Preparing Your Agency
All Things Volunteer Engagement and 2020
In this Points of View, Rob Jackson and Erin Spink sit down (well, Rob stood up!) to chat on video about all things volunteer engagement and 2020. In what was an exceptional year for the whole world, volunteer engagement professionals faced new challenges and opportunities of a scale and at a speed that few had ever encountered before. The two authors seek answers to such questions as:
Volunteer Engagement Through a Critical New Lens
The good news first: 2020 is almost over! This article launched on October 15, just 77 days until we arrive in 2021. Few will be sad to see this year over. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there hasn’t been a year like this in living memory (thank goodness). “Unprecedented” should be the word of the year, along with “you’re on mute” as phrase of the year!
The Year Past, The Year Ahead: What Will Be Your Legacy in 2018?
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.
Volunteer Handbooks: One Size Does Not Fit All
When it comes to volunteer handbooks, one thing is certain: One size does not fit all.
In this issue’s Along the Web, Faye C. Roberts explains why one organization’s handbook cannot be merely duplicated and adopted by another organization or group. “This should be obvious,” she notes, “but it isn’t.” Roberts explores the Internet for useful resources that explain the purpose and benefits of organization-specific handbooks and manuals. She provides examples of handbook outlines, templates, and content, and guides readers to some good examples of volunteer handbooks that are posted online. In addition, she covers some possible drawbacks of handbooks, and identifies a few concepts that creators of handbooks should definitely avoid (Hint: Shun rule-heavy manuals with an unfriendly tone). If someone in your organization is thinking of creating or revising a volunteer handbook, this Along the Web will be invaluable.
Making the Case to Funders to Invest in Volunteer Engagement
One week after this issue launched, the 2017 National Summit on Volunteer Leadership Engagement began in St. Paul, Minn. A special track at the summit convened a group of funders (public and private foundations and other donors) who met with volunteer resources managers and other nonprofit organization leaders. The purpose? To discuss the challenges of funding volunteer engagement efforts. JFFixler Group, led by Beth Steinhorn, partnered with Jane Leighty Justis of the Leighty Foundation and volunteer training expert Betty Stallings to revise and republish a “guide for funders” that was originally developed in 2003 to provide companion resources for nonprofits. Summit participants received this hot-off-the-press booklet on site, which is also available electronically for free at the Leighty Foundation website.
In this article, Steinhorn excerpts and consolidates tips and strategies from the guide to help non-profits make the case to funders: investing in volunteer engagement is beneficial.