Volunteerism Follow-up
This is kind of a follow-up to THIS POLL I WOULD STILL LOVE FOR PEOPLE TO TAKE. It's a public entry, so you can even have friends do it.
Interestingly, most of you said that you did volunteer (or had volunteered), and for that I applaud you heartily. It's a really great way to give back to the community, and, as one commenter very astutely pointed out, it's cheaper than donating when you don't have the money. And, sometimes, it is even more welcome.
I also want to add that I've been on both sides of the issue: volunteer and organizer - and each has it's own challenges. Thus, I was especially interested to learn the negative things about volunteering, the reasons why people hesitate, quit, or fail to have the best experience possible. As someone who works with volunteers, I want to try my best to correct those.
My first piece of advice when you do have issues with the place at which you volunteer is to (politely) be open about it and discuss it. Most of all ask why things have to be the way they are. For example, two of my favorite volunteers, this awesome couple named Debra and Laurie were helping with our mailing and wondered why they couldn't just use pre-printed labels instead of addressing each envelope individually. Yes, it would save a lot of time and effort, but, believe it or not, there is a reason. As it turned out, people are far, far more likely to open a hand-addressed envelope than a pre-printed one. And people reading the newsletter (and responding to it) is precisely the reason they are sent out.
My second piece of advice is to always remember that, sadly, it all comes down to money. There's no escaping it: all non-profits need it and few, if any, can waste it. Our affiliate, for example, must charge groups to build because we need to pay for materials and, most of all, pay the salary of our construction supervisor. We are looking at ways to get around this, but for now we have to abide by that. Does it suck? Yes. Is it unfair to groups? that depends upon your definition. There is a lot more we could do if we had more money.
As to the issues themselves...
No rewards or thank yous, criticism from organizers, and unpleasant organizers: I'll say it flat out: there is really no excuse for this. Yes, if it is a big event, the organizers may get stressed and a bit snappish, but there is no reason to fail to say thank you. Sometimes I feel like a professional thank you note writer (my grandmother would be so proud), but I like it. I'll admit that there can be difficult moments. As an organizer, you want things to run smoothly, but you also need to be understanding, compassionate, and grateful to those who help - even when they screw-up. My first Habitat build (in Tacoma) was NOT fun. The construction supervisor seemed stressed out and over-worked and was entirely unwilling to instruct newbies. Consequently, I stacked linoleum and tile for an entire day because, as he put it, "I don't have the time to teach you people new things." Mark, our construction supervisor here in Taos is just the opposite. He has this amazing way of teaching people to do things so that they are done right, and, when things are done wrong, he manages to do it over in a very unobtrusive and compassionate way. When I volunteered to Pierce County AIDS Foundation, we had an incident in which we asked to drive a Lincoln Town Car. My friend - who had never driven such a large vehicle - hesitated for a moment, and was told, "Never mind. Clearly you can't do this." In retrospect, I'm sure the employee was just burnt out and over-worked, but my friend never went back. By contrast, I just had a person seal 40 envelopes incorrectly, but I didn't say a word. I just thanked her and re-did them. Why? Because she volunteered to stuff/address them out of the goodness of her heart, and saying something would just make her feel bad and not want to volunteer again.
Menial or unpleasant tasks and feeling like it doesn't make a difference: Yeah, this sucks and I know it. But, again, there are reasons. Often these reasons have to do with liability, expertise, and time-management. If you volunteer for a thrift store, for example, you may not be able to run the register, but will find yourself sorting and stacking. this is not because they don't trust you, but because it is a safer, over-arching policy. Yes, people do steal. Or if you work with animals, there may be certain things that you are not allowed to do, but the employees can do. Why? Liability and safety. No one wants to see a volunteer bitten or scratched. Yet, sometimes, if you talk about it to an organizer, you can get more interesting work. Training is time consuming and most organizations want to know that you're serious before they invest in that with a volunteer.
And then there are the menial tasks, the things that seem small and insignificant, the stacking of linoleum tiles or stuffing of envelopes, for example. Those may seem menial, but, in fact, they are not. Mailings and fundraising are an enormous part of non-profit life. They're not fun, but they're necessary and they make everything else possible. Those tasks also free up the employees to so things that they are specifically trained to do, so what you are doing is very important. When someone comes in and does filing or data entry, I am eternally grateful. I have a lot to do and tasks like that take up valuable time that should be spent working homeowners and supporting Cynthia and the other employees. It means the world to me.
