Navigating the Volunteer Landscape
Getting Started
The nonprofit sector is notoriously under-staffed and under-resourced. This is by design in many cases; donors want to see their money being used for the programs the organizations provide to achieve their mission. As a result, organizations rely on very lean staffing strategies to reduce their overhead and maximize their program expense ratio. With this reality, organizations rely heavily on volunteers to carry out tasks and activities, both small and large, to function properly.
Although there are undeniably personal benefits to volunteering, it is important to remember as a volunteer, that the primary motivation should be to help the organization. Most organizations which use volunteers regularly will have some kind of onboarding process. However, to keep things simple for the organization, volunteers should do some work to clarify their commitment level, scheduling availability, skills, and interests. Have a clear understanding of what it is that you can offer as a volunteer and communicate that with the staff member in charge of managing the volunteers.
Here are a few things to consider when looking for volunteer positions:
Volunteering Regularity – Can I work this type of volunteering into my schedule weekly, monthly, annually, or only one time?
Physical Capabilities – Am I able to carry out the physical duties of the volunteering position. Some volunteering opportunities can turn into manual labor such as gardening, cleaning, or moving/delivering items.
Interests and Skills – Is the volunteer position a skilled or non-skilled position? Do I have any practice or experience in the volunteer position, or will the organization need to dedicate extra resources to train me?
Mental and Emotional Capacity – Some volunteering opportunities can be mentally or emotionally taxing. The clients on the receiving end of services deserve volunteers who are at their best, and who are ready to commit to them. For example, if I decide to be a mentor or tutor, I am choosing to build a relationship with my mentee or student. I need to be mentally and emotionally ready for that type of responsibility.
Every organization has different needs and expectations for their volunteers, and it is important to respect those needs and expectations. A dangerous mindset to have as a volunteer is “I’m giving my time and energy… they should take it however I choose to give it and be thankful.” Remember that the organization’s policies and procedures surrounding volunteer management have been conceived for a reason.
Skilled vs Non-Skilled Volunteering
Organizations use volunteers for a variety of tasks and roles, they typically have a strong understanding of their needs, and the gaps in their staffing structure. An organization’s needs range from simple to complex, as volunteers it is important to understand the difference between skilled and non-skilled volunteering.
Non-Skilled Volunteering is what we typically think of as community service. These are tasks that can reasonably be completed by anyone. Examples of non-skilled volunteering include:
Serving meals at a food pantry or soup kitchen
Cleaning up or beautifying a community
Collecting food or clothing for a local shelter
Visiting with the elderly at a nursing home
Skilled volunteering is also often called pro-bono work. Examples of skilled volunteering include:
Lawyers serving on an advisory board
Accountants providing a pro-bono audit
Nurses and doctors serving at under-resourced clinics and hospitals
Contractors planning the construction of community housing
Teachers or trained tutors working an after-school program
Or (one of Giveology’s favorites) the trained magicians at Open Heart Magic, visiting sick children in hospitals
If you have a skill or interest you believe would be useful for an organization, there are resources out there to help match people like you with organizations and their unique needs. Catchafire is a national organization that matches skilled with skill-based opportunities. VolunteerMatch uses location, interests, and organizational cause to match volunteers with opportunities. The US Government has their own volunteer database for volunteering at national parks, and finally if you are looking for something more local simply seek out your community center, who is usually connected with local organizations who need help.
Board Service
A Bureau of Labor Statistics study in 2016 showed that 72% of volunteers serve only one organization with their time. When you do find that one organization you want to become more involved in, there are a variety of ways to take the next step.
If you are a young professional, most organizations have Junior Boards you can get involved in. Junior Boards are bodies of young people (typically under 35 years old) that support supports a nonprofit organization’s mission and its leadership. Junior Board responsibilities can range from planning fundraising events, providing non-skilled volunteer hours, being an advocate for the organization and sometimes even involvement in the organization’s true Board of Directors. Joining a Junior Board is not meant to be the end of your volunteering journey, it is meant to be the beginning. Organizations want to attract new young volunteers so that they can create a pipeline of future, long-term volunteers and donors.
Junior Board service can often lead to service on an organization’s official Board of Directors. Serving on an organization’s board is one of the primary ways that professionals can volunteer their time and expertise. It is typically a significant commitment of both time and energy, but it is also an honor and a privilege only bestowed upon volunteers and donors after many years of dedicated service.
Conclusion
Volunteerism is vital to the success of the nonprofit sector, not only to fulfill a variety of projects and tasks, but also for the reasons listed below:
Fulfilling Key Operational Roles – Skilled volunteering provides organizations with expertise without having to compete dollar for dollar with the for profit or government sectors
Saving Operational Expenses – Volunteers’ time is worth on average at least $28.54/hour
Building a Donor Pipeline – Volunteers are twice as likely to donate to an organization as those who don’t volunteer
Word of Mouth Marketing – Volunteers can serve as advocates for an organization, which can be effective when an organization has a limited budget for marketing
Keep in mind, every organization and every volunteer is different therefore every volunteering situation is unique. Find an organization that interests you and that matches up with your values, level of commitment, and skills. Long-term, committed volunteer relationships are the best case scenario for both parties so find the opportunity that is best for you, assess your ability to make that commitment…
…and GET STARTED!
