VNZ Update

VNZ Update February 2010

Branka.Cicak — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:18:03 +1300

VOLUNTEERING NEW ZEALAND FOCUS:
Volunteering NZ has a new leader
Planning underway for a national youth volunteering workshop
Volunteer Managers Survey preliminary results
Volunteering NZ New Members
Call for information on available research on volunteering in NZ

NEW ZEALAND NEWS
Call for Rugby 2011 host and volunteers
Unitec Graduate Diploma in Not for Profit Management
Youth Week 2010 theme "Rangtahi Ora=Whanau Ora!" and call for grant applications

INTERNATIONAL NEWS
IAVE's Global Corporate Volunteering Research project
Volunteering up among Americans in 2009
Increased demand in UK volunteering presents challenges
The BDO not-for-profit fraud survey 2010 results

NATIONAL EVENTS
Andy Fryar workshops
The Pollyanna Principles in Practice Creating and sustaining community impact
The National Not-for-Profit Sector Conference: The Way Forward: Inspiration + Skills
Involve 2010 Connect: Together We Are Stronger
2010 Regional Conferences "Unlocking the future - The Prisoner, The Community and You"

INTERNATIONAL EVENTS
Volunteer Management Conference
Searching for Balance: Palliative Care Volunteers Conference 2010
2010 Australian National Conference on Volunteering
IAVE 2011 World Volunteer Conference
The Role of Community in Economic and Disaster Recovery

RESOURCES and EDUCATION/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Both Receiving and Giving
Social Media is Going Mobile, and So Should Your Nonprofit
yMedia Workshop Series
New Journal: Voluntary Sector Review
Volunteer Management Education Books for Sale

February 2010

VOLUNTEERING NEW ZEALAND FOCUS:

Volunteering NZ has a new leader

The Volunteering NZ Board has elected Gillian Peacock as the new Chairperson of VNZ. She succeeds Alison Marshall who indicated at the AGM in October her wish to set down from the position, having been Chairperson since late in 2001.

Gillian has been a member of the Board since 2008. She brings to the position a background in human resources and a special interest in building capacity and capability. She has worked in both the private and public sectors as a consultant and project manager including volunteer programmes for a major national community sector organisations and major events. In 2009 she managed the very successful volunteer programmes for the World Under 19 Basketball Championships and the Winter Games. She was previously with SPARC where she had responsibility for implementing the volunteer strategy in three broad areas; research, resources and recognition.

Olwen Taylor was re-elected Vice-Chairperson and Lloyd Davies re-elected Secretary/Treasurer.
Alison Marshall is continuing as a member of the VNZ Board and is also the NZ representative on the Executive of the Australasian Association of Volunteer Administrators.

Planning underway for a national youth volunteering workshop

Volunteering NZ has called to together a small group to assist it in planning for a national workshop to discuss ways in which young people and interested agencies might work together to encourage and enable young people in volunteering. It is planned to hold the workshop in the first half of 2010, either during Youth Week or Volunteer Awareness Week. VNZ's decision to proceed with the project was made following VNZ receiving funding support from IBM.
Key elements identified by the organising group for the workshop programme include.
• What is here and what's working
• What would strengthen youth volunteering and what are the barriers
• What steps will be needed take to carry any recommended actions
• What will be needed to be communicated and to whom

Volunteer Managers Survey preliminary results

In partnership with Volunteering New Zealand, Victoria University of Wellington undertook a nationwide survey of Managers of Volunteers between November 2009 and February 2010. Funding for this survey was received from the Tindall Foundation. The initial response rate has been in excess of 800 individual replies to the survey with the replies coming from a broad range of Manager of Volunteer sources. There was a good geographic spread of responses. The initial review of which sector the respondents come from showed 22% from Culture, Sport And Recreation, 20% Social Services, 13% Health, 9% Emergency Services, 7% Education and Research with lesser percentages to other categories except Other 17%. A number in this group may well be added to a specific group in the final report.

A full report including a training needs analysis, based on the survey, will be provided to Volunteering New Zealand in June, 2010. Some key preliminary findings are here:
Profile of Managers of Volunteers surveyed:

Nearly seven out of ten (67%) managers of volunteers who responded to the survey were women; just over half (54%) were over 50 years old and over seventy percent (73%) had at least some university education.
Close to seven out of ten (66%) respondents held paid positions within their organisations and almost seventy percent (68%) had fulltime positions. Over seventy percent (70%) of full-time managers of volunteers held positions that provided salaries of $40,000 plus, while only 1% were on salaries less than 20,000. More than sixty percent (61%) of those surveyed had five or more years' experience in volunteer administration, and almost one-third (31%) had 12 years experience or more.

The role of managing volunteers:

Paid staff & Boards of Directors strongly support the involvement of volunteers in their organisations
Organisations' volunteer programmes are perceived to be both worthwhile and there is plenty of organisational support for their continued operation.
Nearly 80% of responses identified volunteers as being 'essential' to achieving organisational goals, 27% believed they were an effective way to engage the community and 20% viewed believed them to be an additional resource to get things done.
Recruiting of volunteers was identified most resoundingly as the biggest challenge faced by survey respondents. A group of challenges held second place. These were: not having enough time to achieve goals, matching and retaining volunteers, and monetary resources.
A lack of organisational support was either directly noted as no challenge at all or not much of a worry to the respondents; this directly reflects the high level of support reported in the earlier question. (This is an interesting response given two major challenges were a lack of monetary resources and having enough time to achieve goals - VNZ Update Editor)
A considerable number (74%) answered that there were aspects of their jobs where they would find extra training useful. (This data will be further analysed in the final report)
There was strong agreement that managers were satisfied with their roles, of the 748 responses to this question 90% of responses agreed they were satisfied while 74 (or 10%) felt unsatisfied with their role.
Although 62% (547) of managers agreed with the statement "I receive adequate compensation", this response was not as strong as their all round satisfaction with their role.
70% of respondents saw themselves remaining in the same role as they are currently for the short term (Less than 12 months).
78% of respondents saw themselves as being in a different role to their current one in the longer term (Greater than 5 years).

Volunteering NZ New Members

Volunteering NZ welcomes four organisations as new VNZ Members. They are:
St Vincent de Paul Society - the national Catholic agency which provides a range of community support services
Volunteer Kapiti - the most recently established volunteer centre.
The Bangladesh NZ Friendship Society - it works for the betterment of Bangladeshi and Bengali speaking people in New Zealand
Dance Aotearoa NZ (DANZ) - the national body which works for the success and health of NZ dance.

Call for information on available research on volunteering in NZ

We are again updating the VNZ database of available research publications on volunteering in NZ. We invite you to send us information about any existing or forthcoming research you are aware of in case it is not included in our current database. The revised database will be available through the VNZ website

The research papers listed in the database are categorised under following headings: Managing Volunteers; Government Policy; Volunteering in Particular Localities; Nature and Extent of Volunteering; Motivations of Volunteers; Corporate Volunteering; Health and Social Services; Conservation/Environment; Emergency Services; Maori Perspectives; Ethnic; Youth; Older Volunteers; GLBT; Gender Aspects; Disabilities; Early Childhood; Agriculture; Sport.

The information we need for each research item is: Author; Title; Publishing House or Journal in which it is published; Year; Short summary (up to 100 words); Online link (if available).

For any further information or to send the information on available research please email to comms [at] volutneeringnz [dot] org [dot] nz. We would appreciate to receive your contributions before 25 March 20010.

