Posted 5/9/01
Submitted by Helen Rusich, Terra Association, Edmonton, AB, Canada
We began a labour support program for pregnant youth without money.
We had applied for a grant but did not get it. So we simply started
the program by doing what we always do recruiting labour support volunteers;
through the doula assc., nursing students, midwifery assc. etc. Women
came to us in supportive numbers. We extended the interview process
somewhat to compensate. Staff provided the training and orientation.
Manuals were made. A limited amount of resources were provided; binders.
The program was very successful, so for the second year we bought
a birthing ball, and birth bag (includes an instamatic camera, towels,
magazines (donated), candy, wash cloth), bag was donated, bought film.
So for under $200 we are in our second year of operation. The volunteers
have not asked for funds for hospital parking or other expenses buy
these are now available should the need arise. I agree that a great
deal can be done without money. People only need to live in the third
world or in places where there is few economic resources to realize
how much can be done without money.
Posted 5/7/01
Submitted by Gail Barrera, Volunteer Coordinator, Catholic
Charities Northern, Ft. Collins, CO
Good article! How can we get directors to see the value of volunteers
as a financial resource when they are resistant?
Posted 5/7/01
Submitted by Maureen Crawford Hentz, Volunteer Programs, New England
Aquarium, Boston, MA 02110
It's true--there is so much we can do by by-passing money. I do have
some mixed feelings about the time is money analogy. While certainly
I agree that time is money, sometimes organizations DO turn down money--
from companies or individuals with missions different from or counter
to the organization's mission. So, too do organizations turn down
money with too dramatic "fulfillment" requirements (ie: I'll give
you $5000 if you let me fish in your giant ocean exhibit) or from
grantees whose grant parameters don't quite fit current plans. I think
it's important that as a professional group, we continue to acknowledge
and support that having a successful volunteer program ONLY works
if we are judicious about those whose time WE accept. Not every individual
who wants to volunteer is or can be a good fit with our organization(s).
In order to maintain a program's high standards, it is very important
to hold applicants to program requirements in order to participate.
Failing to do so (stated another way: taking everybody who walks through
the door) robs a program of its integrity.
Posted 5/7/01
Submitted by Shelley Thoen-Chaykoski, Leisure Services Director, Saskatchewan,Canada
Interesting points on managing without money-I manage a leisure services
department in a small rural community and from my experience have
found that our volunteers operated at their best when they did not
have money (or a lot of it to work with!!) We went through a period
when there were large amounts of government grants available and this
abundance of funds led to a 'protectionist" type attitude betwen various
volunteer groups, but when no grants were available-volunteer groups
were much more creative and willing to work together towards a common
goal. People look at me like I'm crazy when I say the best times are
when we do not have a bunch of grants available-----but I have found
with volunteers this to be true!!-Go Figure?
Posted 5/7/01
Submitted by Lisa Coble, Volunteer Manager/Newport Hospital, Newport,
RI
Interesting "hot topic" about people raising vs. fund raising.
Posted 5/7/01
Submitted by Ivory, Inner Wheel Club of Meenambakkam, Madras, Tamil
Nadu, South India
Thanks for the lovely hot topic you dealt with. I whole heartedly
support your idea of accomplishing volunteering work without the need
for money. But the question is how effective can our volunteer be
if we do not have enough money to run some of our programmes and projects
for the poor and down trodden people in India.
Basically, though I work for a non for profit NGO, all my spare
time is used for volunteering work. Hence, I joined the Inner Wheel
Club where I am able to render my services for the welfare of the
poor here in India. Even here in the club, we members find it very
difficult to cope up without any financial commitments. What I want
to say is that our projects are related to certain important issues
such as education, health, environment, orphans, old age, the blind
and disabled, empowering the women and of course helping with the
children who are suffering from cancer.
We are based in Madras, South India and in each Inner Wheel club
(30 clubs) we have volunteers ranging from 25 to 80 members in each
of the 30 clubs. However much the clubs try to help out in reaching
to the poorest of the poor communities, we found that we did not have
enough funds to really do some worth while projects related to the
above issues. For instance this year as President of the Inner Wheel
Club of Meenambakkam, I have decided to 'reach out to the unreached'
in the rural areas. But sometime I do feel frustrated because I do
have to raise some funds even if I have to do volunteering work. It
is not that we do the work because we want to attract the funders.
Our main aim is to serve the suffering humanity. Besides this, I feel
that it is better to go out and render our services to the poor rural
women who face many problems and need our help. Well Susan, I hope
you understand the type of problems we face out here. All the same
I fully agree with your write up.
Posted 5/7/01
Submitted by Charla Doughty, Events/Volunteer Coordinator, Texas,
USA
My position at the Kingsville Convention and Visitors Bureau resulted
in a call I made to volunteer to help with the first Wildlife and
Birding Festival in Nov of 2000. to . When a staff position came available
a few months later, I eagerly accepted not realizing that planning
festivals was only a small part of the job. As Volunteer Coordinator,
I learned how a thriving visitors center is operated on as little
money as possible. We have a group of 23 volunteers who staff our
center 7 days a week. Their loyalty, goodwill and genuine concern
for the travelers who come through our city is constant source of
admiration and respect. Currently, all of our volunteers are seniors
but we are recruiting throughout the community. We look for ways to
recognize their contributions and this month will be celebrating with
a bar-b-que, complete with gifts of aprons and framed award certificates
to thank them for their years of service. The staff never take our
volunteers for granted realizing that they are here because they want
to be...its certainly not the money!
