

To really educate people of influence about our roles – Our managers, Our Boards, Our CEOs, Our MPs, Senators, Our Peak bodies on Volunteering, Other Management and leadership sectors. To really do this. To stop just talking this.

To get rid of our big buts

Our bad habit of not progressing by telling ourselves big Big But stories – “But the boss never listens – But I am just a volunteer coordinator – But Ive tried this before – But I don’t think we are a sector – But it’s the volunteers that matter not us – But ….but…but….but….

To Demand fair pay for Managers of Volunteer Services, Department and Programs

To Demand Adequate Resources for same

To recognise that volunteering comes in many forms and is shifting from some old paradigms

To have the ability to adapt to real change in volunteering trends and to not bury our heads in the sand about such change

To recognise the trends ourselves and to recognise that experienced Volunteer managers can be the experts in trending!

For Volunteerism to truly embrace our Volunteer Management Sector

To move out of our echo chambers and embrace concepts of leadership from outside our sector

To seek wisdom from other sectors and to likewise share ours

To Make International Volunteer Managers Day an United Nations Recognised Day

Some of the changes our sector need. Some we are working towards.

20% will take the new ideas on board and be willing to try change

60% will sit on the fence at the beginning of the change process

20% will be cynical about change and will only come on board with the new initiative when the critical mass (I.e. the above 80%) has moved forward.

Where are you now?

Without accepting the fact that everything changes, we cannot find perfect composure. But unfortunately, although it is true, it is difficult for us to accept it. Because we cannot accept the truth of transience, we suffer. ~Shunryu Suzuki

Change is inevitable - except from a vending machine. ~Robert C. Gallagher

The only difference between a rut and a grave is their dimensions. ~Ellen Glasgow

The man who never alters his opinion is like standing water, and breeds reptiles of the mind. ~William Blake

If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies. ~Author Unknown

Volunteering is changing – we’ve known this for awhile. If Volunteer Management and the volunteerism sector stays still, as I suspect they are doing, we will be so far behind wondering what that spot in the distance is…not realizing that it is, in fact, moving away from us. That spot is volunteering. It’s time to change…if only to keep up! – DJ Cronin

Election Thoughts (3) Volunteer Management and Politics

One of the few policies in regards with anything to do with volunteering came from one of the political parties in the last week of campaigning.

From an article by Probono Australia

“Volunteering Australia says any plan to set up a volunteer scheme to allow university students to offset some of their HECS debt needs much more work.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott announced that the coalition would initiate a pilot scheme if elected to Government, in response to a question during the Forum at the Broncos Leagues Club in Brisbane held last night.
Abbott told the audience that students who volunteered would receive $10 per hour, which would come off their tertiary study HECS debt.

The Labor Government also flagged a similar scheme in January 2010 based on an idea from the 2020 Summit.

Today the Liberal Party released more details about the scheme saying it will encourage the development of Australia’s next generation of community volunteers with a $7 million pilot volunteering program to be known as AUSCORPS.

Under the pilot program, up to 1,000 university students per year will be eligible to receive a $10 credit against their HECS debt for each hour of volunteer work they undertake, up to a maximum 200 hours or $2,000 per year.

Volunteering Australia CEO Cary Pedicini says he has concerns about the implementation of such a scheme and whether it addresses the ethical issues that challenged the traditional definition of volunteering…….and……” it is the view of Volunteering Australia that the initiative as it has been articulated does not fit with the accepted definition of volunteering and as such Volunteering Australia does not recommend that a proposed scheme be considered as volunteering.

However it said Volunteering Australia believes that the initiative could be reframed as a “community investment” scheme”

Comments on the pro bono website have varied

“But there are many University students already volunteering their time without financial compensation, for these people, this plan would be beneficial, as they are volunteering for the right reasons”

“My husband and I are both mature age university students and we both spend significant amount of time volunteering for various local organisations. We do this because we want to help, not for any personal gain. We don't have money to give so we give our time to help others who need it more than ourselves. This scheme would be an excellent way to assist us and would be an appreciated thanks for our work”

“Why can’t this be just one of many benefits of volunteering? I don’t understand Volunteering Australia’s resistance to this and their arguments don’t stack up. They talk about definitions of volunteering. Whose? Theirs?...... Their own policies are inconsistent. For example: VA has a problem with this yet embraces corporate volunteering?”

