• Why We Are Losing Volunteers?
• Online Training on Recruiting and Training Volunteers
• Volunteer Management Conference in Hawaii
• The News on Donations to Charity are Mediocre and Bad.

WHY WE ARE LOSING VOLUNTEERS?

 

Editors Note:  For the third time in 30 days I received an email from a friend or colleague who reported on a less than stellar experience in attempting to volunteer.  Lackluster tasks for highly skilled volunteers, hours of training required to “stuff envelopes,” and difficulty finding who to talk to about serving.  I selected one of those missives to share with the readers of Volunteer Today.  Feel free to share this with your colleagues or people in your organization.  The person who wrote this email message has now abandoned her efforts to volunteer.  It is her third experience where the organization has been less than welcoming and she is not planning to continue her search for a volunteer job.  Instead she is setting up her own volunteer program.  The readers of this newsletter are those most interested in enhancing their professional skills.  However, the less skilled members of the profession and “clueless” organizations are driving people from our doors, too.  A disgruntled volunteer spreads the word and impacts every organization in the community that engages volunteers.  What are you doing in your area to enhance everyone’s skills?

 

Hi! Nancy

I just had another blah meeting about being a volunteer, this time with *********. It’s so curious. So, suddenly, last nite I thought of a new idea. I need a different approach. And who better to ask than my friend (and continual mentor Nancy).

I find that folks don’t know what to do with me, Nancy. I have a few ideas, but two things are true: I right now don’t have lots of time to devote. I mentioned being able to donate a few hrs twice a month—my interests don’t work well due to confidentiality, I guess—my interests related to career & academic advising primarily, although I’m a trainer and writer too and mentioned that.) Other times, I’m interested in episodic volunteering, and not interested in scads of orientation (like with *********** where to stuff envelopes meant having to take their autumn training of several wks and losing my vacation).

So, I suddenly thought of Richard Bolles. I learned from his work how to do information interviews effectively, and I’m reasonably good at interviews for actual jobs. I have no idea how to approach folks about volunteering, apparently. Sharing some background, my resumes, and a few interests isn’t cutting it.

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Here is a person with regular hours to give a few times per month sitting before us.  One of that rare species of traditional volunteers who wants to come a couple times per month for a few hours.  And there “nothing here for you.”  This visit to a third local organization and the person is ready to find something else to do with her spare time.  Do you know what happens when volunteers visit your organization?  Have you assessed your program recently?  And is there training available for those in the community who treat volunteers like this?  Can you and a few others help raise the level of engagement?

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Conference on Volunteer Management

Honolulu, Hawaii

Sponsored by the Hawaii Association of Managers of Volunteers

September 17 and 18, 2010

Volunteer Management for a New Decade

Friday

Saturday

Building the Stable Volunteer Program 9:00 am - 12:00 pm While trends may come and go the infrastructure of the good volunteer program remains constant.  Take this opportunity to assess your program’s health and go home with a plan to create new ways for people to volunteer and new ways to reach those who are not volunteering. This workshop is for visioning, planning, and problem-solving all rolled into one.  Be prepared to think creatively. 1:00 pm - 3:00 Choices Volunteer Retention: Definitions and Strategies OR Motivation of Volunteers

9:00 am - 10:30 a.m. Social Media and the Volunteer Program OR Conflict Resolution: Dealing with Difficult People 10:45 am - noon Creating Programs for Engaging Volunteers OR Stress Reduction in No Time

For more information contact Annie Volunteer@hawaiifoodbank.org

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THE NEWS ON DONATIONS TO CHARITY ARE MEDIOCRE AND BAD

Giving to social services has rebounded, increasing by about 3% last year.  $27.8 billion was raised in 2009; an increase of 9% from the previous year.  As an example the Salvation Army in Texas saw an increase in donations of 2%.  This is good, except for the fact that the demand for services grew faster than the increase in income.

Giving to religious organizations stayed essentially the same.  In 2009 over $100 billion was raised by this sector.  It is -0.3% different from the previous year.  As an example at national headquarters of the United Methodist Church donations from local and regional church collections have gone from $130.6 to 126.3 in 2009.

Donations to arts organizations slipped by 2% last year.  The total giving to arts organizations in 2009 was $12.3 billion, down 2.4% from the previous year.  At the Children’s Museum in Richmond, VA contributions to operating expenditures have gone from $815,000 in 2007 to $600,000 as of last month.

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