Ethics Q & A
July 25, 2005
By Jane Garthson, Mills
Garthson & Associates
The question:
I have been a volunteer at an agency for four years.
In that time it has grown and I feel like a part of that and have
particular insight where my volunteer function is concerned. Yet the
organization does not draw upon this knowledge. Why?
Jane says...
It is always strange when organizations that say they
respect people forget the people under their noses. Some
organizations overlook skills and development of their staff as well
as their volunteers.
Good organizations offer opportunities to volunteers who are ready
and able to take on additional responsibilities. Some even offer, or
require, specialized training for the advanced roles, and people then
see those roles as valued and worthwhile. I have seen organizations
where there is a waiting list of volunteers looking to give more time
to stressful tasks! The organization cannot accommodate them all at
once.
Your organization does not seek you out or provide a "career path"
for its volunteers. Do they seem to respect clients and staff but
not volunteers? Then perhaps the volunteer coordinator or manager is
not herself or himself a respected part of the management team, with
a voice at the table on behalf of volunteers like you. Or perhaps
the volunteer coordinator is not living up to organizational
values.
Alternatively, they may just think you are a busy person and not
interested in more responsibilities. They are not posting
opportunities for their volunteers, via newsletters or whatever. And
they may not have developed the good habit of thinking of volunteers
as stakeholders who should be consulted about plans and planned
change.
So your first way of taking on more responsibility is to find or make
the opportunities. Think about how your skills and interests could
best serve the organization, and what kind of volunteering that might
mean. Could you run orientations for new volunteers who join to do
the work you have been doing? Set up and run a buddy or mentoring
system? Design and tabulate a survey? Organize the volunteer
schedule for the organization's booth at an upcoming public event?
Write articles for the newsletter? Join the volunteer committee, if
there is one? Offer to help start one to support the volunteer
coordinator? Join the board?
You can then approach the volunteer coordinator with some ideas and a
clear understanding of what skills and knowledge you bring to the
table. If you are thinking about board work, contact the board
development, governance or nominating committee, or the chair. If the
organization has published its values, perhaps in its strategic plan,
you might make reference to them when outlining your proposal for
increased involvement.
Be prepared that the organization may not see you as a fit for the
type of volunteer work that interests you. I have seen people who
have handled monies for an all-volunteer organization so they think
they can help a larger charity in the same way. But the larger
charity may use particular accounting software with access
restrictions and financial controls that are just not set up for
volunteer assistance. Be flexible.
Organizations usually value long-time volunteers, although perhaps
not enough. The recognition events normally include five- and
ten-year, maybe even 25-year, pins and plaques. I hope you can give
this one the push it seems to need.
If not, talk to your local volunteer centre about which organizations
would make better use of your skills and knowledge.
***********
Because nonprofit organizations are formed to do good does not mean
they always are good in their own practices. Send us your ethical questions
dealing with volunteers, staff, clients, donors, funders, sponsors, and
more. Please identify yourself and your organization so we know the questions
come from within the sector. No identifying information will appear in
this column.
To submit a dilemma for a future column, or to comment on a previous one,
please contact help@charityvillage.com. For paid professional advice about an urgent or complex situation, contact Jane directly.