NEW ZEALAND NEWS

Call for Rugby 2011 host and volunteers

The Government run website covering the Rugby World Cup 2011 www.nz2011.govt.nz encourages the involvement of every New Zealanders in the event. Under the slogan 'Give it 100%' they are inviting everyone to join the Cup not only as a spectator but in a more active way as a volunteer or host.

While a special volunteer recruitment portal is still in development (near completion), everyone interested in joining the games as a host or volunteer can register their interest now by going to www.nz2011.govt.nz/cms/get-involved. When the actual recruitment of volunteers starts, the ones who have expressed their interest will be contacted and given information about the available volunteering opportunities.

Unitec Graduate Diploma in Not for Profit Management

The programme in Graduate Diploma in Not for Profit Management is about to start at the Unitec and now is the last chance for those who wish to enroll this semester. There are number of new 15 credit courses that have been designed to ensure to provide quality and up-to-date training for Managers and Leaders in this vibrant and challenging sector.
You can access the 2010 programme with dates and locations around the country by contacting Shirleen Ali re enrolment nfpadmin [at] unitec [dot] ac [dot] nz or 09 815 4321 ext 508. Or if you want to discuss or have queries about the content of the programme please contact Hilary Star Foged hstarfoged [at] unitec [dot] ac [dot] nz or 09 815 4321 ext 5069.

Youth Week 2010 theme "Rangtahi Ora=Whanau Ora!" and call for grant applications

Based on the whakatauki "He tina ki runga, he tamore ki raro. Contentment above, strongly rooted below", the theme was decided by the NZAAHD youth steering group, founded and supported by Te Ora Hou Whangarei in conjunction with NZAAHD. They said that connection to their whanau was very important, and contributed to their identity, self esteem and self worth (which is supported by the findings from the Youth 07 report and initial findings from the Youth Connectedness research).

He wero tenei. Youth Week's challenge to our communities is for whanau to strengthen their relationships and connections with their rangatahi so we can achieve Whanau Ora together.

The call for Youth Week grants is open until 7 April 2010 and aims to enable young people and communities to put on events to celebrate Youth Week. Some funding is reserved for events and activities focused on reducing alcohol harm. For more information and to download the application forms, go to www.youthweek.co.nz. Please contact Andrea Leersnyder at NZAAHD if you need help with the form, email admin [at] nzaahd [dot] org [dot] nz or phone 04 3829944

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

IAVE's Global Corporate Volunteering Research project

As their contribution to the celebration of IYV+10, the members of IAVE's Global Corporate Volunteer Council have launched the Global Corporate Volunteering Research Project with the goal of reporting the results at the World Volunteer Conference in Singapore next January.
Sponsored by a number of international companies such as Motorola, UPS and Telefonica, the the project aims to create new knowledge that will:

Help global companies extend and strengthen their employee volunteer programs; and
Help companies and their nonprofit partners strengthen employee volunteering worldwide.

The project has two components:

The Global Companies Study will examine how global companies organise and manage their global volunteer efforts - what they do, why they do it, how they do it, the challenges they face, their best practices, their partnerships with NGOs, etc. The goal is to document the work of 50 global companies that are broadly geographically representative of the world.
The State of Health Study is a region-by-region examination of how key actors - companies, Volunteer Centers, others promoting and supporting corporate volunteering - perceive the "state of health" of corporate volunteering - what is happening, what the trends and innovations are, what external forces are affecting it, what the challenges are, what the future looks like.

Other cooperating organisations on the project are Community Business (Hong Kong), ENGAGE (London), European Volunteer Centre (Brussels), International Business Leaders Forum (London), International Volunteering Project at Brookings (Washington DC), Points of Light Institute (Atlanta), United Way Worldwide (Alexandria, Virginia) and Volunteering England (London).

The first phase of the Global Companies Study was completed in early June 2009 and the report distributed at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service in San Francisco last in June.
One of the most important insights from this gained has been an idea of the elements of what might be called "global corporate volunteer systems". Here is what was said on that subject:

Building Global Systems. Corporate volunteer programs are systems operating within and affected by the larger corporate systems of which they are a part. In the companies studied, we identified six core components of their global volunteer systems - although the extent to which they are present varies from company to company.
Culture. Companies talked about how community involvement is "part of our DNA" or "part of the core values" - or they spoke of how one of their goals is to "embed" volunteering in the company's culture. Culture in turn creates expectations for volunteering - but corporate cultures differ greatly so programs usually reflect the prevailing rather than the espoused culture.
Policy. To varying degrees, companies have created a policy framework that positions the volunteer program in the company and provides guidance on how volunteering happens.
Brand. Volunteering is seen as a component of the corporate brand - and, in some cases, is separately branded but always in a way that directly associates it with the corporate brand.
Focus Areas. Overall, there was a described movement toward priority areas or projects that are more tightly aligned with business priorities or corporate core competencies than has been true in the past. But in some cases this has created tension with the desire to allow maximum local control over activities.
Technology. Everyone uses it; fewer are happy with it. There is a tension among using technology as a control and reporting mechanism, as a way to provide tools to enable project leaders and volunteers and as a way, through social networking, to encourage and facilitate communication and mutual support among company volunteers. It is a strategic rather than an operational issue, based in the need to conceptualize a system design that meets multiple needs.
Management. There is an ongoing search for the most appropriate way to manage global programs, ranging from relatively tight headquarters control to maximizing local discretion. An emerging approach seems to be "facilitated from the top, not controlled."

For further questions about the project please contact Ken Allen, leader of the research team at kenn [at] civilsocietyconsulting [dot] com.

Volunteering up among Americans in 2009

A million and a half more Americans volunteered to help with such activities as raising money, collecting food and tutoring children during the span of a year ending in September 2009, a period marked by job losses and a lousy economy.

About 63.4 million people ages 16 and older volunteered at least once between September 2008 and September 2009, according to recently released report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). That's about a 1.6 million increase compared with the 61.8 million people who helped their communities in 2008, but not as many as the 65.4 million who lent a hand in 2005. A little more than one in four Americans volunteer, the report showed.

The number of hours that people spent volunteering with their churches, hospitals and other organizations varied depending on their age. Volunteers aged 65 and older typically worked about 90 hours during the year, while those 25 to 34 years old typically volunteered 36 hours annually.
Perhaps not surprising, the majority of the increase in the number of volunteers came from those who were employed part time.

The BLS and the Census Bureau collected the data for the report in partnership with the government-run community service corporation, which administers volunteer programs including Senior Corps and AmeriCorps. The ful report could be accessed from the BLS website while an interesting visual presentation of some of the statistics is available from here.

Increased demand in UK volunteering presents challenges

Similar to the US report, the UK records a major increase in enquiries about volunteering and in the numbers of volunteers taken on. Also, there is an increased demand for volunteer services and according to Volunteering England (VE) the public awareness and the political profile for volunteering have been substantially raised.Recent statistics published by VE reveal a surge in volunteering:

30 percent (approx.) year-on-year increases in enquiries and placements reported by Volunteer Centres in 2008-09 (compared to 2007-08) in new Annual Return for Volunteer Centres; but only slight increase in incomes
between March 2009 and August 2009, nearly nine out of ten Volunteer Centres saw an increase in number of enquiries, and seven out of ten placed a larger number of volunteers; reports from some centres refer to increases of 50-100 percent in enquiries compared to a year ago
11 percent of charities have increased their drive for more volunteers, up from 7 per cent in survey six months previously

Volunteering England says that the increased demand for services is producing major stresses in volunteering systems and, as funding has remained level or been reduced, a range of negative developments. It says problems are reported in finding enough placements to cope with all the enquiries and even in finding time to answer enquiries. VE adds that reductions and strains in volunteer management resources endanger the quality of the volunteering experience. Fears have been expressed of alienating thousands of potential volunteers and leaving a long-term negative impact. See the full report at VE website.

