Every nonprofit organization we consult with, regardless of its mission, focus, or purpose, has complaints centering on volunteer "issues." These "issues" range from recruitment and retention to management dismissal. Sound familiar? We've developed a series of articles addressing "the volunteer" in the hope that you will find some tips, tools, and perhaps a few "a-ha" moments, in your quest to use volunteers effectively to advance your organization.

Got Volunteers? Part 1

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 63.4 million people in the U.S. volunteered from September 2008-September 2009 . That number represents an increase of almost a half percentage point from the year before, and that was in the middle of a deep recession. That's nearly 27% of the US population! So, why is it that nonprofit organizations' chief complaint is not having enough help?

In this series of articles, we will be discussing:

1. The reason why you don't have enough volunteers
2. How not having a plan creates a pathway to not having volunteers.
3. Why doing things the same old way is keeping you from saving money, retaining members, and is blocking the vitally important benefits that volunteers can bring to your organization.

Question: "Why don't I have enough volunteers?"

Answer: "Because you make it too hard to volunteer."

The problem is that the pathways for inclusion into your volunteer corps are just too steep and are not conducive to the modern volunteer's lifestyle.

Here's a quote from volunteer "Aaron:"

"Everyone these days is being asked to do more with less. As an entrepreneur who specializes in technology and business development, I have a lot to offer non-profits in terms of free advice that can help them do more with less. I can also help non-profits start to act like social enterprises.

I am happy to give my time to help these organizations do these things but I don't have a lot of time to waste. That means that I don't want to make the same presentation three times to different members of your organization. I don't want to sit through board meetings where you're talking about administrative details.

I'm not volunteering to hear myself talk. I want to help your organization as quickly and effectively as possible. That means if I can help you with a well-crafted e-mail or by reviewing a document that you send me - great. I prefer that over driving to meet you for coffee and spending 2 hours of my day. If it can be done over the phone while I am driving between meetings - even better.

My time is valuable and all I ask in return is that you respect that. Don't waste my time with unnecessary meetings or administrative details. Recognize that sometimes the only time I can work on your stuff is after my kids go to bed or on weekends.

This means that I'm going to push for virtual volunteerism whenever I can. I want to help you but you have to meet me half way."

Aaron is articulating what many of your "skilled" volunteers feel. He's clear that he's not interested in becoming part of your on-going governance process. He is specific in what he is able to do for your organization and he is definitely willing to do it. What he's not interested in is giving up his time, talent, resources, and assistance to try to GIVE you something you need by working it into a system that has failed you. You see, Aaron represents the modern, virtual volunteer. He can deliver high-quality professional services and is willing to give it to you - he's just not willing to "pay" you for giving it.

Asking a volunteer to fit in to a model of volunteering that has been rendered obsolete - by modern technology, by the economy, and by current lifestyle - is backward. Your counter-argument will probably be that you already have some volunteers that fit your current system (with the emphasis on "some"). They are willing to meet face to face, be committed to long-term volunteer positions, and know how things "are done around here" and, that you don't have time to train a new person or develop a new system. Well, how's that working for you? Are you still the same organization with the same goals, same resources, and same objectives that you had when you initially brought these people on board? If you've answered yes to that last question, it's entirely possible that your volunteers, possibly even your organization, has become transactional rather than transformational.

Also, what is the opportunity cost of doing things the same old way and relying on the same small cadre of dedicated volunteers? How many active and transformative volunteers have you either passed on, turned away, or worse, turned off, because you couldn't accommodate their volunteer needs?

If you've got a monopoly in the field, well no worries then . . . however, if your potential volunteers have options, reach for the Prozac.

Part 2 of "Got Volunteers" will focus on how the "Super Volunteer" can actually impede recruitment, take valuable training and experience with them should they leave their volunteer role, and how to effectively manage them.