General Manager's Report 2010
<blockquote>Great volunteer programmes do not fall out of the sky: it is good management practices that make them even better.</blockquote>
This year has continued on the path of increased delivery across all services provided by Volunteering Auckland. We emphasised, through our work, the importance of recognising the valuable role of Managers/Coordinators of volunteers as the ones responsible for ensuring that services are delivered and policies are written, often all by voluntary effort. These, often unrecognised people, importantly contribute to the strategic value of volunteer-involving programmes. “Great volunteer programmes do not fall out of the sky: it is good management practices that make them even better,” is what we are hearing. We also saw the continued effects of the economic recession on our sector’s business, in particular, in reduced funding. However, there is room for optimism as volunteering numbers through Volunteering Auckland continue to rise.
To this end, this year we became proactive in addressing the continuing impacts of the recession on our member organisations with a new series of surveys, forums and focus groups under the rubric of a new initiative funded, in part, by Auckland City Council called “Working Smarter.” Through this work we are seeing our members become more strategic in their engagement of volunteers to ensure they continue to meet their strategic goals.
Workshops such as “The Strategic Role of the Manager/Coordinator of Volunteers,” “Recruiting Today’s Volunteers” and “Changes in Volunteering,” provided an understanding of the strategic value of volunteering in the social, cultural, economic, political and environmental capital of community organisations. A survey, undertaken by Victoria University on the topic, “Management Matters,” suggested high levels of satisfaction among Managers/Coordinators of volunteers, but a lack of time and money are continuing challenges for those responsible for engaging volunteers within our sector. “Working Smarter ” also made possible forums to look at and discuss “Professional Development for Managers of Volunteers” which recognised the importance of this role as well as volunteer-involving programmes. Volunteering Auckland is now involved at a national level, with Volunteering NZ, in looking at developing this further.
Volunteering Auckland is continuing to take the lead in developing Volunteer Management practices through training, coaching and opportunities for collaboration and networking around good practices for engaging and mobilising volunteers.
Developing new profiles of Volunteers based on diversity is also a priority. “Volunteering Across the Generations,” this year’s theme for Volunteer Awareness Week, accented how diverse groups of youth and seniors can create Volunteer successes.
New ways of working are being generated from the research conducted by “Working Smarter” towards the end of increasing Volunteer satisfaction and the status of Managers/Coordinators of volunteers. Through “Working Smarter” we are looking at creating a measure and worth for volunteering which does justice to its monetary, quality and social value. Most of all, we continue to work towards ensuring that the environment for Volunteers and Volunteer Management is efficient, effective, well run, and pleasurable for all concerned.
In this, my 15th year at Volunteering Auckland, I have seen many changes but what still continues to impress me is the generosity of the people I meet in giving of themselves to make a difference through volunteering and in particular from those who engage volunteers in our communities.
Kia ora koutou nga tipuna, kia ora koutou nga tangata ki konei, kia ora koutou a muri ake nei i nga tangata. He whakapono i roto tenei toao me tuku noa te taima ki a ratau me tuku noa te matauranga ki a ratau.
Koia toku kupu i tenei waki a koutou – “Ma nga huruhuru te manu ka rere.” No reira tena tatou katoa.
Yours in volunteering
<strong>Cheryll Martin</strong>
General Manager