The BDO not-for-profit fraud survey 2010 results

The key findings for the BDO Australian not-for-profit fraud survey 2010 have been published. A total of 272 responses were received from Australian and New Zealand not-for-profits with two responses received from International not-for-profits.
As with previous surveys in 2006 and 2008 there are positive results from the survey and some areas where the sector can improve to reduce the risk of fraud, but the good news out of the survey results is the decrease in the level of fraud occurring in the sector.
The survey also provides a benchmark for not-for-profit organisations revealing the perception and level of fraud in the sector, examining specific incidences of fraud and what the sector is doing to prevent fraud occurring.
Key findings include:

While 89% of respondents see fraud as a problem for the sector and 70% see it is an inherent problem for all organisations, only 14% see it as a problem for their own organisation.
While 87% of respondents assess fraud prevention as important, only 24% of respondents have implemented a fraud control policy and only 13% have implemented a whistleblowers policy.
There has been a decrease in fraud in the not-for-profit sector compared to theprevious surveys - 15% of respondents reported suffering a fraud in 2010, whilst in 2008 it was previously 16% in 2008 and 19% in 2006
The number of respondents who see fraud as a problem in their organisation has declined to 14% from 20% in our 2008 survey
Conversely, the number of respondents who do not see fraud as a problem for their organisation increased from 80% to 86%
In addition, only 12% of respondents expect fraud to become a greater problem in the future
80% of respondents have reviewed their internal controls over the past two years.

Fraud poses a significant risk to not-for-profit organisations, but this risk that can be mitigated by implementing policies and procedures to prevent, detect and respond to fraud. We believe the ongoing research we are undertaking for the sector will help not-for-profit organisations in the fight against fraud. If you are interested in being a participant in the next not-for-profit fraud survey, please contact BDO Forensic Services at forensic [at] bdo [dot] com [dot] au.
The BDO not-for-profit fraud survey for 2010 is available on the BDO website for you to download.

NATIONAL EVENTS

Andy Fryar workshops

Andy Fryar, the well respected educator in Volunteer Management and founder and director of OzVPM, will be presented workshops in nine centres in July and August this year. The dates and centres he will present in are:
Auckland 19 July, Hamilton 20 July, Gisborne 26 July, Whanganui 29 July, Wellington 30 July, Nelson 3 August, Hokitika 4 August, Invercargill 9 August and Christchurch 10 August.

We will bring you more details when each centre confirms arrangements. To register your interest now contact the volunteer centres in Auckland, Hamilton, Gisborne, Whanganui, Wellington Nelson (also for Hokitika) and Christchurch and Southland Community House for the Invercargill workshop. This is a link to the centres contact details.

The Pollyanna Principles in Practice Creating and sustaining community impact

15 March 2010 1- 5pm Unitec, Carrington Road, Mt Albert, Auckland
Prepare to be inspired to create an extraordinary future for your organisation and your community by attending this workshop with Hildy Gottlieb from the Community Driven Institute (USA). Drawing on her extensive experience in the field, the "nonprofit" sector's respected contrarian - veteran consultant and author, Hildy debunks everything you thought was true about creating "effective organizations." Along with her colleague, Dimitri Petropolis, she will outline the principles for creating impact, (not effectiveness) and run 2 practical workshops to help you apply them to both your governance and planning and your service delivery.

Please email hstarfoged [at] unitec [dot] ac [dot] nz or you can register at the door with $60 cash or cheque.

The National Not-for-Profit Sector Conference: The Way Forward: Inspiration + Skills

11-12 March 2010, Waipuna Conference Centre, Auckland
This conference focusing on management and governace of the not-for-profit sector will feature number of interesting speakers including Hon Tariana Turia, Trevor Taylor and Margareth Wheatley.
For further information visit http://nfpconference.co.nz/ or contact events [at] grow [dot] co [dot] nz.

Involve 2010 Connect: Together We Are Stronger

17-19 November 2010, Auckland
This three day event organised by NZ Aotearoa Adolescent Health and Development will focus on ways to empower young people. The conference promotional video is available from Youtube. Sessions will be broken down to General Area (Youth development, Youth Health (Whare Tapa Wha), Education, Employment, Justice, Arts and Recreation) and Skill and Organisational Capacity (Policy, Planning, Funding, Technology, Media, Facilitation, Research and Evaluation)

The call for abstracts for Involve 2010 Connect opens 4 March. Check out the conference website for further information.

2010 Regional Conferences "Unlocking the future - The Prisoner, The Community and You"

5-6 March 2010 Bethlehem Baptist Church, Tauranga
16-17 April 2010 The Oasis Community Christian Centre, Napier
7-8 May 2010 Horticultural Society Hall, South Hagley Park, Christchurch
These conferences are open to anyone who wants to know more about NZ prisons and the opportunities for community involvement in prisons and in prisoner re-entry and reintegration. The organisers, Prison Fellowship NZ and its members, have been working in NZ prisons for many decades and are committed to bring down the prison population over time by effective programmes and services, most of which are led by volunteers.

Each conference begins with a public meeting and discussion at 7pm on the Friday evening led by the National Directors of Prison Fellowship, NZ Prisoners Aid and Rehabilitation Society and the Prison Chaplaincy service. It continues on Saturday from around 8.30 a.m. until 5.30 pm (local times may vary slightly). For further information and registration please visit Prison Fellowship website.

INTERNATIONAL EVENTS

Volunteer Management Conference

23-24 March 2010, London, UK
This two-day event will be the opportunity to develop skills for managing volunteers and share best practices and information on the topic of volunteer management. Registrations close on 5 March 2010. Further information is available from Volunteering England website.

Searching for Balance: Palliative Care Volunteers Conference 2010

20-21 May 2010, Stamford Plaza Adelaide, Australia
This event is organized by Palliative Care Council of South Australia. The sessions will include the topics such as Creative writing; Healing through music therapy; Good food for a fading appetite; Complementary therapies: an interactice experience and much more. Early bird registration fee is $135 and closes on 20 March 2010. For further information and registration visit www.pallcare.org.au or email pallcare [at] pallcare [dot] asn [dot] au.

2010 Australian National Conference on Volunteering

27 - 29 October 2010 Sebel Albert Park, Victoria
The conference aims to provide a national forum to:
Initiate discussion, debate and analyse issues affecting volunteering
Discover new technologies that can affect or support volunteering
Examine initiatives that will grow volunteering and promote best practice in volunteering
The programme aims to draw together papers, workshops and ideas that explore the following streams:
Innovate - sessions that address different or innovative volunteer programmes or approaches to volunteering.
Adapt - sessions that address the changing environment and how the sector has had to adapt or is adapting to change.
Act - sessions that look at the systems, policies and procedures in volunteering and volunteering management in a practical way that provides delegates with solutions, tools and tips.
The official launch of the call for abstracts will be announced soon so keep an eye on www.volunteeringaustralia.org.