“Please, let's call it what it is, perhaps 'Student Community Work' and leave the term 'volunteer' unsullied.”

“Perhaps it is time we re-defined what volunteering actually is in the 21st century rather than holding on to 1980's volunteering romantic stereotypes?”

The DJ View?

Interesting stuff. I didn’t see much reaction from the Volunteer Management community. Mind you the policy was announced late in the campaign. Still, the volunteer management community should have responded. Why?

Maybe some Volunteer Managers disagree with such an initiative. That is fine. But guess what? If implemented and if implemented under a title of “student community work” guess who will be managing the Student Community workers in organisations? HR Managers? Fundraising Managers? Corporate Service managers? Or will organisations find the funds to create student Community Work Coordinators? What do you think Volunteering Australia?

Where’s the synergy between some key stakeholders in volunteerism here?…all peak bodies have a say in this including peak bodies for VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT as well as Volunteering.

Election Thoughts (1)

Australians have just voted in their general election and it looks like we will have a hung parliament and that whoever forms Government will rely on a few independents.

Voting in Australia is compulsory. Just out of interest I wonder what Volunteer Managers or those with an interest in volunteerism think of this.

Should voting be voluntary? In every nation? Take our poll

Where will Volunteer Management sit in the future?

“The last few decades have belonged to a certain kind of person with a certain kind of mind - computer programmers who could crank code, MBAs who could crunch numbers. But the keys to the kingdom are changing hands. The future belongs to a very different kind of person with a very different kind of mind - creators and empathizers, pattern recognizers, and meaning makers"

From Daniel H. Pink, the author of the bestselling A Whole New Mind.

He goes on to say:

These people – artists, inventors, designers, storytellers, caregivers, consolers, big picture thinkers – will now reap society’s richest rewards and share its greatest joys.”


Does this future resonate with Volunteer Managers? Are we not creators and meaning makers and can we argue that we at least facilitate these movements?

Dan pink in another book “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us,” says that “The secret to high performance and satisfaction—at work, at school, and at home—is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world.”


To me, leaders in business are catching on to what we in Volunteer Management have known for years!

We’ve seen it in corporate volunteering. We’ve seen it in the motivations for people volunteering. The Volunteer Manager who is astute and sees the emerging trends is right on top of this stuff and is harnessing it to the benefit of their programs and organisations.

We’ve been talking about what motivates volunteers for quite some time.

But amongst ourselves.

We need to share ourselves more with other sectors and community and society at large. We also need to, as a profession, keep up with what other leaders in other fields are talking about.

We can no longer stay out of the loop. We can no longer afford to stay so specialized as to miss the boat in studies on human movement and motivation.

We are involved in people management of a dynamic and unique kind. We must acknowledge that to move forward.

Otherwise we don’t take part in the leadership dialogue. Otherwise we are just seen to be “looking after” a certain section of society – The Volunteers.

Volunteerism will thrive in the future. It may look different. The purists who disagree will be left behind. As will the current volunteer management sector if they fail to grasp new and innovative concepts, and adapt their language and thinking to the way volunteering looks in the future.

Which is what?

Perhaps
• Corporate volunteering widespread
• Episodic volunteering a given
• Virtual volunteering common place
• Volunteering existing outside traditional paradigms
• Proliferation of Time banks
• Altruistic volunteering remaining but now amongst a myriad of reasons for volunteering
• Political investment in the facilitation of the volunteer movement
• Volunteer management expertise in demand
• Cross cultural volunteering to promote tolerance and peace
• The beginning of the shift from the carrot and stick model of achieving betterment in society
• The extinguishing of motivation for societal transformation for monetary gain only
• The Star Trek Society. Everyone’s a Volunteer!

Well I quite got carried away there and could almost taste Utopia!
Nevertheless dreams must be given birth to somewhere!

Can we at least keep an eye on what kind of thinking is developing in other people management sectors and abandon our fears of being associated with “people management” or leadership” or dare I say it “Management”?

Do we need to change our thinking on Volunteer Management? What are the consequences of not changing?

