Comments on: Author Interview – John L. Lipp http://blog.energizeinc.com/2009/11/19/author-interview-john-l-lipp/ A blog about volunteer management books Wed, 31 Mar 2010 16:27:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Pamela Hawley http://blog.energizeinc.com/2009/11/19/author-interview-john-l-lipp/comment-page-1/#comment-259 Pamela Hawley Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:41:34 +0000 http://www.energizeinc.com/blog/?p=245#comment-259 Thank you for so many wonderful insights into volunteering and volunteer management! I run a nonprofit, UniversalGiving, that deals with volunteers in two ways--we connect people to opportunities to volunteer internationally, and we also have many wonderful volunteers as part of our team. I think there's an important note here that volunteers are free but volunteer programs are not. I too believe volunteers bring many new resources to an organization, but not free ones. Volunteers require management, because people can and should be guided to do their best on behalf of the organization. At the same time, it's so important to ensure the manager is serving not only the organization’s needs, but also the desire for growth within the individual volunteer. Ideally, meet the organization's goals and their goals. We have more than 10 interns at UniversalGiving, and we’ve found it to be a very productive experience. It’s our goal to provide them a great work environment, ownership, management guidance and a positive atmosphere. We also do achieve many of our goals through them. It turns out to be very honest, productive and pleasing to both parties. We've found that often volunteers are soul-searching. Some are not sure what they want to do and would like to try out a new skill. Others are ‘trying out’ the nonprofit realm. Many simply need a kind, structured, productive environment while seeking employment. Some just need a break. Our solution: We give them all great experience and put them right to work! Thank you for sharing these valuable lessons in volunteer management. It's not an easy field, but it can be a very rewarding one! Sincerely, Pamela Pamela Hawley Founder and CEO UniversalGiving www.universalgiving.org phawley@universalgiving.org Living and Giving Blog: www.pamelahawley.wordpress.com Thank you for so many wonderful insights into volunteering and volunteer management! I run a nonprofit, UniversalGiving, that deals with volunteers in two ways–we connect people to opportunities to volunteer internationally, and we also have many wonderful volunteers as part of our team.

I think there’s an important note here that volunteers are free but volunteer programs are not. I too believe volunteers bring many new resources to an organization, but not free ones. Volunteers require management, because people can and should be guided to do their best on behalf of the organization. At the same time, it’s so important to ensure the manager is serving not only the organization’s needs, but also the desire for growth within the individual volunteer. Ideally, meet the organization’s goals and their goals.

We have more than 10 interns at UniversalGiving, and we’ve found it to be a very productive experience. It’s our goal to provide them a great work environment, ownership, management guidance and a positive atmosphere. We also do achieve many of our goals through them. It turns out to be very honest, productive and pleasing to both parties.

We’ve found that often volunteers are soul-searching. Some are not sure what they want to do and would like to try out a new skill. Others are ‘trying out’ the nonprofit realm. Many simply need a kind, structured, productive environment while seeking employment. Some just need a break. Our solution: We give them all great experience and put them right to work!

Thank you for sharing these valuable lessons in volunteer management. It’s not an easy field, but it can be a very rewarding one!

Sincerely,
Pamela

Pamela Hawley
Founder and CEO
UniversalGiving

http://www.universalgiving.org
phawley@universalgiving.org

Living and Giving Blog:
http://www.pamelahawley.wordpress.com

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