IAVE 2011 World Volunteer Conference

24-27 January 2011 Resort World Hotel, Sentosa, Singapore
Hosted by Singapore's National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre, the event will run in conjunction with the tenth anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers (IYV+10) and IAVE's 40th anniversary. In the tradition of recent IAVE conferences, an affiliated Youth Volunteer Conference will be held on January 21-23 at the campus of the Singapore Management University.

The two-and-a-half day event will have a mixture of conference sessions, forums, and workshops. On the agenda will be issues of poverty eradication, literacy, health, environmental sustainability, the baby boomer generation, youth, religious bodies, leadership development, cross-cultural sensitivities, research into volunteer capital, risk management, episodic volunteering, large-scale events, humanitarian relief, and corporate volunteering. Further information and the draft programme are available from the IAVE website.

The Role of Community in Economic and Disaster Recovery

25-28 July, 2010 New Orleans
This conference will offer the opportunity for community development practitioners and scholars to meet and discuss successful ways to promote all facets of community development. They invite participation on all aspects of community development, including economic and social programming. New Orleans is an ideal site for this conference because it launched major new programming under extremely difficult conditions. In a literal sense, many communities in New Orleans had to be rebuilt. The conference is designed to learn from the New Orleans experience and to compare and contrast that work with similar experiences world-wide. More information available from info [at] iacdglobal [dot] org.

RESOURCES and EDUCATION/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Both Receiving and Giving

By Susan J. Ellis***
In many of the organizations I know, volunteers are recruited from outside sources and often travel a good distance to come on site. And, they look a lot more like the staff than the clientele.
Conspicuous by their absence, particularly in human service agencies, are volunteers with a direct, personal connection to the work of the organization: recipients of service, their families and friends, or people in the immediate neighborhood of the facility. These are the folks the staff serves, and therefore are not considered as a source of talent themselves.
We have evolved a system that separates people, often because of the barrier of professionalism. Of course, trained, full-time paid staff are the primary service givers - that's why they were hired. Yet the essential activities they perform are only a narrow slice of what the organization's consumers need and want. If we truly work in mission-driven organizations, we should be trying to meet as many client needs as we can.
Nor should we perpetuate the old model of "charity," in which those who have so much give to those who have so little. We should look to the receivers of our services also as potential givers - contributors to the services we provide.

It Starts with the Board
Consider who's recruited to volunteer for most boards of directors. In a fledgling organization, the first board is, in fact, comprised of people who most resonate on the issue being addressed, often from personal experience. But over time and the larger the institution, the board becomes further and further removed from the client base. Corporate executives, wealthy donors, and key civic leaders are sought - not because they will necessarily make the best governance decisions, but because they may give or attract money.
I believe that an organization focused on a specific target population has a moral obligation to engage representatives of that population in planning and decision-making, both at the top and throughout the system.
Some types of organizations are better at this than others. Women's groups, for example, would never permit a male-dominated board to lead their work. The disabilities community, too, is quite sensitive to the need for representation of their population. But how many youth-serving organizations allow someone under age 18 to serve on their board? Or how many senior-centered groups include someone over age 75 in governance? Many of the organizations battling a specific disease defer to medical professionals and researchers, relegating those with the disease to an auxiliary association of patients who can feel disconnected from and even at odds with the main foundation.
The donors and funders who give money and the recipients of an organization's services are rarely the same people. And, those who pay the piper choose the tune. Revenue is generated by impressing donors with service plans which might not really be what the recipients of service need or want. So it is important that service recipients have an avenue to communicate their wants, needs, and suggestions. Recruiting board members who represent the client perspective assures reality-based consideration of the organization's choices.

The Role of Volunteer Program Managers
As volunteer program managers, we are charged with implementing an organization's volunteer involvement strategy and should not be trapped by the limiting vocabulary of volunteer "program." We are well within the scope of our mandate to draw attention to any lack of representation on the board or elsewhere - and to lead the thinking about how members of the client base can be part of both decision making and service delivery. At a minimum, we can suggest volunteers as information gatherers, informally or formally surveying clients to get first-hand information about what else the organization can do for or with them.
Second, we need to see current and past clients and their families as prospective volunteers with time and skills to give as well as needs to be met. It may help to remember that people move in and out of recipient and giver roles, and can even be both at the same time in different places. The dialysis patient at the hospital might also be a teacher at the high school; the illiterate adult might nevertheless have a full-time job caring for residents in a nursing home. Just because you meet people as clients in need of the services your organization gives does not mean they are "needy" in every area of their life.
***excerpt from the February Hot Topic. The full article is available from Energize Inc. website.

Susan Ellis also invites feedback on her Hot Topics and she would welcome comment from the NZ perspective which might reflect a different picture to that she has drawn. Click on this link to have your say Let's Hear What You Think.

Social Media is Going Mobile, and So Should Your Nonprofit

By nonprofitorgs
As the Web goes mobile, so does social media… and so should your nonprofit. If there is one thing I have learned over ten years of using the Internet for fundraising and social change, those nonprofits that can embrace change quickly, empower their visionaries, and adopt new Web trends, reap the benefits of being early adopters.

The Web and how people use it is transforming quickly. There are more than 65 million active users currently accessing Facebook through their mobile devices and that number grows daily. MySpace estimates that 50% of its Website traffic will be mobile within 24 months. In 2008, over two trillion text messages were sent worldwide. 1 trillion of those were sent by U.S. mobile subscribers… triple the number of how many text messages were sent in 2007. Many of those texts are being sent via Tweets on Twitter and Status Updates on Facebook.

Social Media is definitely going mobile, and here are three mobile strategies that your nonprofit can start experimenting with and considering for 2010:

Text-messaging for advocacy and fundraising: There are number of services who offer mass text-messaging and Text-to-Give services for nonprofits. The tool set is amazing and they get good reviews, but most small to medium sized nonprofits can't afford their services. One thing to keep in mind is that most new services when first launched are expensive, but go down in price significantly over time as new vendors flood the market. So watch the space!
Mobile Websites: When I said social media is going mobile, I meant literally. All the major social media sites have mobile versions of their Websites: m.twitter.com, m.facebook.com, m.youtube.com, m.myspace.com, m.flickr.com, m.linkedin.com, etc. How about your nonprofit? Do you have a mobile Website? Have you considered how your current Website looks on a mobile phone? One of the organizations that have been early adopters and pioneers in their use of social media is the World Wildlife Fund. Now it is leading the way in mobile technology. See www.wwf.mobi. Using a service like Instant Mobilizer and mobiSiteGallore allow to you build a decent mobile Website in a matter of minutes, but with a little technical and HTML know-how you can custom build a mobile Website for your organization pretty easily.
Nonprofits as Real-time Reporters via Social Media and Mobile Devices: This is a dramatic shift in Web communications. Rather than reporting highlights from your Annual Gala Dinner in your print newsletter two months after it is over, or in an e-mail newsletter just a few days after the event, smartphones and social media Apps now allow nonprofits to report live from the event in real-time.

Whether your updating your Twitter account with Tweetie, recording a video with your iPhone and uploading it to your YouTube channel within minutes, or posting a Status Update to your organization's Facebook Page, the news cycle has changed forever. So, nonprofits need to be thinking about reporting live from fundraisers, conferences, protests etc. To do this, you need to make sure that your communications staff are empowered with a smartphone, such as an iPhone, BlackBerry, or PalmPre.

yMedia Workshop Series

yMedia which works to form relationships with the community groups, students and businesses is to offer a Workshop Series for inquisitive community groups, and talented students. Through-out the series they'll invite industry experts to make insightful presentations, relevant to their expertise - and relevant to the needs of growing community organisations and information hungry students.