“Most crawling reptilians, the most earthbound of all creatures, have remained unchanged for millions of years. Some however, grew feathers and wings and turned into birds, thus defying the force of gravity that had held them for so long. They didn’t become better at crawling or walking, but transcended crawling and walking entirely!” – Eckhart Tolle

In my links section please check out “The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us,” It’s just over 10 minutes long. So when you have the time, check it out (on the right hand side of the page). Let us know what you think.

Let me encorage too the futurist in you. What do you think Volunteerism and Volunteer Management will look like in 2030?

Bring us to the plenary.

Volunteerism Gazette

Volunteer Manager Speaks at main plenary at National Conference

Our reporter Don J Volau reports from Asaba on a remarkable event that took place at the Asaba national Conference on volunteering

For the first time in its history the National Conference on Volunteering in the Republic of Asaba invited a Volunteer Manager to speak at its main plenary.

500 delegates heard volunteer manager Noah Rekonition bemoan the fact that his speech was a first. Reaction to the speech was mixed. One delegate who wished to remain anonymous stated that “it was full of self importance! – volunteers should get recognition , not managers!”. Others praised the speech including Cyril Underpayd who has been managing volunteers for 7 years “ I just enjoyed hearing Volunteer management mentioned!”

Organisers of the conference were unavailable for comment.

The following is an edited transcript of the speech (part 1)

Speech to National Conference – Bring us to the plenary.

Good morning

I am of course delighted to be asked to be one of the main speakers for the main plenary sessions for this National Conference on volunteering.

This moment is highly significant. Not because I, the individual, have been asked to address you today. No, it’s because a Volunteer manager has been invited to speak today.

And those of you who have been around volunteer management for some time now will understand this significance. Especially those of you with more than just a passing interest in the advancement of the volunteer management profession.


Before I go any further I want to focus very briefly on an important point. I am employed to manage volunteer programs. I call myself a volunteer manager. I will refer to volunteer management throughout this speech. I do acknowledge that some people here will have problems with this language.


I ask that we put semantics aside for now. For this speech when I say volunteer manager I am referring coordinators, managers of volunteers, administrators and directors.


I want to quickly move beyond that hurdle. That hurdle that we incidentally created ourselves within volunteerism.


But back to the significance of having a volunteer manager speak today.

For too long the voice of volunteer managers has been too quiet. For too long, the voice of volunteer management has been ignored. For too long the important role that volunteer managers play in volunteerism has been neglected.


The frightening part is that this has been generally speaking the case within volunteerism circles itself. Not just society or community in general.


Frightening? Is this too strong a word? I’ll say it again - The frightening part is that this lack of acceptance and recognition has, generally speaking, been the case within volunteerism circles itself.

It is frightening to those who see volunteer management as a profession.

As I do.

It is frightening to those who see volunteer management as a career.

As I do.

It is frightening to those who see the intrinsic link between volunteering and volunteer management.


Historically our National conferences on volunteering have focused on volunteers. They have focused on new trends in volunteering. They have focused on strategies to increase volunteering. They have talked about volunteer motivation, volunteer recognition, social capitol, building community etc. they have explored academic research in volunteering and have had main presenters and speakers from Government, the Corporate world, Community organisations, CEOs, founders of companies, academics, professors, Company directors, politicians, celebrities etc. Which is all well and good.

But until today, there has been no Volunteer manager speaking at the main plenary at a national conference about the vital role that is Volunteer management. About the profession that is Volunteer management. About the career that is Volunteer management.

But something has been happening outside of these plenary sessions. Especially in more recent times. Volunteer managers are getting together and speaking out on volunteer management. More managers are putting in papers and workshops for these conferences. More and more volunteer managers are looking at their careers as a profession!

There may be more like me out there who have attended national Conference on volunteering, maybe presented a paper or a workshop, and indeed like me may have gotten something out of the experience. But there may be some volunteer managers out there in the audience who like me have decided to count the number of times volunteer management has been mentioned at the main plenary sessions and have come away disappointed. The mentions could be counted on one hand - sometimes one finger.


I have wondered – “don’t we matter?

I have asked myself “if we can’t have our profession acknowledged within volunteerism itself what hope do we have in getting volunteer management better support and resources at the agencies wherein we work?”

I mean really – is that not a fair question?


