In the Global Volunteer Management Survey there were very few correlations for length of service of managers of voluntaries. We looked at degree, salary, size of programs- no consistent correlations. What then makes a person stay in volunteer management?
The one factor that I personally believe will guarantee the longevity of someone in the volunteerism field? Passion for volunteering.
Really understanding volunteering is like a religion. You can study religious texts and precepts but until you have a “conversion:” experience, the religion is simply formulaic and ritualistic.
To be successful manager of volunteers, to be a successful volunteer centre, you need to believe in volunteering. It may even be good to have volunteered or be volunteering yourself?
I will go further. Some of those who don't have a real passion for volunteering are to my eyes, some of the most defensive, narrow minded and undermining people in the volunteering sector. Others who don't really "get" volunteering resort to motherhood statements and platitudes to try and understand it.. I recently reviewed a government document clearly written by a bureaucrat who didn't really get the power of volunteering and reverted instead to platitudes about volunteering such as "helping the community" and "Volunteering is the Hallmark of our society"
Some people chose volunteer management because they thought it would be “an easy gig”. Volunteering is seen as easy therefore volunteer management is seen to be a job that could be akin to a holiday! What a sign that they don't really understand volunteer management.
Some who dont "get this field have fallen by the wayside- leaving for other roles. Some have stubbornly stayed and some have had their "conversion experience" and have become great advocates for the sector.
Some who dont "get this field have fallen by the wayside- leaving for other roles. Some have stubbornly stayed and some have had their "conversion experience" and have become great advocates for the sector.
That's my theory. Now, prove me wrong.
I'm not a full-time volunteer management researcher/consultant, nor a full-time volunteer manager - I'm just part time in those roles. Yet this funny thing has happened - no matter what role I'm in at a nonprofit organization or NGO or government agency, volunteer engagement ends up being a part of it. I get hired to help with communications at a nonprofit or government agency, for instance, and volunteer engagement shows up. I get hired to do a workshop on customer service and revenue generation activities, and volunteer engagement shows up. It's in my reports and brought up in my meetings and at least gets mentioned in my presentations. I see volunteer engagement as a part, small or large, in just about any role I take on with a nonprofit. Just as customer service is every person's role at a community-focused organization, just as communications is every person's role, I'm believing now that volunteer engagement is every person's role. Resistance if futile - I can't get away from it!
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