At a recent training, a leader of a volunteer organisation said publicly that from time to time, her organisation has corporate volunteers who attend to perform a day of volunteering. She said "they all come along with their T shirts and cameras." She said "I don't see them as real volunteers because real volunteers would come on a weekend"
Further, she makes a point of telling each one that they are not a real volunteer (like her) because they are being paid by their company to be there. She aims to embarrass them into becoming a "real volunteer". She said none do come back which proves to her that they lack commitment.
Great welcome lady! There are a range of views about corporate volunteering but the time to debate whether it is a real volunteering opportunity is not by insulting someone who has come to help us.
If instead, we said "Welcome and thank you. We run a Family Volunteering event on the first Saturday of the Month, would you like to bring your family along one time?". Having seen the volunteer work and the impact it makes on a community might prompt them (if they felt welcome) to return with family members.
How hard is it to make our organisations more welcoming?
Further, she makes a point of telling each one that they are not a real volunteer (like her) because they are being paid by their company to be there. She aims to embarrass them into becoming a "real volunteer". She said none do come back which proves to her that they lack commitment.
Great welcome lady! There are a range of views about corporate volunteering but the time to debate whether it is a real volunteering opportunity is not by insulting someone who has come to help us.
If instead, we said "Welcome and thank you. We run a Family Volunteering event on the first Saturday of the Month, would you like to bring your family along one time?". Having seen the volunteer work and the impact it makes on a community might prompt them (if they felt welcome) to return with family members.
How hard is it to make our organisations more welcoming?
It seems to be a common idea that corporate volunteering is not real volunteering, I've heard it a lot from other volunteer managers. The definiton I prefer is that it is the company/corporate itself which is volunteering, through its employees. After all, the company/corporate is giving up paid staff time for it to happen.
ReplyDeleteI've worked with corporate volunteers for years and find it does work differently for each NFP, depending on th tasks available. At the moment corporate groups are great for the ongoing admin and resource preparation that our more regular volunteers don't really like to do, but the corporates love.
Absolutely Sarah - it's tangible evidence of the commitment the leadership of an organisation have towards building social capital and their preparedness to lead by example. Demonstrating corporate social responsibility through leadership is a powerful motivator to cultural change .. in organisations and in individuals.
ReplyDelete