But we do support volunteer management comes the cry from volunteerism.


To many degrees yes I will answer but Volunteer Management needs to be on the main page as well. Volunteer Management must be part of the main plenary at every conference on volunteering.

It needs to be on your agenda more.

When volunteerism consults with other sectors and government do they do so with the advice and wisdom of volunteer management incorporated in there somewhere?

It is in the interest of volunteerism that Volunteer management be supported!

It is in the interest of volunteerism that professional associations for volunteer management are given more say, a bigger voice onthe future of volunteerism!

It is in the interest of volunteerism that peak bodies give more credence to the voice that is volunteer management!

It is time that all the parts that make up volunteerism come together for the advancement of volunteering itself. It is time that we recognize each other’s important role.

We must pull together and not apart.

Volunteerism must be all inclusive.

It belongs to no one!

Volunteer managers have a lot to say. They are at the coalface after all each day. They have a lot to contribute.

Being here today, Saying this today Is significant.

As a volunteer manager. It sends a message to Volunteer managers everywhere.

And at least if you are sitting out there counting how many times volunteer management is mentioned at the plenary of a National Conference you have for the first time run out of fingers.

And that can only be a good thing.

So here we are. At long last. And what is it that Volunteer Management has to say? According to this Volunteer Manager.

It is simply this….

To be continued…………………….

Copyright Volunteerism Gazette 2010

Why Volunteer Management must respond to Volunteer Rights Inquiry In England

To me, being a professional in our sector involves keeping abreast of what is happening in the world of volunteering. Its important that we know what is happening in volunteerism globally. Why? Because something that may be happening on the other side of the world may someday have an impact on what is happening in your part of the world volunteerism wise.

Take episodic volunteering as a case in point. When was this trend first spotted and in what country. 10 years ago I had not heard of this. Today it has the biggest impact on where I work and in how I manage my volunteer program. I don’t have the hard evidence at hand to say where the trend first emerged but if it was say Australia, then professional volunteer managers in the USA would or should have taken notice and the reverse applies. Whether it was Switzerland, Singapore or New Zealand, such happenings should be noted and studied and prepared for before becoming a trend in our global village.

I have been watching for quite some time the lead up to a volunteer rights enquiry in England. Ive been fascinated by the need for such an event to take place. I remember a few years back there was talk of forming a union for volunteers in Australia!

Instead of editorializing too much on the interim report in England I feel it is important for volunteer management to take a close look at this and come to their own conclusions on what is a very complex issue.

www.volunteering.org.uk/volunteerrightsinquiry

I have read the interim report and what stares me in the face is the fact that there is a real and urgent need to have good volunteer management in place to address many of the issues. I feel the report doesn’t highlight this strongly enough. Read the report yourself and you may agree with me that it presents an ideal opportunity for our sector to argue the case for effective and good volunteer management and management with strong ethics as well as an advocacy role for volunteers.

I am sorry, but volunteer management to me should no longer be “Sheila from accounts looking after the vollies” or a two day a week position “looking after 300 lovely volunteers”.

So if volunteer management is scrutinized in this report I ask is it Effective Volunteer management.

Is it professional volunteer management?

Is it best practice volunteer management?

I look forward to the full report due out before year’s end. I commend Volunteer England for their groundbreaking efforts.

Because this is something that needs to be studied by every volunteer manager, consultant, trainer and professional association around the globe. What can our sector learn from this? What strategies can we implement to prepare for or indeed prevent such an occurrence in our own nations? Or because of precedence do we need similar inquiry’s worldwide?

As a profession we need to have an ear to the ground. We need to have a global eye.

The flap of a butterfly's wings in Central Park could ultimately cause an earthquake in China. So say the proponents of chaos theory, who use 'the butterfly effect' to describe how simple and apparently straightforward processes can combine and set in motion a chain of events with far-reaching and unpredictable consequences.

Whether or not you concur with chaos theory I would wager a bet that the ripples of this enquiry will flow globally.

It’s important that Volunteer Management articulate a response. I assume and hope that the Association of Volunteer Management in the UK speedily comes up with some response and reaction. It would be a forward looking move if other associations around the globe could comment and develop position statements on this.

