What Does Success Really Look Like?

Voices of Volunteer Leadership

Rachel Pates, Leader of Volunteers, Auckland

Strange things make you stop and think sometimes. For me, it was the sight of a washing line full of gloves.

Each pair of gloves had been worn by someone that day. Some had no idea what they were doing. Some had volunteered many times before. Some will be back, and probably a lot won't—but that's OK.

The people who wore those gloves spent time outside. They worked alongside others, had the chance to spark up conversations, and spent time on their feet. A few worked really hard. Others chose not to. Some tried to the best of their ability, while others "just" sat around chatting. But they all showed up.

Who am I to judge?

We provided the opportunity, and we'll keep providing that opportunity. The faces will change. The gloves will keep being washed. But the opportunity for people to choose to come along to our events will remain.

And that got me thinking—what does success really look like?

We're all used to writing reports, collecting data for funders, demonstrating our value, justifying our existence, and putting numbers around what we've achieved. We measure attendance, hours, outputs, and outcomes. But what if success was much simpler than that?

Perhaps success is simply the fact that one person made the conscious decision to join you that day and give it a go. Perhaps it's the fact that someone knew your organisation existed. It could even be knowing that someone was out there doing something, and that they had the opportunity to join in if they wanted to.

With the countless ways people can spend their time, those glove wearers chose to show up, participate, and be part of something. Whatever their motivation, whether they enjoyed it or not, whether they even achieved anything "worthwhile" in a funder's eyes, they were there.

Isn't that something worth celebrating?

They could have gone to the mall, stayed in bed, watched Netflix, scrolled endlessly on their phones, or done one of a million other things. Instead, they chose your cause.

They showed up. In person. Voluntarily.

The reasons people volunteer will always vary. The impact your event has on them will vary, just as the impact they have on your event will vary.

Who's to say that the two teenage girls who sat in the sunshine, chatting together on the grass for two hours, didn't need that opportunity more than anything else that day? Perhaps they didn't contribute meaningfully in a traditional sense, but maybe the event strengthened their wellbeing, their confidence, or their connection with each other. Those outcomes matter too.

Yet we're often conditioned to see that as a failure because it doesn't fit neatly into a funding report. Maybe it's time we looked at success through a different lens.

So, what's your washing line of gloves?

Don't get caught up in the endless cycle of funding, reporting, delivering, measuring, and repeating. Remember that you're working alongside real people who are making a conscious choice to support your cause.

Take time to reflect on the people who show up—whenever they show up, and whatever they do. By creating opportunities for people to belong, contribute, connect, or simply be present, perhaps that's the truest measure of success after all.