No tasks is really meaningless. You may feel like an unimportant cog, but, in truth, every cog is important. Without it, the entire mechanism can fail. Besides, you did make a difference to someone. Think about that phone call you answered or that kid who now understands fractions or that cat who got some petting. It made a difference to them!
Too much is expected of me: This one is harder - mostly because it is a matter of perspective. On the one hand, organizations want to cultivate happy, active volunteers, but on the other, they depend on them, too. Scheduling and deadlines can be issues, and often organizations really depend upon people being there/doing things when they say they will. For example, if five tutors are needed on a given day, and only three show up, that leaves children without help. Or if you say that you will take the Thursday shift at the basketball tournament and then cancel, people have to scramble to cover. For you, it's not a job, it's just something nice you do, but from the other side of the fence, the view changes.
Unpleasant clientele: Not much I to say here except to remember that, for the most part, volunteer opportunities involve clientele who are needy or in bad space, and that can make for difficult personalities. That said, I used to work at a children museum, and some of those kids were just unholy brats from hell.
Too structured/doesn't allow for my input and seeing how things can be done better: Yeah, I know, this can be SUPER frustrating. This is a classic example of situation in which discussing things can do wonders. For example, during the wrap-up meeting for Trivia Night, several volunteers commented to Cynthia that they would and could want to take a greater role next year. Why had they not been offered greater responsibility before? Well, because Cynthia did not know and because it was their first year she wanted them to experience it first so they knew what they were doing. But we're all on board with them doing more next time.
But seriously. Ask. Sometimes something may seem obvious to you, but it has never occurred to the organizers. Or sometimes something may seem obvious to you that is actually not the case. For example, we do both an email and snail mail newsletter and recipients have their choice as to which one to be on. Many a volunteer has suggested ditching the paper one in favor of electronic, which would save us money on copying, paper, stamps, etc. However, not everyone uses email. But, perhaps more importantly, the paper newsletter brings us 21000% more money than the electronic one. Seriously. So, if you think you know a better way or can see areas of improvement, please say something - but please ask at an appropriate time and perhaps phrase it in the form of a question. "Hey, out of curiosity, why do y'all do X. Would it be easier to do Y?" Don't assume. Don't push. Just ask. You may be doing them a real favor.
So, I'm far from an expert, but there it is, laid out. Have you had negative experiences? Questions? Thoughts? Feel free to share.
Interestingly, most of you said that you did volunteer (or had volunteered), and for that I applaud you heartily. It's a really great way to give back to the community, and, as one commenter very astutely pointed out, it's cheaper than donating when you don't have the money. And, sometimes, it is even more welcome.
I also want to add that I've been on both sides of the issue: volunteer and organizer - and each has it's own challenges. Thus, I was especially interested to learn the negative things about volunteering, the reasons why people hesitate, quit, or fail to have the best experience possible. As someone who works with volunteers, I want to try my best to correct those.
My first piece of advice when you do have issues with the place at which you volunteer is to (politely) be open about it and discuss it. Most of all ask why things have to be the way they are. For example, two of my favorite volunteers, this awesome couple named Debra and Laurie were helping with our mailing and wondered why they couldn't just use pre-printed labels instead of addressing each envelope individually. Yes, it would save a lot of time and effort, but, believe it or not, there is a reason. As it turned out, people are far, far more likely to open a hand-addressed envelope than a pre-printed one. And people reading the newsletter (and responding to it) is precisely the reason they are sent out.
My second piece of advice is to always remember that, sadly, it all comes down to money. There's no escaping it: all non-profits need it and few, if any, can waste it. Our affiliate, for example, must charge groups to build because we need to pay for materials and, most of all, pay the salary of our construction supervisor. We are looking at ways to get around this, but for now we have to abide by that. Does it suck? Yes. Is it unfair to groups? that depends upon your definition. There is a lot more we could do if we had more money.
As to the issues themselves...
