Volunteering undervalued?

Recently I’ve been thinking about how I describe the Volunteer work I do to others. I mainly use the word ‘unpaid’ instead of the word ‘volunteer’. My reasoning is that the minute I describe the work I do as Voluntary people seem to view it less favourably than my paid work.

I would be interested to know your thoughts on the following:

• I s Volunteering undervalued?
• If the Voluntary sector put greater emphasis on the more skilled work their Volunteers did would this help?
• Do we need to make the image of Volunteer work more professional? What would this mean? Pros and Cons? Would this increase the value society places on Voluntary work?
• Do we need to view and hear more stories about the work Volunteers do e.g. in newspapers, on the web, in magazines? Would this change perceptions of ideas about what Volunteers do and how the Volunteers themselves perceive their work? 
• If Voluntary work was held in higher esteem by society what would this mean for the sector? Would Volunteers be easier to attract?
• Is there a particular stigma or perception about board/committee work? Is this partly why these positions are difficult to fill?

I look forward to some great discussion on this topic.

Cindy

Heritage Volunteers

Nicky Lee, Volunteer Manager at ChristChurch Cathedral, was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to visit England and look at volunteer management in heritage tourism sites especially cathedrals.

  Nicky found:

 

-         Heritage sites usually do not advertise for volunteers, often relying on existing volunteers to recruit new ones

-         Volunteers were usually selected by one person, not always a paid staff member

-         Most places required a police clearance

-         Some had agreements to be signed. One cathedral had a 30 page policy for the volunteer to sign, and it appeared that this could be seen as a way of dissuading older volunteers

-         Most favoured a buddy system for training, with new volunteers shadowing existing workers

-         The National Trust has comprehensive generic induction training material and a well developed manual of policies and procedures for the management of their volunteers

-         Verbal training was usual to supplement written material as heritage sites tend to be very “visual”

-         Some cathedrals run courses in the winter off-season to maintain volunteers’ interest and skills and to train new volunteers

-         Many cathedrals had a progression of positions available to volunteers

-         Length of service recognition was sometimes seen to be difficult as older volunteers were reluctant to retire before they reached a ‘recognition’ anniversary

-         One place visited offered twice yearly bus trips for volunteers as a way of recognising their gift of time

-         Good rest facilities for volunteers in their workplace and the quality of biscuits for their tea breaks were important (National Trust excelled here!) and was a reminder about recognising volunteers and the work they do

 

Some concerns were:

-         Long-term volunteers can mean that the “face” of the cathedral is an elderly one

-         Safety – in the absence of ACC, public liability insurance for over 80 year olds who are volunteers becomes an issue in the UK

-         Many of the environments inside cathedrals and mansions are potentially hazardous (low level lighting, worn steps, uneven floor surfaces, furniture) which is particularly significant when volunteers are elderly

-         Child visitors – legal issues regarding the responsibility and protection of children in the U.K. are a major part of the planning needed for visits of children to heritage sites and can influence programmes offered

 

Other observations:

-         Volunteers usually stayed for a full day, due to travelling time from their homes to workplace.

-         A higher ratio of paid staff to volunteers than in N.Z.  We rely more on volunteers to be with visitors (In U.K. they have paid staff in the Cathedrals to welcome visitors as well as volunteers)

-         Winchester Cathedral had no co-ordinator in place, leaving rostering to the various groups of volunteers who have historically managed themselves

-         Some places were reluctant to involve volunteers in handling cash, especially to collect entrance charges (which visitors may resent), but also working in Cathedral shops

-         Management understanding of the ethos of the cathedral may differ from that of the volunteers (e.g. commercial interests needed to support the cathedral financially versus spiritual ethos)

-         No difficulty attracting volunteers in most places – sigh…

                                                                             Ruth G

Are Volunteers Giving Up Control?

