International scope - mentioning several countries

Recruitment is an integral part of the success of volunteer engagement departments in almost every organization. But when this task is being coordinated by one person sitting in an office space, it can sometimes feel like an impossible job. In a perfect world, that person might be able to find a volunteer with the right skills to support recruitment and screening in local proximity to our organization, with availability that aligns perfectly with the free work station in our office. Alas, we all know this can be far from reality.

In this Training Designs, writer Erin McLean explores how to build a virtual volunteer recruitment team that supports organizational goals and fulfills the multiple tasks associated with successful volunteer engagement. She presents the tools required for operational success and reviews the nuances of training volunteer recruiters who work together remotely. Through this Training Designs, volunteer engagement coordinators can provide effective recruitment and screening support to virtual volunteer recruitment team members that will contribute to the success of an entire organization. 

In this Points of View, Erin R. Spink and Rob Jackson share their thoughts on the words and phrases that no longer serve the volunteer engagement profession – and, they argue, could actually hurt us. They also present and review new ways to communicate about the volunteer management field. Beyond the simplistic and basic, they argue that a committed and consistent change in the language used by leaders of volunteers could be transformative for us all.

The last few years have been challenging for non-profits. Fundraising and safeguarding scandals, accusations of excessive executive pay, concerns over political bias – the list of controversies has grown, negatively impacting the public’s trust and confidence in good causes. Solutions and responses have been proposed, most geared at educating the public and media about the modern realities of running nonprofits. But almost none of these responses and solutions have involved volunteers. Why is that? Are we failing to make the most of what should be some of our most passionate advocates?

In this Points of View, Rob Jackson and Erin R. Spink debate this issue and review how this untapped power of volunteers as advocates can be realized. It’s not rocket science, they conclude, and the benefits definitely outweigh the drawbacks. 

Points of View authors Rob Jackson and Erin R. Spink were recently inspired by a Canadian article that highlighted the coming funding shortfalls due to an escalating reliance on the services non-profits offer. In this Points of View, they take a page from this article to discuss the equally concerning risk of volunteerism shortfalls. They debate the reasons behind these shortfalls while reviewing some steps we can all take to prepare for such a change.

In this month's Points of View, Rob Jackson and Erin R. Spink consider the importance of "laddering" in the volunteer management profession.  Jackson and Spink define laddering as “the opportunity to report to someone more senior than you who is also a leader of volunteers.” They help explain what difference this does and doesn't make, and why it may be important to the field. Join this important conversation about what could be the missing ingredient and a potential turning point for the future of volunteer engagement.

Definitions are important. But when it comes to volunteerism, a focus on the language we use can often result in a lot of navel gazing and little practical action. In this Points Of View, Rob Jackson looks at the ethical implications that can arise when we aren’t clear on the terms we use. Erin R. Spink relates this to actionable advice for anyone working in volunteer engagement. As these two authors clearly point out, not everything that is ‘voluntary’ is ‘volunteering.’

The year 2017 is behind us and a shiny new year lies ahead, full of promise and potential. But before we look to the future, we should take a moment to reflect on the year past, to look back at the journey taken over the last 12 months, and consider whether that journey is setting us in the right direction for the new year—both individually and as a profession.

In this Points of View, Rob Jackson and Erin R. Spink raise important questions about the concept of legacy in the Volunteer Engagement profession; present three reasons to explain why there is often a disconnect between the purpose and the impact of volunteer management work; and challenge everyone to take action now to define a better legacy in the year ahead.