Failure to do so will demonstrate inertia. Simple as that. The reason why we need to talk out are demonstrated in the following article published by Third Sector Online in the UK

It is my view that they have sensationalized the story a little and cherry picked by placing volunteer management at the heart of the ‘shocking story”


Interim results of Volunteer Rights Inquiry reveal 'shocking stories'

By Kaye Wiggins, Third Sector Online, 8 July 2010

'Numerous' volunteers have reported grievances, including verbal abuse and sexual harassment The standard of volunteer management in charities is low, according to an interim report by the Volunteer Rights Inquiry, the panel set up by Volunteering England to examine the treatment of volunteers.

The report, published yesterday, says that during three evidence-gathering sessions and as part of an online consultation, "numerous" volunteers had reported verbal abuse and sexual harassment.

It says people giving evidence recounted "shocking stories of bad management, poor governance, bullying and improper behaviour" and cites intimidation and sexual harassment as examples.

"Despite the preponderance of codes of practice and guides on managing volunteers, standards remained low, especially in the voluntary sector," the report says.

"Clearly, organisations need to become better at preventing and resolving problems internally."

The report also raises the idea of a volunteer complaints commissioner or a volunteering ombudsman whose role would be to settle disputes.
"Overwhelmingly, volunteers expressed the need for an independent means of obtaining redress when things go wrong," the report says. "Deep commitment to the cause constrains volunteers from wanting to engage in whistleblowing or make external complaints."

A Volunteering England spokeswoman stressed that the organisation was not advocating the establishment of a complaints commissioner, but said it was outlining it as one possible solution.

She said the inquiry would publish more detailed recommendations in November.

http://thirdsector.co.uk/Channels/Volunteering/Article/1014899/Interim-results-Volunteer-Rights-Inquiry-reveal-shocking-stories/

Volunteer Management : Can the struggle within be keeping us without?

In a recent post on i-volunteer.org I wrote “Can they (Volunteer Managers) not aspire to take those extra steps in leadership? Are they not allowed? Is career advancement a dirty concept for volunteer management?” I was responding to another post critical about my ideas for leadership in our sector.

And then something’s struck me today. Nah, too mild. Certain thoughts slammed into me today and left me reeling.

“Volunteer management can’t be allowed to advance too much because this will cost money. And though we like to argue that volunteering doesn’t come for free the intrinsic core belief associated with volunteers are that they are unpaid and as such the very idea of having a profession engaging them is anathema to a certain philosophy itself.

I get it now. And it’s an important lesson for those in volunteer management who consider their profession a sector and it is an even more important lesson for those in National associations for volunteer management.

The crew is not with you by any measure or fashion!

It’s all about volunteering and its association of no cost. Those of us who have been pushing the barrel for years that volunteering does not come for free are winning minor battles but losing the war.

For it’s a civil war as such.

A response to an article I had on i-volunteer sums it up

“Leadership breakfasts? Innovative concepts in management? Look, it's all very well having volunteer managers high up in the organisational hierarchy keeping themselves busy going to networking lunches and issuing buzzword-laden policies and strategies to demonstrate how innovative they're being. But the reality is that in any Third Sector organisation it's the staff actually on the ground doing the actual real work of fundraising/service provision who are the ones who are truly managing volunteers on a day-to-day basis.”

I can disagree with the author of the above but I have to praise the same author for articulating precisely the opposition I have encountered within the sector to growing volunteer management, to getting volunteer management recognised as a sector and to having parity of pay in terms of management positions etc.

Such a pattern is emerging that I can no longer discount this feeling I get. And it is this: the biggest barriers we face in the advancement of our sector are being put up by ourselves. Not just that but there may be a significant amount of people who feel that they are not barriers to begin with but merely checkpoints and stop signs along the way.

STOP! There is no such thing as a profession of volunteer management!

This risks professionalizing volunteering – the greatest of juxtapositions!

HALT! WHO GOES THERE? If you have been fighting over your titles for many years now no one can take you seriously and nor should they. Volunteer Manager: Manager of volunteers. Coordinator. Director. And our favorite – administrator of volunteers! LOL

STOP! International Volunteer Management Day? Are you serious?

