Beyond Management: Volunteering As Participation

1. Beyond Management: Volunteering As Participation London Association of Volunteer Administrators 18 June 2013 Gayle Valeriote, Consultant gvaleriote@rogers.com

2. How can we bridge the gap between what Canadians are looking for in volunteering and how community benefit organizations are engaging volunteers?

3. Volunteer Canada – Bridging the Gap • Acknowledging Volunteer Canada’s 2010 research report

4. Volunteer Canada: Why People Are Volunteering Canada Ontario From: Volunteer Canada: Bridging the Gap : Enriching the Volunteer Experience To Build a Better Future For Our Communities, 2010

5. What do volunteers want from organizations?

6. What Organizations Told Volunteer Canada • Their volunteer base tends to be younger • Many of their leadership volunteers are older • More new Canadians are seeking volunteer opportunities • Most do not have the tools, training, and strategies in place to engage youth, families, baby boomers, and employer-supported volunteers, particularly using a skills-based approach • Many do not have the capacity to involve groups • The Potential of ‘Past Volunteers’ • This study looked closely at the 33% who were past volunteers, and shed some light on the barriers, challenges, and disappointments they had encountered.

7. Challenges in Tapping the Skills of Volunteers From: Volunteer Canada: Bridging the Gap : Enriching the Volunteer Experience To Build a Better Future For Our Communities, 2010

8. What Volunteers Report About their Less Than Ideal Volunteer Experiences (Source: Volunteer Canada)

9. There’s a Gap… • Many people are looking for group activities BUT few organizations have the capacity to offer them; • Many people come with professional skills BUT many professionals are looking for volunteer tasks that involve something different from their work life; • Organizations are expected to clearly define the roles and boundaries of volunteers BUT many volunteers want the flexibility to initiate what they have to offer (i.e., create their own volunteer opportunity); • Many organizations still want long-term commitment BUT many more volunteers are looking for shorter-term opportunities; and • Many organizations focus on what they need BUT besides helping others, many volunteers come with their own goals to be met.

10. What to do? • How does this resonate with your experience? • Where are the opportunity points for considering new ways of managing volunteers in your organization? • With whom could you work to begin to address some of the opportunities you might identify for volunteers?