Hot Topics

Responses to: A Utopian View of Volunteerism Professional Organizations

Submitted on 21Nov02 by Michelle Goulbourne, Ontario, Canada
As various agendas appear to shape the discussion about volunteer management and measuring the economic value of volunteer activity it appears that even Energize is not able to achieve the goal outlined below:

[You ask in this Hot Topic:] "As a practical matter, how can such varied entities co-exist ­ and further the efforts of volunteers - without competing with each other and confusing both members of the profession and the public at large?" [Yet, after reading the most recent homepage "news" items], as various agendas appear to shape the discussion about volunteer management and measuring the economic value of volunteer activity it appears that even Energize is not able to achieve [this] goal outlined.

Is it not confusing to present a manual created in partnership between the Canadian Centre for Philanthropy and Volunteer Canada as useful...the following week announce another great Canadian document by Volunteer Canada... and then in week three revisit the originally endorsed document and question its utility by presenting an opposing article by Volunteer Calgary?

When managers are faced with the task of providing information about their volunteers to their funders perhaps Energize may want to recommend that they cite Arden Brummell...if only to please the powers that be.

Susan's reply:
Thank you for linking the recent news stories on our homepage to this Hot Topic. It may seem contradictory, but I do not feel that everyone in our field must share unanimous opinions in order to work together. My concern in the Hot Topic is to avoid duplication of roles among volunteerism organizations while leaving many gaps untended. The opposing opinions in the news stories show that thoughtful people can reach different conclusions. (For the record, I am always personally uncomfortable applying a dollar value to volunteering, but want to make sure that colleagues who wish to do a monetary assessment have the best tools for this purpose.)

Submitted on 19Nov02 by Fran Cook, Director of Volunteer Ministries, Calvary Lutheran Church, West Chester, PA
I think coordinating organizations is a task in itself. It happens in the community all the time. One group is seeking jobs, another is offering transportation, another is making inexpensive day care available. It takes someone to put these all together to make it happen. So what is the solution to getting people to work together and not duplicate services? I don't have an answer.

Submitted on 5Nov02 by Carole B. Symonette, Board member, United Way Midland, and several other non-profit organizations, Midland, Texas
First, Susan, thanks for taking up this weighty subject!
As a professional who has moved between federal/state funded programs and local non-profit agencies, my greatest frustration comes from knowing first-hand that for every federal/state funded program a community-based locally funded initiative must be formed to take up the slack! (Translation: meet the needs of folks who don't fit to the letter the eligibility requirements imposed by state and federal funding.) Examples abound. But for starters: regional councils on alcoholism and drug abuse must be augmented by the public school-driven drug free youth programs. The list is endless. The local programs always struggle for funding and volunteers. The taxpayer dollars fund both levels of effort. There will never be enough money and services will never be delivered in the most cost-effective and productive way. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to get on your soapbox.

Submitted on 5Nov02 by Sal Alaimo, Girl Scout Council of Northwest Georgia, Georgia, USA
I agree with Susan's principles, when I remind myself that this is a Utopian environment. Trimmed budgets have forced many nonprofit employees to make choices for which organizations they want to be members of. I would add a key component that should drive our choices but also enable the Utopian environment to run efficiently. That component is the constant effort from organizations on all levels to offer value to their members. Members should regularly offer feedback to the organizations to foster and encourage this offering of value. When organizations are only interested in your membership fee and having you attend their conference, this behavior should not be acceptable. Organizations should be communicating with their members to find out what they value and providing it.

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