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Supporting volunteer managers key to capacity
Supporting volunteer managers key to developing volunteer capacity
To acknowledge tomorrow’s International Volunteer Day, Victoria University has launched an internet-based survey on volunteering, aimed at improving support for managers of volunteers.
Senior Lecturers Dr Karen Smith from Victoria’s Management School and Carolyn Cordery from the School of Accounting and Commercial Law have been funded by the Tindall Foundation and supported by Volunteering New Zealand (VNZ) to map the backgrounds, roles, challenges and training needs of managers of volunteers. The survey results will be benchmarked against overseas data.
“Volunteering New Zealand’s recent national conference highlighted the need for data on volunteer managers as a key step to developing volunteer capacity and the profession of volunteer management,” says Dr Cordery.
“We hope that identifying training needs and career paths, and developing a database of volunteer management professionals will help connect volunteer managers for better support.”
The research outputs will include a report profiling volunteer managers and coordinators, including demographic characteristics, employment conditions, organisational characteristics, responsibilities and challenges, and training. A training needs analysis will also be developed so that VNZ, volunteer centres and other training bodies can target training provision and professional development training programmes to build volunteer management capacity nationally and regionally.
Dr Cordery says more than one million individuals volunteer in New Zealand each year across a wide range of organisations.
“Research shows, however, that the way that volunteers are managed will significantly impact how many people volunteer and whether they continue to volunteer for an organisation.
“Many people who manage volunteers don’t have this responsibility as part of their job title, and squeeze this role around the many tasks they do. They may not even recognise that what they do is valued
“The roles of volunteer managers or coordinators’ are of central importance to promoting and enhancing volunteering, yet little is known about these workers: who they are, what they do, or how their effectiveness could be enhanced.”
In 1985, the United Nations General Assembly designated 5 December as an annual celebration of voluntary action by people, communities and governments. International Volunteer Day (IVD) is for volunteers from all walks of life working in communities around the globe.
Information on International Volunteer Day activities around New Zealand is available at www.volunteeringnz.org.nz or from 0800 VOL CNTR.
ENDS
Volunteering New Zealand
Leaders of Volunteering
Volunteering New Zealand (VNZ) is an association of New Zealand organisations that have a commitment to volunteering, such as volunteer centres, national and other organisations.
Volunteering New Zealand's mission is to promote, support and advocate for volunteering.
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