In late 2003 I commented to Mary Merrill, via email, that sharing occurs to an amazing degree within the voluntary sector. Mary thought this a topic worth exploring further - so here I am on the exploration trail!
One of my earliest experiences of the spirit of sharing was through membership of the cybervpm discussion group (http://www.avaintl.org/network/cybervpm.html) - I don't remember when I first joined but have been a member, and moderator, of this group for a number of years. I am awe struck, and impressed, that many of the recognised experts within the sector are only an email away. Questions can be sent to thecybervpm discussion group or, on the odd occasion, the person from the group most likely to assist with a solution can be directly emailed. The group is made up of new entrants to the sector and longer term participants - most seem to readily share their experiences, knowledge and resources. Cybervpm has lead to the creation of UK and Australian versions (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UKVPMs/ & http://ozvpm.com) where issues pertinent to those regions can be raised and discussed. There may be other regionally specific versions of broad based discussion groups out there but I haven't located them. I know there are a multitudeof local area, and subsections of the voluntary sector, discussion groups too. In most cases assistance and information, for anyone working within the voluntary sector, is just a quick internet search away.
A Google search (http://www.google.com) on the words 'information sharing within the voluntary' sector came up with 581,000 listings. Whilst the search was not successful when it was placed in inverted commas I scrolled through a number of the listings and most of them are relevant to our sector. A Google search on 'voluntary sector discussion group' brought up 775,000 listings. There is a significant amount of useful information out there in cyber space that can be easily accessed. I have learnt to use this information effectively and not reinvent the wheel. Recently I needed to write an introductory page on volunteering for our webpage (yes we have been slow to get one up and operating). I did a quick search on 'volunteer philosophy' and cut and pasted bits and pieces from about ten sites into a document for ease of mental digestion. I then created the document I needed for our webpage using the borrowed pieces for my inspiration and the task was completed in under two hours. IfI had had to actually think for myself I might still be struggling to create the document!
As I have commented there is a significant amount of information that can be accessed, and contact made, via the internet but the actual human beings in the sector are readily accessible too. In September/October 2000 I spent five weeks roaming through Canada. Prior to leaving Australia I had emailed Volunteer Centres in some of te localities I was visiting. In all cases people from the Centres emailed me back and we were able to arrange times for me to drop in and visit their Centres. Not only did the people at these Centres generously share their time but they also gave me some useful resources to bring back with me and in one case sent me a large package via snail mail so that I didn't have to fit the resources in to my already bulging suitcase. My employment background prior to joining this sector was in education so I don't have significant experience in the commercial sector but I don't imagine that I would have been as welcome to drop in to businesses around Canada. It is also extremely doubtful that the CEO of any major corporation would personally respond to my email!
Within Australia we have state networks for Volunteer Resource Centres and a national network too. I am in regular contact with people from throughout Australia regarding issues associated with our sector. Over the years I have been to a number of state and national conferences. I now know exactly the right person to contact when I need assistance. My colleagues are always happy to help and of course this is a reciprocal arrangement. In Australia there are so few of us that we all work cooperatively to help keep each other sane!
A significan benefit of the sharing of ideas, information and resources is that it enables us to bench mark our service. We know what strategies our colleagues throughout the world are using to ensure their service meets the ever changing needs of their local community. We can analyse these strategies and decide if they are relevant for our own community. Despite the availability of information from around the world we do need to remember our local context - legislation, for instance, is not universal!
In the course of thinking about this article I have also contemplated the issue as to whether this habit of sharing helps keeps us all in our current positions -I doubt that, in most cases, it is the remuneration levels! One of theother cybervpm moderators is moving to a new position after nineteen years in the same job. She is moving to another job that has a volunteering connection. Whilst I have a long way to go to match nineteen yers I have remained in my current position for nearly double the time that I have been in any other paid position. Most of the people I have met, who remain in a volunteer management positionfor more than a year or two, seem to become passionate advocates for the sector. Is one of the main things that keeps many of us in our positions the concept that whilst we still have to go to work each day we do so in the knowledge that we aren't isolated? We know that there are people, within easy reach, who are not just experiencing what we experience but are happy to help us learn from their experiences.
There may be a number of other reasons encouraging people to remain in the sector as, in relative terms, volunteer management is a new 'industry'. Volunteering generally has an ethical component causing many people to be energised by the contribution made by participants from all demographics. The very lack of money within the industry may well attract a defined group of participants. From a business perspective the only competitor we have is another non profit organisation also involving volunteers. People who volunteer often volunteer for more than one organisation so there has rarely been a need to be aggressively competitive. The pioneer spirit, the lack of significant finances, the energy and the passion have brought benefits to the sector, benefits that may not always be fully recognised. The major benefit, from my perspective, is that there is an ongoing willingness within the sector to share whatever knowledge and resources we have available - long may this practice continue!
Kerrie Spinks
Volunteering Central West
Volunteer Resource Centre Joint Manager
Australia
kerrie@binc.org.au