Motivation

Volunteer “voice” in nonprofit organizations has not been the topic of a lot of study. What happens, for instance, when volunteers encounter situations they find dissatisfying? This issue’s Research to Practice looks at this subject through “Volunteering an Opinion: Organizational Voice and Volunteer Retention in Nonprofit Organizations,”published in the academic journal, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, in October 2011. This study reviews the experiences of over 380 volunteers at several nonprofits in Southern California. It used an online survey to ask volunteers how they reacted to a particular dissatisfying circumstance, and then related their responses to their motivations for volunteering - and the degree of satisfaction with their experience. As writer Laurie Mook points out, the research reveals a relationship between the particular motivation leading volunteers to work for the organization and how they respond to dissatisfaction. The study also provides suggestions for eliciting constructive feedback from volunteers while also encouraging volunteer satisfaction and retention.

To be effective and to thrive in upcoming years, volunteer programs must learn to engage Millennials, that slice of population also referred to as “Generation Y” and generally born somewhere between the mid-1970s to the early 2000s. As this generation assumes its role in the workplace and begins to build families, it is essential that volunteer managers tap into the energy, technological expertise and passion for community involvement that Millennials have to offer.

This Training Design focuses on qualities of the Millennial generation, both inside and outside the workplace. The objective is to discuss motivations and work styles of this generation in order to enhance communication skills and encourage effective recruitment, supervision and retention of these volunteers. The authors – three AmeriCorps VISTA members assigned to the Minnesota Association for Volunteer Administration (MAVA) – developed and implemented the training for volunteer managers, Millennial individuals and other MAVA members interested in professional development in this area.

This report examines the civic and volunteering behavior of young adults age 15-25 following September 11th. There are surprising findings, some of which we don't quite understand, so you'll have a chance to join in the analysis as we're trying to figure out what's going on.

"There is an essential integrity in a relationship with a volunteer that I find worth examining."

Sarah Elliston proceeds to analyze the fundamental differences between relationships with employees and relationships with volunteers:

"As I examine integrity as this simplicity and deliberation in buildings and people, I recognize that some of my relationships haven't matched the characteristics. The ones where I have felt the most integrity is with volunteers. But with some employers and colleagues, I have been met with distrust and fear when I have been honest and acted from my value system. Why? I believe the major reason for the difference is the assumptions we make with volunteers and those we make with paid staff."

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Soroptimist International of the Americas is an international volunteer organization for business and professional women who work to improve the lives of women and girls, in local communities and throughout the world. Bucking the trend of other large service clubs, Soroptimist is, in fact, asking its members to revamp the traditional club in order to grow its membership numbers. Find out how from excerpts of materials published in Soroptimist's Best for Women magazine and an interview with Executive Director, Leigh Wintz.

The expression “work-life balance” was first used in the UK in the late 1970s to help explain the unhealthy life choices that many people were making. According to one definition, people “were choosing to neglect other important areas of their lives such as family, friends, and hobbies in favour of work-related chores and goals.” In the 30 years since there has been research and discussion around the topic of work-life balance, taking on increased importance as the pace of life in developed countries becomes faster and faster.

As a volunteer manager, have you ever explored how volunteering fits into the balance of the lives of your team?  Many people talk about their lives as a ‘juggling act,’ in which they feel pulled in many directions by the demands of paid work, family care, community involvement, physical fitness and emotional health. Whether volunteers or employees, not all people have appropriate balance or clearly established boundaries in their lives. This Training Design is an opportunity to explore how the work-life balance of volunteers impacts your organisation.