Volunteering Canterbury advocates that organisations ensure volunteers are offered the opportunity to influence organisational policy and direction.  This is often most easily achieved through an incorporated structure.  Generally (though not always) policy decisions in Incorporated Societies are made by the members at a general meeting.  In Charitable Trusts decisions tend to be made by the trust board members.

 

Recent research* shows “a strong trend, particularly in Auckland, of a move away from the collective towards corporate governance.  This was highlighted by the trend away from incorporated societies and towards charitable trust status.  Auckland boards and CEOs tended to be professional and university educated, while Christchurch Not-for-profits had a more community development focus, including more volunteers.” 

 

“The (Auckland) trend away from incorporated societies and towards trust status is due to difficulties in gaining quorums at AGMs and ensuring that elected board members have the necessary skills and commitments necessary to fulfil the requirements of a modern governance board.”

 

Why don’t people come to AGM’s?  Is it because the meetings are boring?  Or are people afraid they may be coerced into taking a role they don’t really want? 

 

Why is it apparently so hard for organisations to get Board members?  There is a trend for those considering voluntary roles to seek shorter term assignments.  It seems to be harder to find people who will take on roles of responsibility.  Some see such roles as carrying risks, but those risks may be more perceived than real.  Are we offering opportunities that suit today’s busy lifestyles?  Is there another way to attract good Board members, and/or to ensure that volunteers have the opportunity to influence the direction of their organisations?              

                                                                          Ruth G.

 

*From “Governance of Not-for-profit Organisations in Auckland and Christchurch”, 2008, by David Haigh, Lecturer, Unitec, Auckland.

Volunteer Angels

The Breeze radio station in Canterbury each week features the Angel Network where a special volunteer is selected to receive a bunch of flowers.  If you’d like to nominate someone send an e-mail to Braydon Priest (bpriest@radioworks.co.nz) with the volunteer’s name and phone number and a brief description of what they’ve done.  You need to add your own phone number and be prepared to speak briefly on air about the volunteer.  This is pre-recorded, so you don’t have the pressure of being live on air.
Ruth G

Volunteers turned off

Do you want good keen volunteers to work in your organisation?  Do you give them the courtesy of a friendly interview after they’ve approached you?  It’s hard for volunteers if they’re not shown this respect, and are left to fend for themselves in an unknown situation.  We have been disappointed to have potential volunteers report to us that their reception by a member organisation has been less than positive.  Please help us to make volunteering a great experience for everyone.               Ruth G.

Raising Volunteer Awareness

Jo Smith, Volunteer Co-ordinator at the Methodist Archives, organised a chocolate treat, with a special Volunteer Awareness Week wrapper for volunteers at the Archives and other staff at the Methodist Church Administration Division.  The chocolates were mini Mars Bars (because volunteers are ‘out of this world’), and provided an opportunity for all staff to talk about the different kinds of voluntary work they do.    Ruth G.

Employee Volunteering-Observations from the front line

Employee Volunteering is the key way businesses have relationships with voluntary organisations, and Volunteer Centres play an important role in facilitating Employee Volunteering projects.  These are some of the findings of research recently completed by Dr Louise Lee from Massey University.  Other interesting facts are:

• Most employees prefer volunteering roles unrelated to their professional skills
• Overall the choice of volunteering activity tended to be driven by the needs of employees and the business rather than the receiving voluntary organisation
• The major barriers to greater staff involvement were: pressures and nature of work, lack of line managers’ buy-in, and inadequate information sharing
• Key challenges for measuring programmes included the lack of defined or measurable programme objectives, lack of time, and limited knowledge of suitable measurement practices.
• Effective employee volunteering programmes call for both business and voluntary organisations to develop the knowledge, skills, attributes and resources to meet the demands of cross-sector collaboration

The full report is available to download from the Papers page of our website.
                             Ruth G.

Supporting Volunteers from non-English speaking backgrounds

Lesley Markham from PEETO the Multicultural Learning Centre discussed this topic with the Volunteer Co-ordinators’ Network. 

