International Volunteer Manager Day
The first time I remember volunteering on my own I was in about gr. 3 or4 and I had to volunteer for some reason (yes ironic as volunteering means not mandated volunteering), but the experience intrigued me because I was volunteering with the popular kid in class and I saw they (organizers, organization) didn’t care about that kid’s popularity or my unpopularity, anyone could volunteer and be treated the same. So my interest in volunteering began. It bloomed again in gr. 7 when by watching the experience of my older next-door neighbours I learned if I volunteered at a summer playground for two weeks in gr. 7 and 8 I’d have a good chance of getting a summer job in gr. 9. Here I was introduced to volunteer management and an excellent volunteer trainer who trained us for our role and also to be eventual playground leaders.
This brings us to International Volunteer Manager Day on Nov. 5. Maybe you don’t remember a fun volunteer trainer who helped you learn new things but I’m sure you appreciate the many paid and unpaid coordinators who assist volunteers in sorting food at food banks, supporting sports events, cleaning up after natural disasters, and we say thank you to you all today!
If you are yourself a volunteer coordinator or manager or administrator (paid or unpaid), you may not be aware there are a host of resources and organizations behind you. Volunteer Management Professionals of Canada (VMPC) is a national member organization for volunteer leaders. They offer webinars, Connect calls, a yearly conference, awards and more – including a distribution list where you can ask volunteer management related questions and receive answers. There is a small fee for membership.
In Ontario PAVRO is the Professional Association of Volunteer Leaders-Ontario. PAVRO distributes a monthly newsletter of resources, coordinates a yearly conference and regular webinars for members. The newsletter is free to join so you can check it out before joining. They’ve offered excellent tips on selecting the right volunteer software and more.
AVA’s are also specific to Ontario. These are community- based associations for volunteer administrators. These groups have their pulse on the volunteer beat in the local community. They are great for networking and taking on a leadership role in the volunteer community. PAVRO lists the AVA’s in Ontario.
Then there are more formal organizations to support volunteer managers such as Volunteer Toronto. Volunteer Canada lists the volunteer centre near you. Volunteer Canada is also helping develop a national volunteer action strategy – for more information check out https://volunteerstrategy.ca/. And thank you again volunteer managers on International Volunteer Manager Day!
Diana Bumstead
Director of Advocacy
advocacy@pavro.on.ca
