Building community among volunteers
07:21, 4 December 2008
.. Posted in Volunteerism and Volunteer Management.. Link
Building community among volunteers has been on my mind for a while now, especially of late. I've never understood why so many organizations think of volunteers only as resources to get work done, instead of as investors and as part of a real, sustainable community of supporters that will contribute well beyond expectations, if cultivated and supported to do so. It doesn't mean more work for a volunteer manager; it means a different way of working.
It's been on my mind in particular regarding online social networking sites -- too many organizations are focused on getting large numbers of "friends" rather than working to build a real community of supporters among these "virtual" links, people who become volunteers, activists, donors, event attendees, even clients.
Susan Ellis uses her December "Hot Topic" to say that, during the holiday season, "the challenge for volunteer resource managers is how to redirect the traditional one-way giving model into community building – moving from concentrated holiday events to year-round support and looking inside a neighborhood or organization before looking outside for volunteers." If you work with volunteers, you need to read Susan's thoughts for December!
