Volunteering Reinvented: Human Capital Solutions for the Nonprofit Sector
To grow and adapt in today’s continuously changing society, a nonprofit organization must recognize the value and contribution of both its paid staff and volunteers. Simply recruiting large numbers of volunteers, however, does not necessarily translate into success for the nonprofit sector or the community at large. Successful results are achieved when an organization is able to support, mobilize, and manage its volunteer resources for the greatest possible impact on a problem or need. In a competitive environment where resources are often scarce, nonprofit executives and boards of directors have become more strategic about how they leverage the various resources at their disposal: money, space, in-kind donations, equipment, technology, and employees. Unfortunately, however, one of the most powerful and plentiful resources of all - volunteers - continues to receive short shrift from nonprofit leadership. This paper is intended to educate nonprofit executives about volunteering as a key human resource strategy, illustrate that volunteering is not just nice but necessary, and demonstrate the value volunteers bring to an organization that strategically plans for how to use them both to support infrastructure and to deliver programs and services.
21st Century Nonprofit Challenges
During the past century, America’s nonprofit sector has grown significantly. Endeavors once initiated by well-intentioned individuals or small groups of volunteers have matured into sophisticated organizations requiring strategic leadership and professional skill sets in marketing, public relations, policy development, technology planning, and more. With growth, nonprofits have been able to reach more people and communities with vital services that improve the quality of life in America. At the same time, a mature sector now faces a myriad of challenges:
- Workforce Development: As Baby Boomers retire, the nonprofit sector will lose more than 50 percent of its current leadership. Without finding new, flexible ways to keep Boomers involved, attract new professionals to nonprofit jobs, or cultivate a new crop of leaders from current employees, established nonprofits will find themselves facing a staffing shortage.
- Infrastructure Costs: Nonprofits rely heavily on government or foundations for their revenue. These grants are usually restricted with limited support for overhead costs such as administration or infrastructure investments. The financial fragility of large and small nonprofits alike restricts their ability to plan and manage for long-term effectiveness.
- Diversity and Inclusion: The changing face of America requires nonprofits to develop new cultural competencies. For example, as the Hispanic American population grows, many nonprofit groups find themselves struggling with how to ensure their accessibility and relevance to this new, diverse community.
- Social Relevance: Some take the relevance issue one step further. Have nonprofits lost touch with the most important issues facing the communities they serve? As nonprofits grow and professionalize, do they become less flexible and capable of responding to the rapidly changing needs of 21st century communities? Are their original missions obsolete? Have their primary stakeholders morphed into funders and policymakers instead of the people they were created to serve?
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