There will be eight workshops designed to help understand the importance and power of a brand, knowing who your audience is and how to communicate to them, and what online tools are out there to help with both internal and external communications. More details on each of the workshops will be released soon.

There will be a (very reasonable) cost involved for Community Groups to attend all community groups who attend a workshop will have the opportunity to put themselves forward as candidates for the yMedia Challenge 2010. Students who attend will gain a head start in this year's yMedia Challenge, and will be given valuable guidance from renowned specialists in topics from design, client management, marketing, development, and more - there will be no cost for students to attend the yMedia workshop series.

Full details of the first workshops will be published shortly. If you would like to register now to ensure you hear more, hit the relevant link below, fill in the form, and yMedia will email you with more information as it becomes available.

I'm a Community Group interested in the workshop series
I'm a Student interested in the workshop series
• I'm an Industry representative and I could add real value by presenting at a workshop
• I'm keen to support the workshop series in another way - email to info [at] ymediachallenge [dot] co [dot] nz!

If you have any other questions about yMedia, the crew is happy to help - you can connect with them via Twitter, Facebook, and of course, email to info [at] ymediachallenge [dot] co [dot] nz!

New Journal: Voluntary Sector Review

The Policy Press, in association with the Voluntary Sector Studies Network (VSSN), is publishing the first issue of Voluntary Sector Review in March 2010 (3 issues per year - March, July and November). Institutions can trial the journal free of charge for the first year. Visit www.policypress.co.uk for more information or send an email Ann Moore an email at ann [dot] moore [at] bristol [dot] ac [dot] uk.

Volunteer Management Education Books for Sale

Volunteering NZ has for sale copies of four books written by Linda Graff on developing policies and risk management for volunteering programmes. The titles and prices are:

Best of All - Quick reference Guide to Best Practice $46.00
Better Safe - Risk Management for Volunteer Programmes $46.00
Beyond Police Checks - Screening Guidebook $46.00
By Definition - Policies for Volunteer Programmes $36.00

We also have copies of Mary Woods' book
Volunteers, A guide for Volunteers an their Organisations $25.00

Postage and Handling
Up to 2 publications $5.50 3 or more publication $10.00

All the prices are GST inclusive.

Posters "Do a World of Good - Volunteer" suitable for general promotions and recruiting volunteers are available free from VNZ.

Orders for all may be faxed to 04 3843637 or emailed to office [at] volunteeringnz [dot] org [dot] nz.
Payment may be made by cheque or credit card. If wishing to pay by credit card we will send you documentation to complete and return.

VNZ Update

Retreat

Branka.Cicak — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:58:35 +1300

VNZ Update

Just awards logo

Branka.Cicak — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:53:09 +1300

VNZ Update

CDEM award far north

Branka.Cicak — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:33:41 +1300

GG and Bill

VNZ Update

PN council awards

Branka.Cicak — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:22:39 +1300

Photo: (left to right) Jacqueline Mannes (Public Information Manager), Murray George Phillips (Operations Unit) and Jo-Anne Dulieu (Logistic Unit)

VNZ Update

VNZ Update January 2010

Branka.Cicak — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:18:56 +1300

VOLUNTEERING NEW ZEALAND FOCUS:
Volunteering across the generations - Volunteer Awareness Week 2010 theme
Volunteer Managers Survey will close on 15 February

NEW ZEALAND NEWS
Many more new migrants and WINZ clients volunteering in Wellington

VOLUNTEERING PEOPLE
Council staff ready to volunteer for emergency

VOLUNTEERING RECOGNITION AWARDS
CDEM coordinator recognised

INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Strengthening volunteering in Pacific - National volunteer Centre in Fiji
Sign up as a supporter of IYV+10
"Just Awards" - not a prestigious trophy!
Workplace and corporate giving 'hit by volunteering'

NATIONAL EVENTS
Australasian Retreat for Advanced Volunteer Managers
Community Economic Development Conference
The National Not-for-Profit Sector Conference: The Way Forward: Inspiration + Skills
Involve 2010 Connect: Together We Are Stronger

INTERNATIONAL EVENTS
2010 Australian National Conference on Volunteering
IAVE 2011 World Volunteer Conference
Grantmakers for Effective Organisations - 2010 National Conference unleashing Philanthropy's Potential
2010 Joint World Conference on Social Work and Social Development
The Role of Community in Economic and Disaster Recovery

RESOURCES and EDUCATION/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Volunteering in tourism - NZ potential
Why Boards Micro-Manage and How to Get Them to Stop
To be read - Social Media and the Gift Economy: Volunteerism in the Vanguard by Patrick Daniels
Volunteer Management Education Books for Sale

January 2010

VOLUNTEERING NEW ZEALAND FOCUS:

Volunteering across the generations - Volunteer Awareness Week 2010 theme

The theme of the forthcoming Volunteer Awareness Week 2010 (Sunday 20 - Saturday 26 June) will be Volunteering Across The Generations.

A key objective of the Awareness Week is to encourage more people to volunteer - "raising people not money". The theme will highlight the opportunities for volunteering across all generations, how different forms of volunteering appeal to particular generational groups and various examples of intergenerational volunteering, including family volunteering.

Family volunteering is a way in which all the members of a family through all their different ages are able to go together and serve their community.

Other forms of intergenerational volunteering which might be highlighted would be programmes such as the SuperGran project where experienced and knowledgeable grownups provide practical tuition in household management to younger people and families. Likewise, young people volunteering to help those who are older might also be featured, such as high school students becoming involved in aged care services.

Volunteering NZ as the co-ordinating agency for the Week will provide information and some resources to assist participation in the week. The Volunteer Centres will play leading roles within their communities arranging a variety of events and helping publicise the events of local agencies in their district.

VNZ encourages all organisations which have volunteers involved in their programmes to start planning now activities for the Week which will acknowledge and demonstrate the work and contribution of their volunteers and encourage people from all generations to join their service.

Visit www.volunteeringnz.org.nz for updates on planning for the Week.

Volunteer Managers Survey will close on 15 February

More than 600 individuals have already completed the survey which represents a very good result. However the more who respond the better the result. Recognising that many might be away during holiday season and did not learn about the survey or have the opportunity to participate earlier, the closing date has been extended to 15 February 2010.

We therefore ask for reminder notices to go out to your various networks - letting everyone know there is an extra two weeks available for responding while thanking those who have already responded. It will take only 15 minutes of individual's time to complete the survey. Here is the link to the survey.

Recapping on our earlier message, the survey is for anyone involved in any way in managing or co-ordinating volunteers, whether called a volunteer manager, coordinator or something else entirely.

It is a part of a study being conducted by Drs Carolyn Cordery and Karen Smith of Victoria University of Wellington. By identifying training needs and career paths, the study aims to add to the development of capacity in the sector, and support managers and volunteers. It will also feed into the VNZ Volunteer Management Development Strategy. The study is being actively supported by Volunteering New Zealand and the Tindall Foundation has provided funding. Volunteer Wellington and others assisted in the preparation of the survey questionnaire. The questions ask about the participants' background, roles, challenges and training needs.