Volunteers are the ones who deserve recognition and praise. The whole concept of this day gives us an “icky” feeling”. We were able to make you get rid of International Volunteer Manager Recognition Day. Your other title will fade way soon too. After all you take away from International Volunteer Day. You will confuse the media re both days re lessen the impact of the message on volunteerism.

HALT! WHO GOES THERE? Consultants who present on volunteer management or write on the topic and who might make a buck doing so?
How dare they make money on the backs of volunteering? We are seeing through you. We will ignore you at our major conferences and we won’t consult with you while the evil dollar sign is brandished on your forehead!

STOP! An award for excellence in volunteer management?

How dare you? Awards are for the "vollies" not you! It is a privilege to work with the volunteers – it makes us cringe that you self promote your own position!

HALT! WHO GOES THERE? Who are you to challenge definitions of volunteering enshrined in our id!


All this from within and all the above real life experiences.

I was encouraged a few years ago by a conference on volunteering with a theme along the lines of “ride the new wave of volunteering”

Yea right. Many have fallen off the surfboard since. The same old waves keep ebbing away and no ones ridin' 'em in my view!

You won’t hear this kinda talk in many circles of volunteerism because too many people are minding their Ps and Qs for all sorts of political reasons.

Awhile back I wrote an article titled “Asleep at the wheel” for e-volunteerism

My thought process has since been re routed. It’s not about who is asleep at the wheel anymore in our sector – it’s all about who is at the wheel.

And right now it’s not me and my ilk. Nevertheless I am there in the backseat talking away. If they manage to lock me in the boot you will still here me tapping away.

For we will never give up!

Why this blog. Why do I rant as I do?

My reasons are simple:

I once worked as a volunteer coordinator where I was unrecognized and our volunteer service was unresourced.

I worked hard. I love volunteer management. Anyone though that says it is easy is not in volunteer management!

I came to the conclusion that volunteers provided a very important service

I came to the conclusion that the organisations could and should value the team more

Could value me more

And I fought to get that recognition

And I succeeded.

But I met others

In the same boat.

Who have met me over the years.

Who have rang me.

Who have spoken to me privately.


Underpaid.

Undervalued.

Under resourced.

Under pressure.


What gives?


Because it is volunteerism it is ok?

Because it is within community services it is acceptable?


“If I were in it for the money I wouldn’t be in it at all – I only do this for the love of the job” “If they stopped paying me tomorrow I would still do it”


That’s the other side to contend with.

Real people doing real jobs leading real movement facilitating real change.

The Volunteer Manager

Judge how an organisation sees its volunteers by how it sees its volunteer manager!

That’s my simple “value equation” and I am sticking by it!

DJ

GUEST POST: not a whisper, not a note, not a jot of a reference to managers of volunteers!

Sue Hine, Independent Advocate, Wellington, New Zealand

I can be a very rude and cynical person, and the following press release brings out the worst in me. Please tell me where I have got it wrong in my response ….

http://www.i-volunteer.org.uk/newshound/coalition-government-confirm-plans-for-social-action-and-volunteering/

Coalition government confirm plans for social action and volunteering
23rd May at 17:27

The full programme for the coalition government has been now been published. Described by David Cameron and Nick Clegg as ''historic'' here's what's been pledged in relation to social action and volunteering.
'The Government believes that the innovation and enthusiasm of civil society is essential in tackling the social, economic and political challenges that the UK faces today. We will take action to support and encourage social responsibility, volunteering and philanthropy, and make it easier for people to come together to improve their communities and help one another.

1. We will support the creation and expansion of mutuals, co-operatives, charities and social enterprises, and enable these groups to have much greater involvement in the running of public services.

2. We will give public sector workers a new right to form employee-owned co-operatives and bid to take over the services they deliver. This will empower millions of public sector workers to become their own boss and help them to deliver better services.

3. We will train a new generation of community organisers and support the creation of neighbourhood groups across the UK, especially in the most deprived areas.

4. We will take a range of measures to encourage charitable giving and philanthropy.

5. We will introduce National Citizen Service. The initial flagship project will provide a programme for 16 year olds to give them a chance to develop the skills needed to be active and responsible citizens, mix with people from different backgrounds, and start getting involved in their communities.

6. We will use funds from dormant bank accounts to establish a 'Big Society Bank', which will provide new finance for neighbourhood groups, charities, social enterprises and other non-governmental bodies.

