(Here are some of my notes from Cynthia D'Amour's Lazy Leader Road Show "Creating A Surplus Of Volunteers" which recently stopped in Dallas.) Martyr leader volunteers! Our organizations are rife with them. They are the survival strategy for many nonprofits. Yet, focusing on them can actually kill an organization. The Awful Truth About Our Current Volunteer Strategies We reward volunteers who are over-achievers. The ones that throw their entire lives out of balance each year in the name of … [Read more...]
10 Ways To Ensure Your Nonprofit Volunteers Fail
As a former nonprofit employee and a volunteer leader, I've made many mistakes when it comes to volunteers. Here are a few I've learned the hard way, either through my own leadership missteps or from serving as a volunteer board member, committee chair or volunteer at large. 1. Don't think about each volunteer individually. Don't carefully consider each volunteer's strengths, talents and weaknesses. Don't ruminate about finding the right fit for them. Successful volunteers need room and time … [Read more...]