How do you Network with Volunteer Managers and Organizations?

For a number of years now I have been associated with and working alongside voluntary organisations and volunteers. In 2016 I humbly received the 'Lifetime Achievment Award' presented by Doncaster Community Volunteer Services. I strongly believe that organisations are the better for engaging with volunteers when appropriate. Having recently stepped down as a Public Governor for a large NHS Acute Trust this opinion has been strengthened by witnessing the dedication and resolve of my fellow Governors. I am working with both the statutory and voluntary sector in contributing to a common resolve to tackle the issues of domestic and sexual abuse. In conclusion I feel the positive management of life in our communities is dependent on volunteers.

To network with volunteer managers and organizations, attend events like volunteer fairs, leverage online platform, like LinkedIn, volunteer locally, join relevant organization, engage with them on social media, attend workshops, offer your skills, seek informational interviews, participate in conferences and webinars.

Love4love Ministry started as a volunteer ministry helping others while I worked a daily job and got paid. Then God called me to quit my job and start working as His writer, teacher, and speaker because I learned so much from Him working as a volunteer. Love4love Ministry is now an LLC. I get paid for my books, teaching my spiritual class, and speaking engagements. While I was God's chosen volunteer, I learned that millions did not know Him or His Son but claimed they did. That is when Love4love changed into an LLC because He wanted me to write, teach, and speak about what I learned and get paid for it. My spiritual journey is outlined in my memoir and how Love4love Ministry became what it is today. When I hire employees, they will get paid

When I go into a networking space I try to move into the room with a clear head, open mind and an inclusive mindset. My goal isn't to meet as many people and rarely do I have an "objective" for that time. I find that with too many goals, my conversations don't flow. I love allowing the energy and people space to find me and then ensure my interactions are authentic.

A shared Google doc is an effective way to collaborate on best practises, volunteer training resources, job descriptions, HR standards, ideas for appreciation gifts for volunteers or activities to build community with volunteers.

Volunteering is all about getting outside of ourselves and being of service to others. Choose an organization that lights you up through their mission, their people or the way they get stuff done. I like to choose something I don’t usually get to do in my day-to-day.

Networking is an important tool to face challenges and overcome barriers. In my opinion and from my experience its important to actively participate on events and share thoughts and experiences by identifiying common issues and priorities which helps networking processeses. Same would be regarding discussions and online bloggs.

One thing I’ve found helpful in volunteering it has to be a passion of anyone who chooses to help others. When networking ensure you do so with people who share same or similar values, that way the initial conversation becomes easier.

Networking can be an opportunity to build sustainable connections and resources. Building positive relationships helps in getting people/organizations/communities.etc to know YOU. Communicating your individual needs while learning the needs of others is essential in capacity building.

If you're going to volunteer, do it on your terms. I know this sounds selfish, but hear me out. Most non profits will absolutely love volunteers to come in the door and do work for free. Who wouldn't! If you're lucky, you might get some paid work out of it. But many people don't. If you volunteer on your own terms, you can set things up so that you're more likely to get paid work. For example, when I was in Cambodia, I emailed all the disability organisations in the country and told them I would be doing training for free on the social model of disability. I asked them to nominate 2 or 3 key staff to come to a location where I would run this course. I did the course, got in front of 15 potential employers, and showed off my expertise.

Most cities and towns usually have an umbrella group for nonprofits, and they hold volunteer fairs and have opportunities listed on their website. I suggest you get out there and meet with people. Ask about the opportunities and see if they resonate with you. Attend an event and see what it’s all about. That’s the way to go direct contact.

Learn from peers in the volunteer industry by connecting with your relevant volunteer peak body or lead agency. In South Australia and the Northern Territory, the peak body for volunteering is Volunteering SA&NT. Connecting with a lead agency will provide volunteer managers with professional learning and development training, regular newsletter updates, networking events and forums to be a part of, that create further opportunities for peer to peer support. It is particularly useful for volunteer managers new to the sector to network, as a way to gain an understanding of best practice in volunteer management and share learnings with one another.

I love a good group or newsletter. It opens up my perspectives when I subscribe to new information sources, join new groups, and listen to those new conversations online. Growth is necessary - it's part of a healthy personal (and professional) journey and making a positive impact on our world.

It's simple. Don't ask and don't get. You would be absolutely surprised at how easy it is to reach out to people who are influential for help. There's a really good technique known as informational interviewing, where you basically sit down with someone for coffee and ask them about their job. It's a good way to learn what roles are really like, but also to show off your interest. Then, when a role comes up, they will hopefully contact you first. The key thing is to be interested in other people, and they will soon be interested in you.

When Love4love was a volunteer ministry years ago, I would search for volunteers who had the spiritual mind of Christ. That way, we knew the mission and the purpose of all we did. There were no disagreements or comparisons. All shared their gifts as they were given.

I agree that it is vital to interact with organizations which reflect areas in which you are interested but much of the most valuable information I have gained over the years has come from making time and reaching out to other groups and organizations. It may take a little diplomacy to enter the realm of engagement with organizations with whom you have not worked previously but I have found some extremely helpful insights by reaching out and sharing with others who have been engaged in accomplishing very positive progress with populations seeking assistance. One of the important lessons for me is sometimes the most valuable information comes when I listen a lot more than I talk.

