06/20/2023

How One Organization Lets Volunteer Groups Lead Themselves

Empowering them to self-organize can strengthen bonds among volunteers

Associations understandably deal with a lot of stress when it comes to volunteers. There are administrative tasks volunteers are tasked to manage, but volunteers also want a sense of belonging, a feeling that they're doing valuable work, and participating in an opportunity to develop professionally.

But perhaps instead of being a helicopter parent to volunteer groups, associations might benefit from letting them be a little more free-range.

Something like that is happening at PEAK Grantmaking, an association of approximately 7,000 grants professionals. Before the pandemic, members in its regional chapters began to self-select into affinity groups, such as grant managers, according to Membership and Community Engagement Director Sara Sanders. After COVID-19 struck and social-justice activities gained more attention in 2020, that self-selection accelerated and widened.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Associations Now.