No rewards or thank yous, criticism from organizers, and unpleasant organizers: I'll say it flat out: there is really no excuse for this. Yes, if it is a big event, the organizers may get stressed and a bit snappish, but there is no reason to fail to say thank you. Sometimes I feel like a professional thank you note writer (my grandmother would be so proud), but I like it. I'll admit that there can be difficult moments. As an organizer, you want things to run smoothly, but you also need to be understanding, compassionate, and grateful to those who help - even when they screw-up. My first Habitat build (in Tacoma) was NOT fun. The construction supervisor seemed stressed out and over-worked and was entirely unwilling to instruct newbies. Consequently, I stacked linoleum and tile for an entire day because, as he put it, "I don't have the time to teach you people new things." Mark, our construction supervisor here in Taos is just the opposite. He has this amazing way of teaching people to do things so that they are done right, and, when things are done wrong, he manages to do it over in a very unobtrusive and compassionate way. When I volunteered to Pierce County AIDS Foundation, we had an incident in which we asked to drive a Lincoln Town Car. My friend - who had never driven such a large vehicle - hesitated for a moment, and was told, "Never mind. Clearly you can't do this." In retrospect, I'm sure the employee was just burnt out and over-worked, but my friend never went back. By contrast, I just had a person seal 40 envelopes incorrectly, but I didn't say a word. I just thanked her and re-did them. Why? Because she volunteered to stuff/address them out of the goodness of her heart, and saying something would just make her feel bad and not want to volunteer again.
Menial or unpleasant tasks and feeling like it doesn't make a difference: Yeah, this sucks and I know it. But, again, there are reasons. Often these reasons have to do with liability, expertise, and time-management. If you volunteer for a thrift store, for example, you may not be able to run the register, but will find yourself sorting and stacking. this is not because they don't trust you, but because it is a safer, over-arching policy. Yes, people do steal. Or if you work with animals, there may be certain things that you are not allowed to do, but the employees can do. Why? Liability and safety. No one wants to see a volunteer bitten or scratched. Yet, sometimes, if you talk about it to an organizer, you can get more interesting work. Training is time consuming and most organizations want to know that you're serious before they invest in that with a volunteer.
And then there are the menial tasks, the things that seem small and insignificant, the stacking of linoleum tiles or stuffing of envelopes, for example. Those may seem menial, but, in fact, they are not. Mailings and fundraising are an enormous part of non-profit life. They're not fun, but they're necessary and they make everything else possible. Those tasks also free up the employees to so things that they are specifically trained to do, so what you are doing is very important. When someone comes in and does filing or data entry, I am eternally grateful. I have a lot to do and tasks like that take up valuable time that should be spent working homeowners and supporting Cynthia and the other employees. It means the world to me.
No tasks is really meaningless. You may feel like an unimportant cog, but, in truth, every cog is important. Without it, the entire mechanism can fail. Besides, you did make a difference to someone. Think about that phone call you answered or that kid who now understands fractions or that cat who got some petting. It made a difference to them!
Too much is expected of me: This one is harder - mostly because it is a matter of perspective. On the one hand, organizations want to cultivate happy, active volunteers, but on the other, they depend on them, too. Scheduling and deadlines can be issues, and often organizations really depend upon people being there/doing things when they say they will. For example, if five tutors are needed on a given day, and only three show up, that leaves children without help. Or if you say that you will take the Thursday shift at the basketball tournament and then cancel, people have to scramble to cover. For you, it's not a job, it's just something nice you do, but from the other side of the fence, the view changes.
Unpleasant clientele: Not much I to say here except to remember that, for the most part, volunteer opportunities involve clientele who are needy or in bad space, and that can make for difficult personalities. That said, I used to work at a children museum, and some of those kids were just unholy brats from hell.
Too structured/doesn't allow for my input and seeing how things can be done better: Yeah, I know, this can be SUPER frustrating. This is a classic example of situation in which discussing things can do wonders. For example, during the wrap-up meeting for Trivia Night, several volunteers commented to Cynthia that they would and could want to take a greater role next year. Why had they not been offered greater responsibility before? Well, because Cynthia did not know and because it was their first year she wanted them to experience it first so they knew what they were doing. But we're all on board with them doing more next time.
But seriously. Ask. Sometimes something may seem obvious to you, but it has never occurred to the organizers. Or sometimes something may seem obvious to you that is actually not the case. For example, we do both an email and snail mail newsletter and recipients have their choice as to which one to be on. Many a volunteer has suggested ditching the paper one in favor of electronic, which would save us money on copying, paper, stamps, etc. However, not everyone uses email. But, perhaps more importantly, the paper newsletter brings us 21000% more money than the electronic one. Seriously. So, if you think you know a better way or can see areas of improvement, please say something - but please ask at an appropriate time and perhaps phrase it in the form of a question. "Hey, out of curiosity, why do y'all do X. Would it be easier to do Y?" Don't assume. Don't push. Just ask. You may be doing them a real favor.
So, I'm far from an expert, but there it is, laid out. Have you had negative experiences? Questions? Thoughts? Feel free to share.