“We need more volunteers!” is right up there with “We need more money!” in terms of the nonprofit sector’s hot topics, most common gripes, and most often heard pleas. Endlessly discussed as a challenge in organizations, large and small, the problem of needing more people to accomplish organizational goals doesn’t seem to be going away. In fact, the need may be more urgently felt than ever as organizations are trying to deliver more impact with fewer resources. Co-leads Ilona Dougherty (Apathy is Boring), Wayne Helgason (Canadian Council on Social Development board chair and Volunteer Canada board member) and Ruth Mackenzie, (Volunteer Canada) were charged with leading the process as participants tackled the challenging questions around how to bring together the diversity of people with the skills, talents and commitment needed to get the work of the sector done.
Early in the discussion, it seemed clear that most people, in theory, ‘get it’. They speak of engaging youth, building diverse talent pools, and fostering engaged communities. But where many organizations seem to get stuck is in the implementation phase — going beyond the policies and taking real action. The co-leads encouraged participants to imagine a desired future and to explore the assumptions, beliefs, and practices that need to be challenged in order to get there. Below are some common themes that emerged from the group discussions:
First, the sector needs to change the way it frames the volunteer issue, moving away from a charity model (about helping out) to one of community engagement (building the communities we desire). This needs to be a holistic change that examines how organizations engage citizens in shaping their communities at all levels: from leadership to the work on the ground. There needs to be a cultural shift from meeting organizational needs to addressing community needs, and from volunteers to engaged citizens.
Additionally, the sector needs to look outwards and understand the changing faces and realities of the new breed of volunteers (who might not want to be called volunteers at all). Ilona Dougherty has spent a lot of time working with organizations towards increasing participation and engagement — particularly amongst young people. In reflecting on her own experience as an engaged youth and highlighting the disconnect for many young people with the term volunteering, she explains: “If there was a need — be it artistic, human or otherwise — I took the necessary steps to fill it.” For her, it wasn’t about volunteering, it was about meeting the needs she saw in her community, and organizations need to consider how they can facilitate meaningful contributions that address the needs of the communities they serve instead of volunteer tasks and hours fulfilling organizational needs.
There is also a need to shift from a scarcity model to one of abundance. There is a wealth of talent, skill and passion in communities — it’s really a matter of connecting with people effectively. This includes re-examining perceptions about young people and some firmly held beliefs about who volunteers, who doesn’t and why; and presenting clear avenues and opportunities for getting involved.
The need to embrace diversity and make it an organizational reality beyond a diversity policy or a youth engagement strategy is enormous. As Amy Mapara from the Canadian Red Cross said: “I look forward to a time when diversity policies and youth engagement strategies aren’t needed because they are an implicit, integrated part of what we do. We need to have a holistic approach to social inclusion.”
What organizations can do
There was rich discussion, however, due to an ambitious agenda and a very tight timeframe, participants didn’t make it to the task of identifying concrete actions or next steps. That said, many inspiring and tangible examples of what is working were shared by the group and are definitely worth sharing. Volunteer Canada committed at the close of the session to compile all of the data generated during the sessions and report back to the participants and to the sector at large. Until then, here is a sampling of what participants said was working and what they committed to do themselves:
Shift from volunteer management to more integrated people strategies. Participants heard from organizations that have already moved toward an integrated HR strategy that considers the combined talents of paid staff and volunteers, with the focus on good people management. Effective HR practices and good volunteer management practices are based on the same principles — both groups need to be recruited, engaged, oriented, rewarded, recognized, developed, challenged and to varying degrees ‘managed’. An important point was that engaging people is not the sole responsibility of the volunteer coordinator or manager — there needs to be an infectious sense of purpose, commitment and passion across the organization that will draw people in. Further, paid staff across the organization need to be committed to working effectively with volunteers. An integrated people strategy will also help conquer the ‘just volunteers’ mentality, which can dismantle an organization that values paid talent over volunteer talent.
Stretch, be flexible and provide a spectrum of opportunities for meaningful engagement. This means moving from task-oriented volunteering to offering a range of opportunities that engage minds and hearts, as well as hands. Maria Turnbull from Vantage Point explained:
“As a sector, we continue to create lots of rounds holes, and we need round pegs to fit into these holes. BUT, we have a lot of square pegs looking to be engaged. Talent is abundant — we need to create space for the square pegs and all the other pegs out there that don’t fit into the round holes!”
She continued by stating that organizations need to learn how to work with highly skilled people who can bring a wealth of diverse talents, experience, and knowledge to this work (think knowledge philanthropists!). Turnbull cautioned that this often requires stepping outside your comfort zone but it is crucial if organizations want to bring together the skills and resources required to meet the challenges ahead.
Volunteer Canada has developed a spectrum of community engagement opportunities that describes the variety of ways that people can engage with organizations beyond the traditional direct service model that many people equate with volunteering. The spectrum includes: direct service, episodic opportunities, group opportunities, community engaged/service learning, leadership options, and pro bono skills-based options. Many participants discussed using this spectrum as a tool for assessing the opportunities provide by their own organizations for meaningful engagement.
Create opportunities for meaningful involvement. In order to understand what is meaningful you have to talk to people. Find out what they have to offer and what they want to offer. Often people have highly sought after professional experience but may want to share what they enjoy doing most and sometimes this is quite different than their professional skills set. A young leader in the session described how she had been actively involved in the work of the Canadian Red Cross since the age of nine because the organization had been flexible enough to find ways to involve her and continually presented her with new challenges as her interests, skills and abilities changed over the years. From administrative tasks to research assignments to leadership and governance roles, the organization kept her engaged by providing opportunities that were meaningful to her at different stages of her life.
Start a new conversation. Many participants committed to changing the conversation in their own organizations as they head back from the Summit. There was a shared sentiment that the conversation had already shifted as a result of the sessions. It’s time to get more people talking about what nonprofits and charities need to do differently in order to be truly diverse, thriving, engaged organizations that are equipped to address community needs – and lead by example.
Allison Griffith Seniuk has just returned to Ottawa after living in Manila, Philippines for the past three years. Before moving to the other side of the planet, Allison held a number of positions in the nonprofit sector in the areas of HR, volunteer management and community engagement. She is currently embracing winter in Canada and rediscovering the joy of woollen layers. You can reach Allison by email at allisonseniuk@gmail.com.
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