If you have any queries please contact: Nick Dutton at Nicholas [dot] dutton [at] vuw [dot] ac [dot] nz or by phone at (04) 463 5233 extn 8948.

NEW ZEALAND NEWS

Many more new migrants and WINZ clients volunteering in Wellington

Volunteer Wellington has experienced an immense increase during 2009 in the numbers of new migrants and people registered with Work and Income seeking volunteer positions through them. They have experienced this through all their offices in the Wellington region.

The Centre's statistical update released in January has shown that all its offices combined received 53% more WINZ registrants in 2009 compared with 2008. This comes as a result of the continuous effort of the Volunteer Centre and the local WINZ office. Their relationship recognises that many job seekers, especially young graduates, are interested in volunteering and engagement in their local community. However, they often do not know where and how to start their volunteering experience. Many of them simply do not know 'how volunteering works'. Hence, such partnership is extremely important as it provides the job seekers with the opportunity 'to match' and aids their future employability.

The job seekers can find out about the opportunity to volunteer and the nearest volunteer centre from their WINZ case officer. After they visit the volunteer centre and are interviewed, they can choose from the available volunteering opportunities. Together with WINZ, Volunteer Wellington also runs information seminars for job seekers where they can learn about volunteering.

New migrants who are settling permanently in Wellington are another group which has increased their interest in volunteering. In comparison with 2008, 42% more migrants registered as volunteers in Wellington region. This achievement again is a result of an intersectoral partnership between Volunteer Wellington and the regional Settlement Support office. One of the goals stated in the Plan of Action for Wellington regional settlement is to promote the opportunities for newcomers to volunteer and contribute to their local community and feel a sense of belonging. This helps building networks and provides a pathway to paid employment. Volunteer Wellington is a lead player in working to achieve this.

VOLUNTEERING PEOPLE

Council staff ready to volunteer for emergency

Photo courtesy of CDEM: (left to right) Jacqueline Mannes (Public Information Manager), Murray George Phillips (Operations Unit) and Jo-Anne Dulieu (Logistic Unit)After 18 months of study attending numerous civil defence courses and training sessions, three staff from Palmerston North City Council finally received their NZQA National Certificate for Civil Defence (Response) Level 2. These volunteers have only been involved in CDEM for the past five years. All are members of the local Emergency Operations Centre.

VOLUNTEERING RECOGNITION AWARDS

CDEM coordinator recognised

Bill Hutchinson, Civil Defence Coordinator for the Far North District Council, was awarded the Queens Service Medal (QSM) for services to the New Zealand Fire Service in the Queens Birthday honours. Bill has served with the Kaikohe Volunteer Fire Brigade for 33 years and has been the Chief Fire Officer since 2000.

This was not the first time Bill was recognised for his achievements in the community. Under his leadership his brigade was awarded the National Commanders Fire Station of the year award in 2005, one of only two to have been presented. He was also recognized by the Far North District Council in 2006 in their annual citizen awards, and made a Paul Harris Fellow and Honorary member of the Kaikohe Rotary Club.

*photo courtesy of CDEM

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Strengthening volunteering in Pacific - National volunteer Centre in Fiji

A new national body has been established on the map of the volunteering world. Fiji's National Volunteer Centre (NVC) funded by Vodafone ATH Fiji Foundation opened its door last December as the part of the Fiji Council of Social Services.

So far, the NVC has registered several hundreds of unemployed and employed volunteers across Fiji.

The island nation experienced the economic downturn with many people falling into hardship and poverty as employment growth slowed, jobs were lost, and food prices increased. The NVC is expected to provide unemployed people who have a passion for volunteering with opportunities to make a difference in their community. The Centre will also enable volunteers to graduate by securing employment through acquiring employability skills, positive attitude, generating income and showcasing their arts and talents. Effective volunteering has made powerful impact in the society and can make the world a better place.

The Centre's first initiative was the country's first ever Corporate Philanthropy Seminar which gathered all key corporates and businesses in Fiji. The Seminar aimed to raise awareness on, promote and encourage corporate volunteering, corporate philanthropy and corporate social responsibility in the sector. The speakers of this half a day event discussed number of topics such as philanthropic leadership, corporate volunteering, corporate philanthropy, social and economic investments.

If you would like to get in touch with the Fiji NVC please contact Neil Maharaj at projects [at] fcoss [dot] org [dot] fj.

Sign up as a supporter of IYV+10

The International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE) is calling on volunteers worldwide to sign up in support of the tenth anniversary of the UN International Year of Volunteers (IYV+10) in 2011. To build momentum for this important anniversary, it asks you to add your voice to the call to make IVY+10 another landmark year for volunteering.

United Nations international years tend to come and go, but some make a real and lasting difference. The UN International Year of Volunteers (IYV) in 2001 was a watershed in the development of volunteerism worldwide. The anniversary year excited people's imaginations, created renewed interest in volunteering, and led to innovative developments such as the growth of academic research into volunteerism, the rise of national volunteer centers, and the growth of corporate volunteering.

The reason IVY made such an impact was because it was taken up and adopted by volunteers around the world, who turned 2001 into "their" year. The UN does not always mark the tenth anniversary of its international years, but because of the success of IYV, 2011 will be designated as an official celebration. That means there is a golden opportunity to build on the achievements of the last decade, and give another boost to the development of volunteerism. But IAVE needs you to make it happen.

We need to build the profile of IYV+10 and create excitement and interest in the anniversary year. It is also important to steer the agenda towards key areas of concern to civil society. In addition, ordinary volunteers need to be made aware of the anniversary year, and understand the role they can play to address global issues that affect the lives of everyone on the planet.

To build support for these aims, IAVE is calling to people to sign an online petition to mark and celebrate IYV+10 in their communities, schools, and organizations; and join other collaborations to spread the influence of the anniversary year.

Follow this link to add your name to the list of IYV+10 supporters.

"Just Awards" - not a prestigious trophy!

Very soon, one foundation and one media organisation will be awarded with the inaugural Just Award which aims to highlight the irrational, the irresponsible, and the irrelevant organizational behaviors that most affect the work of social service and social change. With a particular emphasis on the world of philanthropy and with the support of respected judges, this initiative comes as a joint project from Blue Avocado and Nonprofit Online News, the two US based non-for-profit news and resource online portals.
The first "Justie" will be awarded to a foundation or funder for Narcissism in Philanthropy in 2009, and the second "Justie" to a newspaper, website or media outlet for Abominable Media Coverage of the Nonprofit Sector.

This Award is both to have fun and to help make change. According to the founders, the Just Awards will look sharply at how funders behave in ways that distance them from the public and the people they serve, damage the nonprofit organizations they support, and subvert the missions of their grantees. Full information and nomination forms are available at the new Just Awards website: www.justawards.org.

Workplace and corporate giving 'hit by volunteering'

Source: ThirdSector Online
Levels of corporate and workplace giving have been badly hit by an increase in the number of businesses replacing charitable donations with employee volunteering a number of the UK based charities have recently claimed.

They said the level of donations they received from businesses had fallen as employee volunteering had grown since the start of the recession. There was also a trend of companies emphasising volunteering over the promotion of employee fundraising since the beginning of the recession.

As an example comes a charity which was apparently not raising as much money through workplace giving as it had hoped. "There can be a problem when what employers want is for their staff to engage with each other and with the charity, but what we need is for them to raise funds," one of the charity's employees stated. "Businesses can see that the charity receives a direct benefit when their staff volunteer, but we do really need them to raise funds for our ongoing work."
This trend has serious consequences for charities that rely on a certain income and have been hit by people volunteering and thinking they've done their bit for charity for the year.

