“Climate Change” for the Voluntary SectorI was asked to write about the state of volunteering in Canada. This brought me to the realization that I am probably the most unequipped person to do so. It’s like asking a duck to describe water. I’m too busy paddling in it to be able to think about it. As Chair of Volunteer Canada, outgoing chair of the Volunteer Canada Public Policy Committee, an occasional volunteer for Volunteer Vancouver and other organizations, as well as a mentor and an employee in the sector dealing with volunteers, I’m going full out. I realize that many friends who are involved in a similar manner are also on overload; when I reflect on my conversations with these colleagues they are most often about current situations & micro crises. I can reel off statistics and suggest articles for you to read but it’s a struggle to say “this is where we are at” in a neat and concise article. Very much like the global environmental situation we are facing, we need drastic, immediate change to survive. The trends are ominous with less people doing more work at a time when we need all hands on deck but, like the environment, there is hope and there are solutions. We just need individual awareness, personal action, along with political and corporate support & commitment. We know that more people than ever are engaged in their community, whether it be helping a neighbour or creating an online petition. Canadians are involved. However, the traditional volunteer structures that rely on incredibly involved volunteers are struggling. Whether it is a lack of people willing to serve on boards or a shortage of people wiling to make sandwiches for a soup kitchen every week, we have a problem. Nonprofit organizations are, in my view, struggling to find meaningful positions that truly challenge and address the needs of volunteers. They are having a hard time going to where the volunteer is. One of the main barriers to volunteering is the organizations themselves and their ability to manage volunteers. This must be addressed at the senior volunteer and staff level of an organization. That buy-in is critical to ensuring that the value volunteers bring to the mission is recognized. Volunteer engagement and satisfaction must be a key metric alongside funds raised and services delivered. Canadians need to recognize volunteering for what it is – something that is critical to our communities and vital to our health and well-being. To ensure that this happens, we must also seek funding to develop and deliver campaigns that build awareness and raise the profile of volunteerism, provincially and across the entire country. Canadians need to be able to identify volunteering with what it means to be a Canadian and, through that, be inspired to become engaged. Notwithstanding the importance of well practiced volunteer management, increasing vigilance is required to ensure that we do not destroy the magic of volunteering by creating unnecessary systems and bureaucracy that can end up stifling the process of engaging people in the motion of an organization. The term volunteering must be recognized and safeguarded. Mandatory community service is not volunteering. Think about the messaging behind committing a crime and then being told you must volunteer to make restitution – it’s outrageous in my view. So, again, much like the environment, what can you do to make an impact?
About Barney Ellis-Perry
About Volunteer VancouverThe mission of Volunteer Vancouver is to inspire
& build leadership in the voluntary sector. This publication is intended to be a medium of communication and information for the many organizations active in the volunteer and not-for-profit sector. The opinions expressed herein are solely those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect official policy of the Board of Directors of Volunteer Vancouver. Volunteer Vancouver |
