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

Benefits of Volunteers working at multiple agencies

Like many Volunteers I work for more than 1 agency. One of the exciting things about this is the cross pollination of ideas that occurs. Networks, training and ideas gathered in 1 area support the work done in others.

Soon I will be attending a work shop on event planning (as part of my Volunteer work at Volunteering Canterbury). The skills learnt in this workshop will be very useful for my other work at Living Streets (they help organise an annual walk to work event).

• How many Volunteers at your agency work in another?
• What do you know about the work they do in these other agencies?
• How might the experience they gather be shared better than it is now?
• What are the boundaries of what is appropriate for a Volunteer to share between agencies?  

 I would love to hear your thoughts.

Cindy Carmichael (Volunteer IT Angel at Volunteering Canterbury)

Towards Volunteering for the Future

The following are excerpts from a presentation given by Margaret Bell, past President of the International Association for Volunteer Effort, at 12th National Conference on Volunteering, Australia, September 2008. Reprinted with permission.

“The volunteer movement is at a crossroad. It can choose to maintain the status quo thus becoming an echo of its former self by promoting and encouraging little more than a benevolent model of volunteering which was urgently needed in the 19th and 20th centuries, or, it can accept the enormous challenges of the modern world by supporting new models of volunteering to a develop strong inclusive civil society. To do this there will be need to be the introduction of a radical transformation in education programmes for volunteer leaders and volunteers.” “For volunteers now we can emphasise “volunteering for social inclusion and change” as volunteers by the very nature of their work are in a unique place in society to insist on animosity free zones in which to carry out their tasks. “The volunteer movement is ideally placed to tackle today’s big questions and to pledge itself more than ever before to fight against bigotry, racism, violence, and hatred, all of which come out of exclusion. And to commit instead to the notion of social inclusion to fight the ills of poverty, ignorance, greed, waste, conflict and fear.” “Multi-identity volunteering is a vital act of engagement, demanding, sometimes uncertain, unrelenting and not always understood. “It is not for the faint hearted and is recognized by the following characteristics: • That whatever the task the first role of the volunteer is to build social inclusion where they work. To practise it personally and to demand it in the workplace. • Belief that volunteering in this pro-active way can make a difference. • A willingness to walk beside and not in front of or behind the other • Shows a desire to experience the situation of the other without imposing judgment • A willingness to tread a path never traversed before • An expectation that there is deep learning for both the volunteer and the other in this model • An understanding that the survival of the planet will have a lot to do with our capacity to identify with the life experience of others and to feel comfortable in doing so • The knowledge that after sharing this experience I will return home by a different path “Examples of multi-identity volunteering: These are likely to be found in organisations working for a sustainable future, a clean environment, poverty eradication, human rights, low cost housing, in creative community development, striving for different and better education, and in areas such as theatre, regional and local arts, and sports. It can be found too amidst those who are working for the elimination of all kinds of prejudice against women, children, aged people, indigenous communities, refugees, gays and lesbians and other disadvantaged or minority groups.”

The full text of Margaret Bell’s ‘Spirit of Volunteering Address’ can be found at www.volunteeringaustralia.org under Conference Papers & Presentations.

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

Optimising the Energy of Volunteering

Messages from the November Conference.  A full report can be found on www.volunteeringnz.org.nz 

When we impose non-modified foreign models…..we fail.  When originality informs and enlivens all we do, we’re brilliant.

What volunteers value most is good quality training to make their contribution effective.

Volunteering happens with or without government involvement.  It will go on whether policy changes or not.

Voluntary work re-defined, re-energised, and re-directed will remain a vibrant part of our society.

Time, not money, is the most precious resource for many potential volunteers.

There must be mutual respect for all parties.

People expect a sense of community within a voluntary organisation.

Our society is moving from physical connection to virtual connection and from proximity to remote intimacy.

Only 30% of organisations respond to volunteer inquiries.

Needs and aspirations of the organisation need to be balanced with those of volunteers.

Modern volunteering may be episodic (one-off, short term), virtual (online), and/or involve a whole family (grandparents, parents, and children).

Maori can live comfortably within two worlds and they ask that Pakeha do the same.  Pakeha who can grow and learn within Maori culture are welcome, and all this is reliant on people’s commitment to give.

Make it easy for people to volunteer and encourage them in all their efforts.

Let’s make it fun.

For Pacific Islanders volunteering is undertaken through a sense of duty or participation that is intrinsic to Pacific identity.

Find a young volunteer and ask them to spread the digital message.

Employees who are empowered to give will have an even greater sense of health and well-being.

Create volunteer roles that are relevant, flexible, and challenging.

Create youth opportunities that tap into passions and concerns.

