Hot Topics

Responses to:
Encouraging Entrepreneurial Volunteering

Posted on 21 November 2006 by Jayne Cravens, consultant, Bonn, Germany
It's all volunteering... but traditional volunteer managers and the formal
associations that represent them, I'm sad to say, have ignored these
emerging trends in "community involvement," and are being left on the
sidelines. As I've said before (and will no doubt say again), wouldn't it be sad if two parallel groups emerge regarding volunteer management & support, all because of language and vision?

Posted on 9 November 2006 by Sue Irey, Community Volunteer Coordinator, City of Carlsbad, Carlsbad, California, USA
This may be one of the ways to avoid the Baby Boomer Bust as we meet the new era of volunteering.

Posted on 9 November 2006 by H Roberts, President, PLNJ Inc., Keyport, New Jersey, USA
In framing some of Susan's remarks, I would add that when we submit recruitment opps to newspapers, radio stations, Internet portals and local resources, like Volunteer Centers, that we connect directly with individuals who will edit and revamp our agency volunteer lists. All too often, the message becomes a short sound bite. It is an important step and PR opportunity to re-educate professionals from communication and marketing trades on what we hope to attract, encourage and ignite when inviting creative, forward-thinking talent to our agencies. Work closely with content editors.

Posted on 5 November 2006 by Jennie Gunther, Eldercare Inc., DT & Volunteer Manager, South Australia, Australia
I am really excited to read this discussion. This is the way in which I have been thinking myself, but have met resistance from colleagues - in fact, I was foolish enough to expound on this in a job interview for a high profile and conservative organisation. I did not get the position!
I do believe that this innovative approach is the way forward, both for volunteer satisfaction and for the continuous improvements that all organisations are seeking.

Posted on 5 November 2006 by Dick Goldberg, Coming of Age, Director, Philadelphia, PA USA
You write in reference to the Coming of Age website, “If you browse (it), you’ll soon see that they are mainly urging volunteer involvement, though they prefer the phrase ‘civic engagement.’ Frequent readers will know that a recurring theme of my Hot Topics over the years has been the entrenched perception of volunteering as denoting low-level, free help. Renaming volunteering to civic engagement is simply one more attempt to make the presumed unappealing more appealing.”

I don’t think this is a renaming or an attempt to make something unappealing, appealing. So many traditions of service exalt volunteering that I am hard put to see that there is a widespread perception that it is denigrated to being “low-level.” Also, I see “civic engagement” as casting a wider net. It includes an enriched and enriching experience for the person so engaged, often serves as a means for learning, can produce social change, recognizes in its very language that we all are neighbors in the same “village” and more. “Volunteer” is a beautiful word but it doesn’t always suggest these things. We use both “volunteer” and “civic engagement opportunity” on the Coming of Age website as well many of the other terms included in your “What’s in a Name?” handout out of respect to our colleagues and the language that they choose to use.

Posted on 5 November 2006 by Gail Barrera, Northern Colo. Aids Project, Volunteer Coordinator, Ft. Collins,CO USA
I am the volunteer manager at the Northern Colorado Aids Project and am wondering how I can apply this to our organization. My challenge has been to recruit volunteers because of the stigma about HIV and the people who are affected. I have gotten some response from some of the more liberal churches, but the market to target seems to be those who are already infected, which leads to another huge problem because it is a very small gay community and most of those interested are also clients. I find in general this is a really bad idea, but the agency has a history of allowing it. Any suggestions?

 

 

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