7. We will take a range of measures to encourage volunteering and involvement in social action, including launching a national day to celebrate and encourage social action, and make regular community service an element of civil service staff appraisals.


Before you swallow all this as fine and wonderful, a brave new world in which all your long-lost prayers for volunteerism, your NGO services, your best practice management of volunteers will be answered, consider the renegade’s views:


• Yaaaa….w…n…. Enthusiasm for civil society is a bit of re-cycling from a couple of decades ago. Ditto ‘social responsibility’. What I know is that people coming together to improve their communities and to help one another takes one heck of a lot more than good intentions and a government policy.


• Hello! Devolution of power from public servants? Community organisers, Neighbourhood groups? In another age we would have called this anarchy – only now anarchy has become a political instruction for social action.

• Community organisers were the most despised and rejected of men and women in the 60s and 70s for their activism in ‘community development’. I am suspicious of the rehabilitation of this term.

• Maybe there will be some tax breaks for philanthropic disbursements. But I bet there will be a lot more boundaries put on the charity $, who it goes to and for what purposes.

• Get them while they’re young. That’s the story. Rub their faces in what it means to be a responsible citizen, being multi-cultural, and force them to get involved in their communities. A National Citizen Service is not going anywhere.

• A Big Society Bank? Let’s do a raid and see just how much funds they will release for my really good community project.

• [Pause, for scribe to stop laughing.] I’m sorry, I have been laughing out loud at the image of public service bureaucrats compelled to undertake regular community service. The least the government can do is ensure such efforts are not confused with the Justice system and community sentencing….[further giggles, sote voce]

OK – my comments are directed at the plotting of the UK government, a newly elected Conservative/Liberal coalition. The really astute among you will notice (and I hope it hits you in the face) there is not a whisper, not a note, not a jot of a reference to managers of volunteers, the sine qua non of achieving the government’s aims and intentions.

So where is the voice for managing volunteers, and how can we make it heard?



Sue Hine began volunteering a very long time ago. Sue has been engaged with community organisations for more than 40 years, as a trainer, facilitator and clinical supervisor, and a volunteer in all sorts of roles. Her direct experience of managing volunteers is brief by some standards, just 6 years. But it was volunteering that taught Sue most about management, what worked and what didn’t, what made her feel valued and how a poorly run organisation did Sue and their client group a big disservice. Now Sue has become re-tyred, freed from alignment to any organisation, and free to tell you what she thinks and to float ideas that might get you thinking.

WHY ENERGIZE HOT TOPIC REALLY MATTERS TO VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT

In my view Susan J Ellis more often than not provides a wonderful take on issues pertaining to volunteerism on her Hot Topic column on her Energize website. I have found myself looking forward to the start of each month so that I can read the months topic and I have replied often. I encourage you to have a look at this months topic. Though the matter is a little US specific it truly effects us all in Volunteer Management wherever we reside in the globe.

http://www.energizeinc.com/hot/2010/10jun.html

I reprint my reply to the hot topic on this blog.

I encourage you to reply on Susans website. Lets get loud folks and send a message! Say that DJ sent you! :-)

Because...

I believe that it matters

here was my response

Dear Susan

My reply to your post veers away from your final 3 questions and focuses more on what you call the blazing red warning lights.

Though very much an American specific issue this time it does offer volunteer management sectors in any part of the globe a glimpse at what can occur when the field is not consulted.

My hypothesis is that the field is not truly consulted on such issues because people don’t realise or believe that such a field exists! It gets harder when people within the field itself can’t see or believe that such a field exists! A weak and toothless volunteer management sector exhibits many symptoms. The issue that you attempt to get to the heart of here is but one. I would love to hear your views sometime in the future why your nation is still struggling to form an effective national professional association.

Furthermore you say that one reason that volunteer management is not at the Reimagining Service table is that the VM field is largely invisible at the national decision-making, political level. The one worded question I keep coming back to is “why?”