Reasons why migrants may want to volunteer are:
 Values-based – service, giving back
 To feel part of the community – wanting to be New Zealanders
 Social needs  – meeting people from other ethnic groups
 To share expertise and gain knowledge

While these reasons may be the same as for English-speaking volunteers, those from non-English speaking backgrounds may be very apprehensive about taking such steps and will require ongoing training and support.

Retaining these volunteers will depend on your keeping an open mind and being aware of different values systems.  This can be an opportunity for everyone to learn about working alongside someone from a different culture.  Things to remember are:
 Check language proficiency at the beginning – ask open questions to ensure understanding (some people may say yes rather than admit they don’t understand).
 Talk at a moderate pace, not too loud, and avoid using jargon or colloquialisms.
 Be very specific about tasks to be done and provide written role descriptions and information, including frequently asked questions, in plain English, that they can take away and read.
 Ensure they have one key person to report to, whom they can phone if they have problems.
 Remember the volunteer’s name and pronounce it correctly.
 Be flexible, allowing for personal circumstances and cultural demands.
 Some cultures have different concepts regarding volunteering, and these volunteers may be dealing with people in their own culture who wonder why they are working without payment.
 Encourage, provide regular evaluation and opportunities for feedback.  Do this quietly and discreetly.
 Have a review process after initial training where they can tell you how things are going and what could make it better.
 Acknowledge their culture, take time to find out about their lives and background, and share yours.
 Some cultures expect authority and formality rather than equality and informality, and volunteers may prefer explicit direction.
 There may be different cultural attitudes towards gender, perhaps a reluctance to take instruction from a female Co-ordinator.
 Volunteers may prefer to work in a communal way, as part of a team.
 Show that you appreciate them.
 Above all, listen to what they say!

Volunteering Canterbury recommends “New to New Zealand – A Guide to Ethnic Groups” by Daphne Bell, published by Reed Books 2005, RRP $25.  This is an invaluable resource for anyone working with people from different ethnicities.  We find that volunteers from non-English speaking backgrounds are highly motivated and committed to their voluntary work.
                             Ruth G.

Recruiting and Supporting Male Volunteers

This topic was discussed with Donald Pettitt of the Canterbury Men’s Centre at an all female meeting of the Volunteer Co-ordinators’ Network.
We noted that men are educated and socialised to earn money and be providers, which means that undertaking voluntary work comes less naturally to them than to women.
In general, male volunteers:
 Are hugely resourceful
 Prefer one-off events to a long term commitment
 May not recognise their own social isolation
 Will often stand rather than sit

To enhance our recruitment and support of male volunteers we need to:
 Create a male-friendly environment
 Ensure our name is inclusive, and not off-putting
 Offer active physical tasks, such as sporting activities
 Give clear brief instructions (brevity is a sign of respect)
 Have a good structure with plenty of opportunities for debriefing
 Avoid trying to match men with traditional female roles
 Ensure there are other men around to provide male support
 Beware of a tendency for them to over commit themselves
 Take care with the language we use, e.g. talk about ‘sharing actions with others’ rather than ‘building relationships’
 Watch that they stay ‘on track’
 Give them one task at a time
 Feed them
 Remember that a male perspective helps bring balance to our organisations
 Make sure they’re informed about the whole range of the organisation’s operations – they may well volunteer for further tasks.
                     Ruth G.

21st Century Volunteering – Beyond the Stereotypes

At this workshop led by Martin J Cowling, we considered the different generations of volunteers, how they are represented within our organisations, and how best to recruit, manage, and reward each generation.  While the descriptions below are generalizations, workshop participants of all generations agreed that they were accurate.

Silent Generation  (aged 64+)

• started or expanded most of our voluntary organisations
• 60% of the volunteers in social services
• read newspapers and listen to the radio
• prefer systems with structure (e.g. accurate minute-taking)
• seek appreciation of their experience
• like consistency, courtesy, and respect
• will be loyal to an organisation