The recent demise of the Association for Volunteer Administration (AVA), affecting mainly Americans, has surfaced many issues around both the “profession” of volunteer management and the design of a possible association that would serve the needs of managers of volunteer programs. 

In this Points of View, Steve and Susan first talk about the structural elements of any professional association, as related to the volunteer field, and then give their totally personal notions of what such an association should be for our colleagues in the US.  For purposes of comparison we’ll talk about AVA, but we’ll also look at how other professional associations in volunteerism have chosen to operate.  And everything we say is pertinent to colleagues anywhere in the world.

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