Thanks to our friends at Volunteasy for sharing a great article this morning about different types of volunteers, based on their motive for volunteering.
Take a look! I think you'll see some folks you know- maybe even yourself.
The optional Volunteer module in the Raiser's Edge provides the the perfect place to track a history of "The Keeper of the Flame's" activities with your organization, or the awards you've given to "The Fine Upstanding Citizen". It allows you to easily find Jobs that satisify the "Resume Builder's" need to learn.
Many of the organizations I've worked with in the last 10 years don't take full advantage of the Volunteer module, in spite of the fact that they paid extra for it upfront and continue to pay higher annual maintenance for it. That always makes me sad because, when used properly and consistently, it can be a very effective volunteer management tool. Is it the perfect solution? No, of course not, but the pluses far outweigh the minuses, especially when used in conjunction with an online tool like Volunteasy.
The most important take away from all this, I think, is that for many non-profits, volunteers are the backbone of their organizations; managing them is a nice problem to have! I'm always very inspired after working with a client like that; those experiences make me more likely to say "Yes" the next time I'm called on to volunteer. When was the last time you said 'Yes"?
