Abstract

This effective practice will help volunteer resource managers consider the different ways they can assemble partners and how collaboration could benefit them — describing factors that lead to success and offering a starter set of collaboration ideas. This effective practice was shared at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service in June 2009 by Susan J. Ellis, president, Energize, Inc.

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Issue

Volunteer managers are frequently overworked and under-resourced. Regardless of the type of setting or service, there are many common needs among volunteer programs, so why not work together to help one another?

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Action

Factors that lead to Collaboration Success

Geographic proximity: you all operate in the same neighborhood.

Mutual goals for different audiences: you all work in the same field (recreation, healthcare, the arts) but you serve different market segments (seniors, teens, people with disabilities).

Serving the same audience for different needs: you serve the same populations (seniors, teens, people with disabilities) but offer very different resources.

Similarities in what volunteers do: while the settings may vary, the functions volunteers perform are quite similar: online newsletter writing/editing; dealing with crises; media relations; speaking to groups; etc.

Intersecting Missions: your organizations share a common interest that needs advocates with legislators, funders, etc. (e.g., economic development, long-term health care, effective public education).


Starter Set of Collaboration Ideas

Hold seminars to educate all your executive directors, agency board members, labor union officials, the press and media, business leaders, and any other critical target audience about volunteer-related issues. Reach other professionals at conferences they attend by developing training “modules” (with PowerPoint slides) on how to work effectively with volunteers.

Develop training cooperatives for volunteers in similar roles, sharing the work and extending the number and quality of workshops for all the volunteers.

Share (with their permission, of course!) volunteers with special skills.

Network with all-volunteer membership associations and civic groups in the community.

Create an exhibit booth where you can exhibit information on several volunteer programs and divide up the work of staffing it at community events.

Maintain a photo file that you can use for publicity.

Fundraise jointly for volunteer-enabling funds, van pools, and other necessities for volunteers. Administer the monies for all.

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Context

Energize, Inc. is an international training, consulting and publishing firm specializing in volunteerism — connecting leaders of volunteers with resources, information and ideas generated from around the world.

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Outcome

These ideas can:

• Serve as a discussion starter for a DOVIA (directors of volunteers in agencies group) or other professional network, whether in a single community or statewide.
• Help individual practitioners reach out to others and share their work.

Collaboration saves time for each individual, creates a synergy of many people’s skills devoted to the same end, and ultimately supports all volunteers.

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For More Information

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Related Practices

• Understanding key elements of barter and collaboration
• Stimulating collaboration and setting the ground rules

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