CaseyThomas

03/25/2016
PhilosophyofVolunteerManagement
MyphilosophyofVolunteerManagementisadaptabletothecircumstancesinwhichitis
beingused,butisinfluencedbymypreferenceforhorizontaloperations,orvertical
operationswithclearexpectations,respectandaccountabilityfromleaders.Thisislargely
shapedbymyexperiencesworkingincooperativesandincommunityorganizingspacesthat
havemoreofasharedpowerstructurethanmanyothervolunteeringopportunities.Thisis
influencedbymyQuakerfaith,whichthepresentationonEllisandCampbellreferencedas
partoftheerainwhichVolunteersFoundANation.(Ellis&Campbell,2005)Quakers
haveahistoryofworkingcooperativelyfromastandpointoflivingsimplyaphilosophy
whichencouragesproducingwhatyouneedandtakingwhatyouneedtolivesimply.This
ethosisnotcompatiblewithunnecessarycompetition,butisverycompatiblewith
cooperativelyworkingtogethertoprovideforoneanother.MyQuakerbeliefsinsimplicity
andequality,aswellasmyexperiencesincooperativesandcommunityorganizingledmeto
valuedemocracyinvolunteerism,andhonoringthevoicesofthosewhoaredoingthework
regardlessoftheirpay.

Thatsaid,Iamcommittedtofindingwaystoworkwithvolunteersthatarenotexploitative
ofacommunitythatIamultimatelyworkingtoserve.SusanEllis(Ellis,2010)suggeststhat
volunteerscanprovidediversitythatstaffmaybeunabletoprovide,andthatistrue.In
nonprofitswithlimitedresources,itcanbedifficulttoprovidethestaffthatmatchesthe
sociodemographiccharacteristicsofmanyofyourorganizationsconstituents.However,my
insistenceonhiringpeoplewhoarereflectiveofthecommunitytheyservecomesfrom

experiencesinorganizationsthatprimarilyservepeopleofcolorandonlyhirewhitepeople.
Inthisscenario,thecrucialworkofconnectingwithconstituentsisbeingdoneforfreeand
thefundsthatareavailablearenotgoingtoanyoneinthecommunitybeingserved.Thiscan
produceresentmentratherthanmutualempowermenttoaddressaprobleminacommunity.I
believethatvolunteersshouldreflectthecommunity(oratleastbeabletoconnecttothe
community),butdonotalwayshavetoespeciallyiftheyareprovidingaskillthatnobody
inthecommunityhasbutthattheyshouldnotbetheunpaidsocialworkhorsesforan
organizationthatprofitsfromservingthem,butdoesnothireanyonefromtheircommunity.

Myvolunteerismhasalsobeeninfluencedbytheerafrom19701989,inwhichVolunteers
MoveintotheSpotlight.(Ellis&Campbell,2005)Thiserafocusedheavilyonissuebased
campaigns,forexampleonhungerorhomelessness.Thistypeofvolunteerismhasstrategies
thatareusedtoday,includingrecruitingpeoplewhomaydifferonotherissues,buthavethe
goalofaddressingtheonetheyhavecometogetherfor.Inmypersonalexperience,thiswas
reflectedinorganizingagainstAmendmentOneinNorthCarolina,whichattractedpeople
whowereinterestedinLGBTQadvocacy,aswellasthosewhoweremoreinterestedin
protectingNorthCarolinafromattacksoncivilliberties.ThefightagainstAmendmentOne
includedpeoplewhowerenotnecessarilyproLGBTQmarriage,butwerefrightenedby
codifyingdiscriminationandremindedofhavingtheirownrightsrepressedaswell.Think
thatusingissuestomoveforwardandbuildcoalitionsandbasesofvolunteerstoaddress
theseissuesisanexcellentstrategy.Notonlydoesitbreakdownbarriersbetweenvolunteers
andexpandminds,butitcreatesawealthofpeoplewhoorganizationsareconnectedwithfor
thenexttimetheyareneeded.