6 Things I've Learned About Volunteering

~*~

For the past year, I've been volunteering with Band Back Together - a group weblog dedicated to helping remove the stigmas associated with mental illness and other "dark" topics by offering a safe, moderated, supportive environment to share stories and provide educational resources.

Although I have volunteered for many other projects throughout my life, I have never volunteered for a long-term project that required a daily time commitment.

To say it was exhausting would be an understatement.

I didn't realize just how exhausting until I "resigned" this past weekend.

Similarly, I had no idea how much of my time was spent working on this project (anywhere from 2-5 hours/day), and how much I would appreciate getting that time back.

I've also learned a few very valuable lessons about volunteering.

~*~

1.  Always consider the common denominator in any volunteer pool

If an organization targets females, 18-35, who are looking to remove the stigmas associated with mental illness and other "dark" topics, chances are, those who volunteer will be females, 18-35, who identify with the stigmas associated with mental illness and other "dark" topics ... because they are in the throes of have experience with mental illness and other "dark" topics.

I'm not implying this is a terrible thing, but it certainly makes working as a healthy, functional group a little more challenging.

2.  If you want validation, choose a front-facing volunteer opportunity

If there is one thing I know, it's that I don't play well with others. Those social etiquette things? Yeah ... not going to be bothered with that nonsense.

So I chose behind-the-scenes positions (board member, editor, tumblr team lead, and imaging team lead) that would require I work with only a small group of people rather than having to interact with bunches of people.

The problem? There was little validation for the work I did, and what validation there was, was at the group level (generic) rather than at the individual or public level. Credit for good work most often went to those volunteering in a front-facing capacity even when they weren't the ones doing the work.

3.  10% of the people in an all volunteer organization will do 90% of the work

Due to lifestyles, personal time constraints, other responsibilities, etc., most volunteers will not be able to offer a 2-5 hour/day commitment for a long period of time. This means that many tasks will fall to a small core of volunteers who are in it for the long haul. Yes, all volunteers are important and every little bit helps, but if you are in that 10%, burnout is a probability.

4.  Even when you think you've chosen an opportunity that doesn't require interaction with people, you will still have to interact with people

This was an online project. Most of the communication and interaction was via text, chat and email (with a few google hangouts thrown in for good measure). Procedures and group email lists were put together to aid with communication, but the loss of tone, the anonymity of sitting behind a computer screen, and the generally superficial (most had never met in person) relationships of the volunteers often resulted in faux drama.

As much as I find face-to-face encounters stressful, I prefer them over communications that are exclusively online. 

5.  Consider how your position within an organization might impact you outside of that organization

I didn't consider how having a presence on a more public, high-profile space on the internet might impact my space on the internet. I felt there was a standard I had to meet - certain things I shouldn't talk about - and I began self-censoring. I felt that anything I did online could be tracked back to the organization and might impact its success

I now realize that I am not even close to being that important, but it was a self-imposed burden that weighed heavily on me at times.

6.  Volunteering for a specific task, doesn't guarantee knowledge of, and success in, that task

There are many people who overestimate their skill set, and some who just want the "glamour" of a specific volunteer title within an organization. These people are not only frustrating, they are detrimental to the efficacy of the organization. Strong leadership to address these deficiencies is critical.  

~*~

My next volunteer project will be as a high school band parent. 

The first meeting is tonight. 

I'm hoping to take what I've learned over the past year and make this next opportunity more enjoyable and personally successful.

Got any tips for me?

~*~