How To Make Volunteering Commitments You Can Live With

Written by Mike Shapiro | | October 3, 2018

Imagine the following scenario:

You learn about a non-profit that’s doing some good work. You know they’re looking for volunteers. You like what you see from the outside, but you haven’t taken time to become familiar with the inner workings of the organization or their needs.  Nevertheless, you step forward and express an open-ended, non-specific intention to help out.

What have you set in motion here? Essentially, you are inviting the folks who manage the organization to fantasize about the kind and amount of your commitment (X). Then when they find out you are willing to commit to Y, which is almost always less than their expectations (X), they’re disappointed and they show it. When that happens, you’re resentful: “They don’t appreciate what I’m willing to do.” End result: You’re off on the wrong foot to what could have been a mutually rewarding experience for the organization and for you.

What should you do instead?

  1. Take time to learn about a little about how the organization is run. How many full-time staff do they have? What are their titles and responsibilities? Who are the people in those jobs? How do they spend their time? What are other volunteers doing right now? What’s getting done? What’s being done well? What is not getting done properly or not getting done at all?
  2. Determine the specific tasks needed and the time frames during which that work is to be performed. Look carefully at descriptions of volunteer opportunities. Don’t be satisfied with broadly-described categories of volunteer jobs they’re looking to fill. In some cases, they may not have it fully thought-through and you can offer to help them define more precisely what they’re looking for. (Volunteers are needed to make outgoing solicitation phone calls to individuals and businesses every morning from 10:00 am to 12 noon, and to individuals in the evenings from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.)
  3. Determine the specific type of work you are willing to do and the specific calendar time you’re willing to commit. (“I’m willing to make outgoing phone calls to businesses for two hours from 10:00 am till noon every Monday.”)
  4. Communicate your offer to volunteer to the right person in the right way. Filling out a form is usually the way it starts, but don’t stop there. Most of those forms ask for very general responses. Chances are someone in the organization is overworked and needs lots of help — much more than you are able and willing to provide — and should naturally be expected to start to “dream big” about what and how much you might do. Cut to the chase quickly and get a real conversation going with a real person about their needs and the specifics and limits of your offer to help. Say you want to be sure your help is valued and that it works for you as well as the organization.
  5. Commit to a trial period with a promise to revisit. Nobody — neither you nor anyone in the organization — knows how your experience there will evolve and what it will ultimately look like. Make sure whoever will be your supervisor agrees that it’s a work in progress, and commits to work with you to shape it to fit your needs as well as the needs of the organization.
  6. Adjust your expectations for the kind of impression your education, professional status and experience will make. Some volunteer opportunities such as “loaned executive” programs are geared to leverage your experience as a corporate manager. But if you’re signing on as a cook’s assistant, call center rep, carpenter’s assistant or maintenance supervisor’s helper, don’t expect to be treated like a corporate big-wig.
  7. Have an exit plan. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out, and you’ll have to terminate your volunteer work. Successful people usually don’t like to “quit” anything, but sometimes it’s necessary. It can soften the experience if you develop good relationships and practice open communications along the way. Although there are some common aspects, volunteering is not the same as a real job, and most organizations know that volunteers come and go. Saying good-bye doesn’t have to be a harsh parting of the ways if done gently and with respect and appreciation for the opportunity to try it out for awhile.

It’s natural to want to help an organization that’s providing a service you believe in. Make sure you and they have a mutually beneficial experience by taking responsibility for shaping and defining your commitment right from start.