By showing the difference volunteers make we can encourage them to volunteer where they can make the most difference.  Give them the information to make choices.

Balance risks with the outcomes achieved.                                     Ruth G

“When Everyone’s a Volunteer”

“WHEN EVERYONE’S A VOLUNTEER – The Effective Functioning of All-Volunteer Groups” by Ivan H. Scheier

This book, the latest addition to Volunteering Canterbury’s library, is great. It’s a simple, easy to read, practical exploration of the issues that face All-Volunteer groups, I wish I’d read it years ago, I wouldn’t have made so many mistakes.

It enumerates most of the important issues that face these groups in a clear, precise manner. Many of the points covered are equally relevant to other voluntary organisations, but the emphasis on groups with no paid staff is invaluable. The presence of paid staff can obscure some issues.

The sections that particularly impressed me were;
 The need for passion -  are you still relevant?
The need for clearly defined goals
The effective distribution of work

I particularly related to the “Running from President” section and the “Burnout – prevention checklist for leaders”

I suggest that this monograph should be required reading for all involved in voluntary work.   Borrow it from Volunteering Canterbury’s library or get your own from ENERGIZE Inc.          George C.

The Context of Volunteering

Volunteering happens in many contexts.  In July Mary Woods facilitated a workshop designed to explore the challenges and the possibilities that arise from these contexts.

Tensions and challenges were attributed to both internal and external factors. The internal issues can be summarised as:
• confusion arising from lack of clear and up to date role descriptions
• time management pressures dealing with needs of clients and volunteers
• resistance to change
• inappropriate or lack of communication
• people in the same role – one paid / one volunteer
• lack of recognition for the role of volunteer
• dealing with volunteers who are experiencing life changes

External pressures came from:
• legislation and compliance issues e.g. Police checks, Health and Safety Issues, and the paperwork needed for volunteers
• increasing technology
• charity model vs community development
• unrealistic community expectation
• resistance to ethnic growth / change
• loss of identity / identity threatened
• seismic shifts with changes of personnel
• shorter term projects wanted which leads to higher turnover 

 Possibilities arising from changes in our times:
• ageing population is the Third Age – these people are a great resource because of their life experience. Better health going into older age means more lifestyle choices
• social conscience
• bigger pool of volunteers
• more money but bigger commitments outside of volunteering
• more informal volunteering – grandparents as parents
• technology leads to potentially wider availability.
• greater ethnic diversity producing a multi cultural society which will encourage connectivity and social cohesion.

Why Volunteers?
All agreed on importance of having volunteers in their organisations. “They bring mana to the organization and grace of relationships between volunteer and client“ was one response. 

3. Strategies

The strategies produced to get the best possibilities out of internal situations started with including volunteering in strategic and operational plans. Practical steps that flowed from this were: 
• Work to common goal by decoding what that is and working backwards to what needs to be changed. This leads to acceptance as to why change is required.
• Start from scratch – what works? what doesn’t?
• Do an audit of volunteer roles by listing tasks for roles and assessing skills required for them.
•  Update or create new role descriptions with boundaries and guidelines outlined to be signed by both parties.
• Include formal appraisals

Other actions suggested were:
• Appoint volunteer coordinator or identify a person who will be responsible for volunteers.
• Recruit.
• Retain – ensure training, orientation and supervision of volunteers and professional supervision of co-ordinator. 
• Learn people’s motivation and ensure that it can be utilized.
• Reward – intrinsic and extrinsic

Strategies to deal with external issues were:
• Be aware that commitment must be a two way thing. Groups involving volunteers need to keep an open door policy and promote themselves accordingly.
• Recognise, accept, value and celebrate diversity. Ways of doing this are by seeking volunteers from other ethnic groups to support clients, providing services and resources that they need; publishing newsletters in more than one language; targeting different age groups e.g. schools, universities, libraries etc.
• Provide ‘user friendly’ technology training frequently for volunteers to keep up with this rapidly developing reality.
• Educate the community on value of volunteering

In summary:
Listen to the history of your group
Enable others to hear and understand by including them in your planning
Communicate in a variety of ways
Keep reviewing on a regular basis

Australian Survey of Volunteering Issues

Volunteering Australia’s National Survey of Volunteering Issues 2007 shows that “individual’s out-of-pocket expenses continue to present significant challenges for volunteers and for organisations that involve volunteers.  27% of volunteers said that out-of-pocket expenses have had a direct impact on their volunteering in the past 12 months.  

Working with children checks, police checks and addressing OSH issues were also frequently raised by volunteers and organisations as requirements that have an impact on volunteering.”  More info can be found on Volunteering Australia’s website

Ruth G