Responses
to June 2008 Hot Topic
Is
corporate volunteering a benefit or self serving?
Response
posted on June 3 2008 by Sandra Waite, Community Development
Officer, City of Playford, South Australia
Hi
Andy good topic this month on corportate volunteering
- my thoughts on the subject and in answer to your
questions
...
With this unprecedented growth over recent years,
and with massive companies each pouring tens of thousands
of dollars into providing these opportunities for
their staff, why is it that so little has seemingly
changed in relation to the resources being placed
into good volunteer management practices, and why
do we not see those who manage corporate volunteering
opportunities within the sector?
My
belief is that the Human Resources Sector percieve
themselves as specialists in managing people and cannot
see the correlations & expertise. This will not
change until Volunteer Management is included into
the HR course structure, training, conference and
the AHRI (Aust HR Institute) I feel we are getting
there in some areas in the LGA and other org but still
have a long way to go in recognition of salary - until
VM is a recognised tertiary qualification
WHY?
•
Have we (or they) created another ‘class’ of volunteer
management professional?
Yes
we have created another class because there was an
identified need in the sector to professionalise the
sector - this has been acknowledged but still there
is a gap that needs to be narrowed - it will be done
I predict within the next 10 years if not sooner the
whole cycle has changed significantly over recent
years as VM's we always worked with the whole person
in motivation, recognition, training etc whereas in
the HR sector they were tradionally working in the
personnel focus - functional, short term, maintenance,
polices and programs, rules and procedures (industrial
relations) now the HR / People Services are more focussed
on strategic, long term focus eg: keeping people within
the organisation (motivation- VM focus) development
( upskilling, identifying training needs = productivity
in the workplace; (VM focus- we train our volunteers
we connect with them! )whole organisation = organisation
sustainability (retention - VM focus) , values and
mission = what we are here for - how we operate -
we are accountable (VM focus - collective action -
we have always done this!) over the past 5 years HR
have started to understand the need to focus on the
individuals - people mean the business ethos and to
sustain good employees and be employers of choice
you have to listen tothe people etc etc. In the future
HR will be looking at change management - overcoming
the barriers, career coaching - developing people
to their full potential, industrial relations
•
And finally …how can we better forge links with this
group and learn from one another chip into the iceberg
until it starts to crack ! - infiltrate the HR sector
- post articles and compare HR to VM, - attend any
HR workshop, seminar, conference you can - speak their
speak but keep grounded - stay abreast of industrial
relations issues and legislation - correlate our polices
and procedures to HR but in 'real speak' - keep doing
what we are doing so well by harnessing the valued
time of individuals, provide satisfying volunteering
assignments, build good people relationships and build
relationships with business partners more productively,
- ask for increased funding and resources or 'in kind
support' to manage the corporate sector - target and
survey the 1. baby boomers, 2. generation x 3. generation
yz what makes them tick in job satisfaction, how can
they helps us and what can we do for them in the way
of providing transferable skills, experience, flexiblity
etc etc etc. any way the opportunites are there we
need to be more savvy in the way we develop our tool
kits for managing the Corporate Sector
Response
posted on June 3 2008 by Jessica Panter, Coordinator,
Volunteer Service, Cerebral Palset League of Queensland
I
have liaised with a number of corporate volunteer
organisers in the last eight years and find that for
most, setting up an activity with a non-profit is
simply one more hat they briefly wear in addition
to whatever their 'main' job is. So in answer to your
question - WHY? - Most would not see themselves as
primarily Volunteer Managers. They are finance specialists,
or account managers etc. They do not have to work
hard to recruit their volunteers. They simply put
the word out, the staff are compensated for their
day out of normal work and there are career benefits
in the networking that ensues. They do not have to
worry about keeping their volunteers. They're paid
employees and if staff don't enjoy the activity, they'll
quickly move to one that is more rewarding (just like
other volunteers!) I have found that the corporate
staff who take on the organising role are often enthusiastic
juniors who will work with a non-profit for one or
maybe two events and then they are promoted or transferred
and they are on to something else. So for them, they
know that their involvement is going to be fairly
short-term. I guess the benefits for them in terms
of corporates getting more involved with Volunteering
forums is the chance to find out what non-profits
are really looking for and what would make for a more
beneficial, longer-term relationship with them. The
key ingredients for non-profits to return again seem
to be that they have fun and that they get some direct
client contact, during their activity. I hope this
helps.
Response
posted on June 3 2008 by Tony Frew, Research &
Policy Manager, Centre for Volunteering, Sydney, NSW
Please
have a look at the report of a recently completed
research project conducted by The Centre http://volunteering.com.au/latest_news/national_volunteering_news/2008/EVP_release_0508.asp
Response
posted on June 3 2008 by Zoe Pelteki, Manager Volunteer
Services, Calvary Health Care Bethlehem Ltd, Australia
Do
those employed in the corporate volunteering world
not understand there is already an established network
of volunteering infrastructure in place?
Volunteering
programs run on the smell of an oily rag!
But
really…………………who cares?.................What is the
true reality?
Let
us not look through opaque glass and forget that a
profit making organisation does get tax deductions
– exemptions.
Perhaps
corporate volunteering is nothing more than a feel
good marketing strategy by management to gain social
recognition that, yes although we are in the business
of making a dollar, we still are a caring philanthropic
minded organisation with a heart and it looks great
in the annual report as well!
Perhaps
it is purely nothing more than a lipstick demonstration
of social responsibility within the business world
and within various communities that support is given
yet at the same time nicely offloading government’s
social responsibilities to the poor and those in need
of physical and mental health care.
Profit
driven organisations providing financial support through
grant making or staff to the not for profit sector
does not take away the problems and complexities of
social and family turmoil’s volunteers are recruited
trained and dispatched to support and prop up.
An
important question not openly discussed is the ethical
aspects of a not for profit organisation and its volunteers
being supported by large businesses whose primary
business create the ills and problems volunteers are
trying to patch up.
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