What is Look Back to Look Ahead?
Look Back to Look Ahead was started as a way to celebrate the
International Year of the Volunteer in 2001. Energize's contribution
to IYV was to encourage anyone in the volunteer world--to "look
back to look ahead." Since the idea still has value, we continue
to share your What Others Have Done on this
site and encourage others to contribute their ideas.
Also, we encourage you to read Susan's original "Hot
Topic" introducing this idea and see what colleagues said
in reply.
Here is the idea:
Step 1: Rediscover History
Grab the opportunity of IYV2001 to research the history of volunteer
accomplishments in your setting: Who founded your organization and
assured its continuation? (Hint: these will be the first volunteers.)
What things have volunteers done through the years as the organization
added paid staff and grew in other ways? Rescue, label and preserve
materials now in musty closets--old volunteer recognition party invitations,
badges, photos, and other memorabilia that make an archive worth maintaining.
Audiotape older or long-term volunteers who still remember earlier
days.
Step 2: Share What You Learned
Produce a report, scrapbook, lobby display, videotape, skit--anything
that will draw attention to the role volunteers have played in founding
and expanding your organization. Concentrate on highlighting accomplishments
and goals reached, not just What Others Have Done done. Make sure current volunteers
are fully involved in the final product.
Step 3: Envision the Future
Then convene a "where do we intend to go from here?"
think tank. Use the power of IYV2001 to justify doing this now. Invite
a wide range of volunteers, employees, administrators, community members,
volunteerism colleagues--anyone with a stake in your success--to discuss
(and debate) why it is still important to involve volunteers in your
work and what that involvement should be in the new century. This
your chance to acknowledge, honor, and then break the mold of the
past!
Step 4: Act Collectively
If every organization identifies its history and articulates its
desired direction, you can then go "public." Each DOVIA
or each community can designate a special day for sharing the results
of each agency's examination process, collectively celebrating the
historic impact of volunteers and committing to achieving future goals.
Maybe there will be a public library or town hall exhibits. Maybe videotapes
and books of old and new photographs will be produced. All this is news and the media will cover it.
Step 5: Tell the World
Energize is committed to helping in this IYV celebration process.
We will designate an area on our Web site, www.energizeinc.com, to
capture and share the work of colleagues who adopt the "Look
Back to Look Ahead" IYV project. Let us know how we can help
you to succeed at this. At the same time, we will be working to produce
the third revision of By the People: A History of Americans as Volunteers.
Perhaps IYV will result in such a book for every country in the world!
Find as many variations as you can and make it work for you. You
are welcome to download, print out, and disseminate all the information
we give you on the site. (The United Nations has already given permission
for everyone to use the official IYV logo.)
Why are we encouraging everyone to carry out this project? Here
are a few of many good reasons:
- Comparatively simple and straightforward to accomplish.
- Low cost, but with a tangible product at the end.
- Doable by small and large organizations of all kinds.
- Meaningful to the organizations that engage in it but can be linked
to the results of similar projects in one community and in ever-widening
circles.
- A way to educate others about the value and contributions of volunteers.
- Ideal for involving volunteers themselves in the activity, so
it's done with and not "for" volunteers (or, even worse,
"to" them!).
- Adaptable to any country and language.
Share and Learn from Others!
Bookmark this page and return often in the next months because we
will be posting many suggestions, strategies, and implementation ideas.
And, of course, we want YOU to share what you're doing. Any help we
can give as a forum for linking colleagues, publicizing history discoveries,
or making your work accessible to the public, let us know.
What Others Have Done | Tips for Starting a Project
Share
Your Wisdom