Rather than perpetuate a victimhood state of affairs why can’t we more seriously analyze our current invisibility in a real and mature fashion. Since I’ve been beating the same drum for awhile I’ve been reminded that good things are happening. But not enough in my humble opinion. So even though the muscles are getting weary I vow not to stop beating this drum ‘till someone listens. And someone is listening when Reimagining Service is consulting our sector, when VMs realise that we are a sector, when Government consult with us, when National associations for volunteering realise we are part of the picture, when volunteer management becomes a key topic at National conferences on volunteering, when the press approach us for views pertaining to volunteerism, when our professional associations have high membership and are able to fund staff to take their associations to the next level. When we are rightly significant on a national level!

To paraphrase Shakespeare – something is rotten in the state of volunteer management.

Individually, volunteer managers are doing great things. I know this.

Collectively we are also achieving some wonderful things.

But on national scales we don’t seem to matter. And when decisions are made at national levels then it does impact on us. It’s like Government saying that they plan to increase volunteering levels by 50% but don’t consult with the VM field about it.

“Sure – we’ll campaign to get another million registered volunteers but we won’t look at ensuring the resources are there to enable and facilitate such growth”……”volunteers have managers???”…”who knew?”

I hope you won’t mind that I’ve repeated this on my blog and expand on the matter. Thank you for giving me the food for thought.

PS – I am assuming that you didn’t receive a reply from President Obama to your open letter? Perhaps I have missed it on your site?

Warm regards

DJ Cronin

A site connecting volunteers, charities and volunteer managers

A few months ago I stumbled across what in my opinion is a great site called i-volunteer

http://www.i-volunteer.org.uk



i-volunteer aims to enable people with passion for their community to connect with, learn from, inspire and support each other in what they are trying to do. The idea was originated by Jamie Thomas and the team at social enterprise Red Foundation, and was subsequently informed by research undertaken through the Modernising Volunteering programme.

This showed that some volunteers and workers were reluctant to use generic social networks as they struggled to get their voices heard in a crowded community and were concerned about mixing personal and volunteer related networking. Our research, which consulted over a 1,000 people, found a large appetite for a bespoke network for volunteering that not only enabled volunteers to get together but which also brought those that work with volunteers together in the same space too.

Red Foundation decided to support a pilot and donated funds and other resources to create the site which launched on International Volunteer Day, 5th December 2009.

What I love about this site is the up to date news – the contributions from members and the forum space created to encapsulate varying views from various people within the volunteerism spectrum.

I also like how the website is laid out and user friendly. I noted in a recent posting I made to the site “However I am noting that its reach seems to be going beyond the UK with members in Australia, New Zealand and the US for starters!!!
Room for I-volunteer.org.global???? “

To which Jamie Thomas replied

“We thought it best to start off in the UK and then see if there is a demand for overseas - which given you're here shows there might be”

Though a UK site, many of its features have a universal flavor.

I have argued many times before that the issues we face as a volunteer management sector and the trends we see in volunteering are very often similar across the globe.

Watch this site develop! I think they are on to something great!

Volunteer Management – A Simple manifesto

I am a volunteer manager
I am a leader of people
I am a facilitator of change in society
I harness a movement that is not compelled by financial gain
I am a friend
I am a counselor
I am an advocate
I am an activist
I am an organizer

I am a volunteer manager
I am a volunteer coordinator
I am a volunteer practitioner
I am a volunteer director
I am a volunteer administrator
I am moving beyond titles
I am moving beyond assumptions
I am moving past ignorance
Because…I know…what I am

I am a witness
I have seen people grow
I have seen people change
I have seen people make new friends
I have seen people discover new paths
I have seen the weak grow strong
I have seen the meek grow confident
I have seen some lost find again
And only as a volunteer manager

I have been challenged
I have been unrecognized
I have been unappreciated
I have been pushed to the limit
I have been afraid to say “no”
I have been too kind and said “yes”
I have been very tired
I have been taken for granted
I have considered other careers

Yet I have been inspired
Yet I have been encouraged
Yet I have been appreciated
Yet I have been resourced and supported
Yet I have met angels
Yet I have met devils aspiring for sainthood!
Yet I have seen diversity
Yet I have seen real people
Yet I have lived “volunteers”

And this is why I stay
And this is what still moves me
The movement that is volunteerism
In turn moves me
And it’s an honour to be there
To be part of a movement
That goes beyond definitions
And this is why I am still proud to say
I am a volunteer manager

DJ Cronin