Volunteering...maybe | by Skye
As a former volunteer coordinator, I'm pretty picky about the volunteer opportunities I'm willing to engage in. I'd like my effort to mean something, to make something, or to change something. As a stakeholder in this country, I have pretty high standards for the groups that are working to fix the mess we're in - if they don't do a good job, they're betraying the folks who are giving them time and money, as well as the "cause."
Volunteer-run organizations, or even organizations with small staffs, are often overwhelmed by the amount of work they have to do. But volunteers are one of the most valuable resources for helping them manage that work.
What have we found so far in our attempts to volunteer for local political organizations?
The main problem seems to be completing the connection. Glenn has remarked that prior to the election, making a donation to a candidate didn't necessarily get him on the candidate's mailing list. I definitely noticed that volunteering for a candidate didn't result in any outreach to me to connect more with the Party - rather, I was treated simply as a resource for the election. I've also volunteered for one City Council campaign and one conference, but never received any information from the volunteer coordinators. Glenn had a similar experience with a Party organization.
So how can we help fix this, rather than just complaining about it? ;) I've thought of two ideas:
- Provide feedback on individual encounters. Since I have attended three Democracy for Texas meetings and have yet to get on the mailing list - or receive any response to my volunteer offer - I'm sending a friendly note to the organizers with some suggestions, and an offer to help.
- When volunteering, ask for more information. Ask where you can sign up on the state Party mailing list, ask what opportunities are available after this project, ask if any other organization could use your help. Start training the volunteer coordinators to think bigger.
Basically, I need to put my interest in making things better ahead of my pique at being ignored. Missing a connection alone is a blunder, but it may not be enough to differentiate between organizations that are ineffective in what they do, and organizations that could use a little help being effective in managing their resources.
Comments
To update my experience: they called me a couple of weeks ago, needing help the next day. Not high on the professionalism scale. Since I've been getting a release out, I haven't had time to call them back.
Posted by: Glenn | June 7, 2005 9:58 PM