I’ve sometimes found it challenging to break out of the group of people I already know at an event. It’s all too tempting and yet that’s vital. We only grow when we leave comfort behind and dive in. The new friends and colleagues I’ve made, when I push myself to meet new people, have been invaluable. So I would see this as a challenge to yourself. Say hi and briefly catch up with people you know, but then reach out to others on their own. Now you’ve built your confidence, (gently) break into other groups. Say hi, I’m X and from Y and let it flow. You’ve got this!

When seeking cooperation, looking for networking opportunities in porder to garner support for your cause or organisation, live events are not to be underestimated. Live meetings work far better and give a better mutual experiences usually than virtual events. Showing up is of real importance. Thanks to my "always being everywhere" I am recognised and seen as someone who counts in the different communities and struggles I engage with.

Any event that promotes your cause or product is always a good way to introduce or showcase your product, cause, or mission, and its purpose for it. I plan many personal events for my books, classes, and speaking engagements this year. I am planning fewer virtual events.

Go where the competition isnt. I'm not a huge fan of using conferences and workshops to try and network your way into a job. The problem with this approach is it's too shallow. It's really hard to get to know someone well in this environment with only a snippet of time. I think you're better off going narrow but deep. Find people you admire on LinkedIn and Twitter and ask them out for a coffee. You'd be surprised at how many people say yes.

University volunteer and career fairs have always been a great source to connect with interested college students looking to volunteer as well as networking with nonprofit professionals and volunteer managers. I often learn more about needs in the community, impactful non-profit organizations, in addition to connecting with students who want to make a difference in the community.

Networking is not a one-time event. Engaging in any virtual conversation is networking and should be done to build relationships, which requires communication and follow-up.

Share your experience and feedback with the volunteer manager. Let them know how your experience with them was. Give them a quote they can use to promote volunteers. Offer to bring friends - add value after the event, or assignment. Keep in touch; people want to hear from you. Link them in, talk about your experience on your profile; write a post!

Be that other person on the end of the phone line when they're thinking "hey who do we know who could do this?" This one is really simple. You want to be on the tip of people's tongues when they're looking for someone to do the work. How do you do this? You need to be one of those people who is seemingly everywhere. Whether that's providing value on social media, offering to help, sending out emails congratulating people on something you've seen, it doesn't matter. You just need to make sure you're reaching out to people beyond just asking for a favour. No one likes that person who only gets in contact when they need something.

Maintaining relationships is difficult over time, but so very worth it. People appreciate the small touches. I specifically make time for correspondence weekly.

So important that we break out of a natural tendency to speak more than we listen. Many, perhaps most, of us look inward and express this. However, if we all allowed our own narrow interests to dominate, we would never progress as groups or individuals. My mother-in-law used to say that we have two ears and one mouth, and we should use those accordingly. Now that may sound harsh, she is a plain-speaking woman, but there’s deep wisdom here. We are more interesting to others and to ourselves when we are engaged with each other. Curiosity, knowledge and courtesy are skills we must continually build. I do not believe these come naturally. These are muscles we must strengthen and flex as we grow.

As touched upon in an earlier post, listening is a critical skillset for effective networking. also, it is important to step out of your comfort zone. You might be surprised at the varied interests of individuals, (potential volunteers) who come from diverse personal and professional backgrounds. Find an "ice breaking" question to spark conversation such as "What is it that gives you the most joy or which causes are most important to you?"

Be a connector! As you accumulate new friends and develop new relationships, share the wealth. I get a lot a joy in bringing together my contacts who are of like minds and can benefit from each other. Utilizing this process with volunteers helps to strengthen their network which in turn, can do the same for yours.

Persistence and organisation is key. The main thing is to never give up. Because it is hard to break into new circles but it's rarely not worth the effort. Being organised means having a spreadsheet of every single person, and hopefully every conversation, you've had over years, and being able to refer back to it to bring up some obscure reference most people would have forgotten about. Stick to it, it's worth it.

Consider the volunteer enthusiasm and what they want from the experience. Volunteers may join for the title and may never provide deliverables. How you followup with them is very important. Ensure that your volunteers seek fulfillment through social impact or professional growth through learning.

When Love4love ministry was a volunteer ministry, I looked for where each volunteer's passion came from, and the motives that drove them to be a volunteer. If their passion and motivations came from Jesus they learned and grew deeper and stronger in His image, if their passion and motivation didn't, then they didn't.

Volunteer Managers and Organizations play key role in during peace time and disasters. To ensure effective networking with Volunteers Managers, it is inevitable to maintain a strong liaison and coordination with the volunteer organizations and the management . Also, by contributing and participating in the campaigns of volunteerism, through developing and directing people and fundamental resources, an effective networking with the Volunteer Managers and the Organizations may be ensured.

The way I find it effective to network with volunteer managers and organizations begins by clarifying your interests, skills, and the causes you're passionate about. Conduct online research to identify organizations aligned with your goals, attend volunteer fairs and events to meet managers, learn about programs, and utilize social media platforms for connecting. Explore volunteer websites for opportunities, contact local nonprofits directly, and participate in workshops and seminars related to volunteering. If you possess specific expertise, offer your skills to organizations as a volunteer. Express your dedication, follow up after interactions, and consider joining professional associations in your area of interest.