Giving Compass' Take:

• Jan Masaoka argues that the professionalization of the nonprofit sector has been to the detrimental, and that going forward reclaiming the title of the volunteer sector is the best path.

• Is there room for professional and volunteer organizations to coexist and work together? Who is excluded from the sector by the absence of reasonable pay? Who is excluded when expertise is a requirement? 

• Learn about the importance of offering fair pay to nonprofit employees. 

The last 35 years have seen an overwhelming change in nonprofits and identity, shifting from self-identification around cause and activism to a sector that sees itself—and insists on being seen—as a sector of paid professionals.

An unintentional consequence of this focus on professionalism is the invisibility and dismissal of the all-volunteer nonprofits. Many people are aware that a large percentage of registered nonprofits do not have staff. In California, for instance, 65 percent of 501(c)(3) nonprofits have no paid staff. Those of us at staffed nonprofits (including foundations) typically dismiss or condescend to the all-volunteer organizations—at the peril of our whole community.

What nonprofit organization serves more people with substance abuse issues than any other? Answer: The all-volunteer Alcoholics Anonymous.

As we have professionalized the sector, we have lost track of the heart of the nonprofit movement: democracy and volunteerism.

The sector’s current "professional experts know best" attitude is particularly pronounced in philanthropy. Foundations—inherently institutions of the elite— not only have become more expert-driven, but also have created an industry of expert consultants and advisors to themselves.

Foundations lean heavily on research they have commissioned and on field experts and philanthropy consultants, rather than on nonprofit experience in the field and people trying to find a link between theory and the family in front of them.

Let's reclaim the phrase "volunteer sector." Let's see ourselves in service to democratic movements, rather than as leaders and researchers of those movements.

Read the full article about the volunteer sector by Jan Masaoka at Stanford Social Innovation Review.