What? Gulp? You don’t understand – I’m busy providing needy services to needy people – I’m one of the good guys! I don’t have the time to volunteer; I’m too busy doing what I’m doing! Wow – this isn’t what I expected from this column.
In the last several weeks I have carried this challenge to numerous organizations that have solicited volunteers to assist them in serving needy people in needy communities. Initially the reception was a bit incredulous, sometimes a bit threatening – until I had a chance to explain. This is not an attack! Rather a way of demonstrating that your organizations can both learn from and serve each other.
Far too often nonprofits and those organizations focused on serving those in need are “consumers of volunteers.” Many times, in the heat of battle, these organizations may lose track of what volunteering is all about – staying focused instead of just “getting the job done,” completing their mission and sometimes forgetting what it is like to volunteer.
Therefore I challenge the leaders and administrators of those organizations to volunteer themselves – to pick one opportunity to volunteer with another organization that is also serving those in need. The “costs” are clear: downtime in your own organization, momentary change in focus, a change in role from leading/managing/administrating to serving on the line etc.
But the “advantages” for those leaders/managers/administrators of nonprofit organizations volunteering in other organizations are many and worthwhile, including chances to:
• Demonstrate to the community that the leaders of one organization are not just centrally focused on their own organization and conscious of those in need (organizations) within the same community.
• See how other organizations run, serve, communicate, recruit, interact with their volunteers, with those they serve. etc.
• See how other organizations “manage” their professional staff and their volunteers.
• Generate reciprocity, for example, gaining volunteers from the professional leadership staff of other organizations to assist in return – “when it is their turn.”
• Demonstrate to the community that not-for-profits can and do work together rather than one organization trying to do everything, resulting in duplication of efforts.
• Draw greater numbers of volunteers to the home organization by demonstrating that volunteerism is a culture of the leadership and management of the home organization.
I have provided management consultative services to numerous not-for-profit organizations primarily focused upon leadership, organizational structure and performance management. Rarely have I found leadership and management of these organizations valuing the input from other organizations serving similar community needs – not from a negative perspective – but rather because they don’t see the value of time expended in the effort.
We can get too narrow in just looking at our own organization. Make it a priority to not only visit other organizations and seek mutual improvements, but in serving each other in the grand plan of serving the community. I would be happy to introduce one organization to another for this purpose.
Remember – send in suggested volunteer opportunities to the Kirkland Reporter, attention: Bill LaMarche.
Bill LaMarche is an active community volunteer. Bill can be reached through the Kirkland Reporter at: editor@kirklandreporter.com
