Volunteer Organizations LO19543

vprewitt@bellsouth.net
Sat, 17 Oct 1998 10:07:26 -0400

Replying to LO19536 --

I've worked with volunteer boards for many years, first as a volunteer,
later as a board member, and most recently as an OD consultant. Two
things I've learned about volunteer commitment is:

1) make it fun. They don't have to be involved and will go somewhere else
with their ideas and energy unless the activity is intrinsically
enjoyable. Keep the social aspects rewarding. Most busy people do not
have rich social lives. When they join a volunteer group, half the reason
for doing so is to associate with others like themselves. When hassles
develop, good people make tracks.

2) don't lose sight of what motivates your volunteers (WIIFM). Are they
rewarded by a sense of accomplishment? Helping others? Recognition?
Being published? Accolades from their peers? Whatever it is, make sure
you are engineering the delivery of it. Reward success and you get it
again.

I'm also giving you two sources of volunteer board development I've found
extremely helpful in the last few years. The first is an electronic
newsletter that comes out called "Board Sense" It is invaluable for good
information that is chunked into manageable learning. Contact Andrew and
ask to be included in the list of members. I'm pretty sure the materials
from previous mailings have been archived.

Subject:
BOARD SENSE
From:
Andrew Swanson <andrew@azstarnet.com>

The second resource is John Carver's "Boards That Make a Difference." It
is a radically different approach to running boards that many find
difficult to accept. However, it keeps the boards focused on strategic
vision and connection with its membership while keeping staff focused on
the day-to-day events. The model of policy governance is also
delightfully free of the standard problems associated with Robert's Rules
of Order. The website is: http://www.carvergovernance.com/forum.htm

kind regards,
Vana Prewitt
Praxis Learning Systems
Chapel Hill, NC

vprewitt@bellsouth.net

AlonzoV@aol.com wrote:

> How do you
> encourage commitment from members of a volunteer organization when there
> is no material commitment as you would find in a business organization,
> i.e., financial gain and security?

-- 


vprewitt@bellsouth.net


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