However, some have cast doubt on the link between the two activities, as not all workplace giving is match-funded by employers, and businesses are almost always asked to pay for employee volunteering schemes. They give the example of the Yorkshire and Clydesdale Bank which had increased the number of employees that were released to volunteer for good causes by 30 per cent in the past 12 months and planned to increase it further this year. At the same time, the bank had not reduced its charitable donations or the scale of workplace giving.

NATIONAL EVENTS

Australasian Retreat for Advanced Volunteer Managers

17-19 March 2010, Hahndorf Hotel, Hahndorf, (just outside Adelaide) South Australia
As at Wednesday 27 January, there were only nine places left for this annual event - just four of those registered are from New Zealand. The Retreat offers an educational and professional development opportunity for volunteer programme managers who are past the 'basics' of their profession and are seeking new challenges. The theme this year is Volunteer Management ~ What does it take?

Andy Fryar and Martin J Cowling are joined this year by Jayne Cravens from the USA, DJ Cronin from Queensland and Meg Webb of Volunteering Tasmania as guest Faculty members.
To download a brochure or to register, visit the 2010 Retreat website.

Community Economic Development Conference

9-11 February 2010, Waitakere, Auckland
This inaugural New Zealand community economic development conference is aimed at people from not-for-profit organisations, government agencies and councils who wish to explore international best practice in the fields of community-led local economic development, social enterprises, social finances, asset transfer and enabling support mechanisms.
The conference has attracted a wide range of international and New Zealand presenters, who will challenge conventional approaches to community economic development, explore new ways of thinking, encourage entrepreneurship and inspire participants to engage in actions that will enhance communities' well-being. Prior to the conference two specialist two day workshops will be run on Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) and Cultural Planning led by two leading overseas specialists. For further details and to register for the conference and workshops, go to: www.cedconf.org.nz.

The National Not-for-Profit Sector Conference: The Way Forward: Inspiration + Skills

11-12 March 2010, Waipuna Conference Centre, Auckland
This conference focusing on management and governace of the not-for-profit sector will feature number of interesting speakers including Hon Tariana Turia, Trevor Taylor and Margareth Wheatley.
For further information visit http://nfpconference.co.nz/ or contact events [at] grow [dot] co [dot] nz.

Involve 2010 Connect: Together We Are Stronger

17-19 November 2010, Auckland
This three day event organised by NZ Aotearoa Adolescent Health and Development will focus on ways to empower young people. The conference promotional video is available from Youtube. Check out the conference website for programme, registration and fees www.involve.org.nz.

INTERNATIONAL EVENTS

2010 Australian National Conference on Volunteering

27 - 29 October 2010 Sebel Albert Park, Victoria
The dates for the conference have just been announced and further information will follow in the next couple of months. For further announcement on the theme, programme and registration keep an eye on www.volunteeringaustralia.org.

IAVE 2011 World Volunteer Conference

Further information and the draft programme are available from the IAVE website.

Grantmakers for Effective Organisations - 2010 National Conference unleashing Philanthropy's Potential

12-14 April, Pittsburgh, USA
This event aims to explore how to unleash philanthropy's potential through grantmaking. The participants will try to answer the questions: How can philanthropy play its most powerful role in supporting a vibrant non-profit sector?

Visit www.geofunds.org for detailed programme information and registration.

2010 Joint World Conference on Social Work and Social Development

10 - 15 June 2010 Convention and Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong, China
This first ever consortium will offer a platform for more than 2,000 professionals, academics, practitioners, social planners, policy makers and advocates from East and West to meet, exchange, and develop an action agenda for social work and social development in the next decade. There are three Conference themes:
1) Life Course Challenges & Actualization
2) Social Inclusion for Whom? Equity for What?
3) Sustainable Environment
For further information and registration visit the official conference website www.swsd2010.org.

The Role of Community in Economic and Disaster Recovery

RESOURCES and EDUCATION/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

In the year opening edition, we discuss the role of volunteering in tourism in NZ and in general. The New Year is a great opportunity for new resolutions - boards with micromanagement problems might consider how to best deal with this issue. We present you an article which analyses the reasons behind boards' tendencies to micromanage and it offers suggestions on how to prevent micromanagement. For the ones who still can't fully grasp the relation between social media and volunteering, e-volunteerism has published an article which might offer assistance.

Volunteering in tourism - NZ potential

After fundraising, the changing nature of volunteering is probably the most frequent topic we hear being discussed at the sector's conferences, round tables, discussion forums, workspaces. The issue which concerns most of the professionals is how to recognise the elements of change and tailor the volunteering programmes accordingly. The success or the lack of it in attracting and retaining volunteers, making their volunteering experiences a gain for everyone involved is either a joy or a nightmare for community organisations in these times. The accomplishment of having lots of happy volunteers in the house can no longer depend on the formula for success which applied 20 or more years ago. And there is no unique new formula applicable across the sector either, as a continuous diversification of needs and aspirations asks the practitioners to differentiate between the clients and the variety of project set ups. Therefore, in order to be able to create valuable tailored programmes, it is necessary to analyse and understand each area of volunteering separately

One such analysis was recently presented* by Dr Karen Smith of the Victoria University in Wellington who talked about the current nature of volunteering in tourism and how it will reflect in the future. While the full presentation accompanied with the video recording of the actual seminar session called The Future of Volunteers in Tourism is available from the Victoria University website, there are couple of points worth emphasising.

Volunteering in tourism: the basics
Volunteers in tourism showcase in two possible roles as guests or hosts. The host volunteers usually give their time within the three different settings:

Attractions such as museums, cultural and historical sites, environmental sites and other such as zoos, gardens. Their volunteering could appear in couple of different settings.
Places at the destination of travel that promote and facilitate tourists experiences e.g. visitors info centres, rescue services, meeting people at the airports
Events such as mega sport events, community events and fairs, different type of festivals where volunteers undertake variety of roles

On the other side, guest volunteers are mostly the people who travel as tourists to some destination and there they engage in volunteering. They either spend just part of their holiday volunteering or go on holidays only for volunteering. There are also gap year volunteers who might spend up to a year volunteering at some place.

Looking into the future
For the volunteering sector in NZ there are two aspects to look at in the tourist industry.

According to the Ministry of Tourism, almost 2.5mil people visited New Zealand in 2009 and the direct and indirect services contributed to more than 9% of the country's GDP. The foreseen annual growth for the next 5 years is 2.5% which would per year bring almost 3mil visitors into the country.

Some of these visitors are coming to NZ as part of their travels and might be interested in staying longer if there were volunteering opportunities on offer. However, very few local communities have the volunteering programmes for visitors and most tourists after few days of cruising around the local beach or bush track hop back in their rented camping van and drive off to another place. Therefore, the potential for the local councils and community organisations to keep their visitors for a longer time may have been lost. Overseas research as suggested by Dr Smith have unveiled that successful local volunteering programmes have had the following:

Low cost facilities which will attract the tourists to stay longer,
Accessible location and attractive natural and historical sites,
Local community that is friendly and welcomes outsiders,
Supportive local city and district council.

