Giving Compass' Take:

• Meridian Swift shares her experience working at nonprofits that failed to fully engage their volunteers, limiting the impact of the volunteer program. 

• How can funders support more effective nonprofit volunteer opportunities? 

• Learn about 2018 volunteer trends. 

I have always suspected that the underlying reason volunteers are not fully integrated is because they are seen as outsiders. By that I mean there are nonprofits clutching to caring and knowledge as if volunteers or donors are cat burglars sneaking in to steal it away.

I have always suspected that this is the reason volunteers are not requested by senior management nor included in planning. You know what I’m talking about, right? You introduce a highly accomplished volunteer to senior management, and you get that look. That subtle grind of the jaw that says, “Who is this interloper and what will they discover or take from me or change?”

I remember being so excited about a volunteer Serena. She was taking a year off work and staying in town with her mom. She came from a prestigious marketing firm in New York, and I couldn’t wait to get her started helping our marketing team as a volunteer consultant.

But they didn’t engage her. They didn’t even grab a cup of coffee and sit down with her to explore the treasure trove of experience she was willing to share. They simply sniffed and said there wasn’t that much for her to do. They clung to their area of expertise like it was a chest of gold and marauding pirates were landing.

I’ve heard nonprofit staff disparage corporate volunteers, dismissing them as “not understanding what we do.” But, you know what? Some of these corporate volunteers exhibited more compassion on their one day of volunteering than some staff members showed all month.

Society is rapidly evolving. What used to be exclusively in the realm of the nonprofit or even faith-based sectors is now front and center. Corporations are practicing “conscious capitalism.” Individuals are creating foundations to tackle societal challenges (Bill Gates is a prime example). Citizen helpers are bypassing volunteer organizations.

Read the full article about nonprofits engaging volunteers by Meridian Swift at VolunteerMatch.