Another target group for community organisations involved into tourist industries are the fellow Kiwis. Although lately most of the discussion focuses on youth and boomers, there are all age groups from university students to retired professionals and even the combination of family members across generations who are seeking the opportunities for quality experiences during their career break, gap year, retirement or just in their leisure time. And why not get them involved into tourism?!

Volunteering at tourist destinations and sites is extremely exciting and attractive as it provides a dynamic environment to meet different cultures, practise new languages, learn about the environment, history or other local features and experience the tourist attractions behind the scenes. The high profile events such as forthcoming 2011 Rugby World Cup not only attract a large number of volunteers directly involved in the games, but also people who would like to participate in the activities catering the tourists out of the games official programme such as local museums, public transport services, etc.

Of course, it is easier said than done, but filling couple of key gaps that Dr Smith identifies might help raise the profile of volunteering in tourism which practitioners in NZ should take on board:

Redesigning the programmes that will better meet the needs of the potential and actual volunteers and the organisations with the focus on flexibility, diversity and commitment.
As volunteer programmes are growing more complex, the volunteer management requires more resources and better leadership. Similar messages were received from participants of the recent Volunteering Unleashed conference.
Further research is needed especially in the area of volunteers at destination points and about long term volunteer tourists, project based 'attraction' volunteering, cultural and business event volunteering.

New Zealand's tourist capacity is immense and most tourists see their experience of this country as one big breathtaking moment. Adding a bit more of an effort to include opportunities to volunteer would not make them fall in a faint. It would broaden the boundaries of their experience and further stimulate the local environment they visit (and volunteer in).

* this presentation summarises the larger study published Dr Karen Smith and Dr Kirsten Holmes under the title The Managing volunteer in Tourism. The book is available from the publisher's website.

Why Boards Micro-Manage and How to Get Them to Stop

Source: hep4nonprofits.com
If we were to ask organisational leaders for their top three complaints about boards, micromanagement would absolutely make that list. Both board members and CEOs talk about board micromanagement as if it were the weather - they complain about it, but they assume there is not much they can do about it.

Unlike the weather, there is something you can do to stop a board from micromanaging. The first step is to see micromanagement for what it really is. Only then can you determine how to get boards to stop.

The Problem:
In our experience, micromanagement is not a problem unto itself. It is a symptom of several problems. These are listed in no particular order, and they are NOT mutually exclusive. As a matter of fact, they are often interrelated.

Problem #1:The board has no clear sense of its role in the organization, and no systems to guide that role. Board Members think this is what they should be doing.
Board members are generally chosen because they are movers and shakers - they know how to get things done. Without a clear understanding of the role of the board, Board Members simply assume their job is to roll up their sleeves and do what they do best - get things done.

And so they scrutinise the accounting and the level of activity of the line employees; they talk directly to clients and employees, and then take up those client/employee concerns at board meetings. Everywhere they look, there are things that could be done better, and because they think that's what their job is supposed to be, they pitch right in to help get that job done right. Very often, board members micromanage because they think that's what they should be doing. And there are no systems in place that guide them to do anything differently.

Problem #2: The board has no policies or procedures delineating appropriate roles for staff vs. the board.
This is related to the first problem, but extends it further. Boards that micromanage generally have no clear set of procedures to define which decisions belong to the staff, and which belong to the board. With neither guidelines nor any discussion of these issues, board members venture into the staff's area of responsibility, simply because there is nothing telling them not to.

Problem #3: Most people have no experience in "leading." Our real-life experience is mostly "doing."
Most of us don't "lead" in our everyday lives. Most of us "do". The laundry and the dishes don't get done by leading; the report doesn't get written, the engine rebuilt. The customer isn't served by our "leading" but by our "doing".

When people serve on a board, they assume "doing" is how they will help the organization. They feel proud to share what they are so good at, until they are reprimanded for doing it, at which point they are confused. "Why is everyone complaining, when 'doing' is why they asked me here in the first place?"

Which leads to Problem#4.

Problem #4: Board Members are recruited to perform tasks, not to lead.
We've all heard it, and you may actually have said it. "We need an accountant on the board, or an attorney, or a PR person, etc." Organizations invite folks on the board to perform pro bono staff roles. Then when they start doing what they were invited to do, they are accused of micromanaging! The accountant on the board is asked to review the books, and before you know it, that accountant is critical of everything the bookkeeper does, including where she keeps her pencils! (Don't laugh - we've actually experienced this.)

Remember: if you invited board members to serve as volunteer staff, they are doing exactly what you asked them to do.

Problem #5: Remnants of Crisis
If your board has just experienced (or is in the midst of experiencing) a crisis, they have had to jump in with both feet to get the job done and make sure the organization survives. Perhaps the CEO has just quit with no notice, or was in a car accident. In times of crisis, the board may have to act outside its role, as they may be the only ones left to do so. (That is one of the reasons we have boards - to provide the organization with continuity.)

Once the crisis time is over, though, if the board doesn't have a clear sense of its own role vs. that of the staff, it will be VERY hard for that board to stop its management role. The danger here is that the memory of crisis becomes institutionalized, lingering long beyond the memories of just the current board members. These residual behaviors will likely be inadvertently taught to new board members, as they learn from watching. The board continues to act as if there is a crisis long after the crisis is over, micromanaging from some cellular level that is handed down over time until no one knows where it came from - it is simply the board's culture - the way things are done.

Problem #6: Fear
At the root of virtually all micromanagement is fear. Fear that if they don't do it, no one else will (or no one will do it as well). Fear that the organization will fail, will have horrible things happen to it. Fears about money, about bad press. When individuals behave badly it is usually because they feel their comfort or security is threatened in some way. When boards behave badly (and micromanagement is just one symptom of this), they are usually concerned about the health and safety of the organization. If you can keep in mind that boards micromanage because they care and therefore have fears and concerns, and NOT because they are power hungry control freaks, then you will be better equipped to get them to stop.

For the full article including on how to solve the micromanaging issues of the board please click here.

To be read - Social Media and the Gift Economy: Volunteerism in the Vanguard by Patrick Daniels

Source: e-Volunteerism
The rise of social media is contributing to the return to prominence of what is called 'the gift economy.' As social networks and online communities grow, values such as sharing, openness and collaboration are increasingly governing our relationships and the connections between us.

According to writer Patrick Daniels, social media facilitates volunteerism and other giving activities on a grand new scale, with the assistance of recent developments in technology, critical mass usage and more visibility. Yet even as our social lives move online, Daniels argues that the field of volunteerism seems ambivalent about this increasingly social web and unsure about how to harness its potential for the benefit of volunteering programmes. This e-Volunteerism feature article attempts to untangle the connection between social media and volunteerism, and sets out a framework for understanding the kind of opportunities social media offers those in volunteer management.

The full article is available to e-Volunteerism subscribers or can be purchased for $US3 from the e-Volunteerism website.

Volunteer Management Education Books for Sale

Volunteering NZ has for sale copies of four books written by Linda Graff on developing policies and risk management for volunteering programmes. The titles and prices are:

We also have copies of Mary Woods' book
Volunteers, A guide for Volunteers an their Organisations $25.00

Postage and Handling
Up to 2 publications $5.50 3 or more publication $10.00

All the prices are GST inclusive.

Posters "Do a World of Good - Volunteer" suitable for general promotions and recruiting volunteers are available free from VNZ.

VNZ Update

volunteernow

Catherine.Cotter — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:05:49 +1300

VNZ Update

vnzlargelogo

Catherine.Cotter — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:39:08 +1300

VNZ Update