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By Anne Schink

A major study of the next generation of volunteer leaders demonstrates the importance of providing support for those invested in the nonprofit sector and for identifying a career path for the advancement of those with potential to be executive directors in nonprofit organizations.

The Meyer Foundation and CompassPoint Nonprofit Services conducted a study of 6,000 young people employed in the nonprofit sector. The findings should put us all on notice that we are going to have to do more to groom the next generation of volunteer leaders if we are to fill the large number of positions that will become available in the coming years.

At the same time the survey demonstrated several indicators of strength in the sector: one in three respondents aspires to be an executive director some day; of those who aspire to be an executive director 40% feel they are now ready or will be ready in five years to take on the responsibility for being an executive director. This generation of people is highly committed to the work of nonprofits; they are gaining skill and experience that should lead to success in nonprofit organizations. They view the nonprofit sector as a good place to work and a place where they can contribute to change. They believe they are doing meaningful and satisfying work.

Barriers to continuing to work in the nonprofit sector pose real challenges to the sector: long hours, personal sacrifice, low salaries, inadequate contribution to retirement all discourage people from making long term commitments to the work of the nonprofit organizations whose mission they support. Many feel the job description for executive directors is unappealing to the next generation of leaders.

One other challenge of particular concern to Maine is the lack of training opportunities and mentorship from others in the field. They do not see a clear career path they could travel on their road to being an Executive Director.

Does any of this ring true for you? On your New Year’s wish list what do you need? What would it take for you to make a long term career in nonprofit work?

Anne Schink is the Project INVEST Coordinator for the Maine Commission for Community Service and a featured blogger.

By Margaret E. Puckett

Volunteers are very special people. They also can be pretty passionate, diverse, independent and unique. The reason they decide to volunteer is as diverse as the individuals themselves. It may be just because they want to help. Or maybe they want to learn a new job skill. For some, volunteering is a way to escape loneliness. For others, it is the needed assurance that they still have something of value to give. But whatever their reason, I have generally found that some of our best volunteers are those that have a sincere belief in the mission, values and goals of the organizations in which they volunteer.

I love people. I love their differences and the richness those differences bring to our life’s experiences. Those differences can open the doors to a better, stronger and more focused organizational mission. But because our basic human nature is to fear anything or anyone who is different, those differences also have a great potential to divide and weaken us. Interaction between staff, volunteers and the individuals we support is a key element in the effectiveness of our organization’s mission.

This is why diversity training is so important. My hospital’s annual employee and volunteer training has focused on understanding generational differences for many years. Generational differences are important to understand. They represent a type of diversity that each of us comes in contact with every day. But with advent of increased mobility, the world has become a much smaller place. It becomes critical that we understand how cultural and economic diversity also impact on our ability to effectively interact with others.

My hospital has now incorporated cultural and economic diversity into its diversity training. Based on my review of our annual training testing results among volunteers, I’d have to say we still have a ways to go to accomplish our goal of improving our understanding and acceptance of diversity in the workplace. But the effort will be worth it. Misunderstanding and non-acceptance of others is almost always a major factor when conflict occurs between volunteers, staff or the individuals our organizations support.

So what’s the secret recipe for successful volunteer program? Take some passion; add a little diversity, throw in some individualism, personality, independence, understanding, and maybe even add a touch of eccentricity, to the mix – but beware – you just might find yourself facing some really unique and exciting challenges! Are you ready?

Margaret E. Puckett is a featured blogger and is the Volunteer Services Coordinator at St. Joseph Hospital in Bangor.

By Danielle Arbour

We all know around the Christmas how easy it is to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season. Especially this time of year it seems as though we are all scraping the bottom of the barrel to find enough to buy for all on our list – so what to do for the volunteers in your life? Non-profits are feeling the pinch just a much, if not more, than the rest of us. Especially those, such as the Bangor Humane Society who rely on private donations for over 60% of our funding, know that if our donors are struggling, we will be too. Generally we like to recognize those we care about (for me my volunteers are absolutely included in this category) but how do we do it when there is little to no money available? After the countless hours devoted to helping our organization succeed and all I can do is pat them on the back and say “Thank you and Merry Christmas”.. is this enough? Should it be? Or should I find a way, no matter what our financial situation, to spend money on these people as a way of showing our appreciation.

As I’ve said in previous blogs, volunteers are invaluable and I often wish I could give them a gift each time they give to us, but is a simple Thank You enough? Are there do it yourself projects? A simple card?

But this leads me to yet another question – do you do something for all the volunteers on your list? Even if they only volunteer once every few months? Do you do more for those that give 10 hours a week versus 10 hours a year and if so, how do you decide?

Whatever decision I make concerning the recognition of my volunteers, I hope I do such a great job at telling them how much they are appreciated each day that they know how important they are. I look forward to hearing from you all!

Danielle Arbour is the Volunteer and Events Manager at the Bangor Humane Society and a featured blogger.

By Jodi Freedman

I am writing this as my last posting on the Volunteer Maine website. I reached a milestone birthday this year and decided it was time to look at where I was in my life and if it was where I want to be. Turns out, I was too busy working to spend the time I wanted to with my family. I was missing all of the sporting events, volunteering in their classrooms and doing homework after school together. I decided that it was time to re-prioritize. I am not sure what I will do next, but I know that it will be part time, and I am fairly certain that it will still be in the non profit sector. Perhaps, I will be in a position where I once again have new and innovative ideas to add to this wonderful blog.

In the meantime, I will be spending time with my kids and of course, volunteering wherever I can! I have already agreed to help organize a charity run for my children’s former preschool teacher. I have also taken on the membership directory for our synagogue, which has been talked about for years! So, I am sure that I will be checking the website for ideas and strategies and to hear how all of my colleagues are doing.

It has been a priviledge to be part of this blog. I hope that it continues to be a success!

Jodi Freedman is a featured blogger and she will be truly missed.

By Penny Kern

I recently had an opportunity to walk someone through the process of conflict resolution, with no emotional attachment on my part. How nice it was to pass along information without having the responsibility of “solving it.”

Anyway, because of this, I pulled out some old material that I thought everyone might find useful.
It was given to my by my friend, Susan Doody Stedt for a student summit I was helping her with.

Five Ways to Say “I”

An “I” message can include any or all of the following five parts. Be careful when including parts four and five since they contain hidden judgments or threats.

1.OBSERVATION Describe the facts - the indisputable , observable realities. Talk about what you - or anyone else - can see, hear, smell, taste, or touch. Avoid judgments, interpretations, or opinions. Instead of saying “You’re a slob,” say “Last night’s lasagna pan was till on the stove this morning.”

2.FEELINGS. Describe your own feelings. It is easier to listen to “I feel frustrated” than to “You never help me.” Talking about how you feel about another’s actions can be valuable feedback for that person.

3.WANTS. You are far more likely to get what you want if you say what you want. If someone doesn’t know what you want, he doesn’t have a choice about helping you get it. Ask clearly. Avoid demanding or using the word need. Most people like to feel helpful, not obligated. Instead of “Do the dishes when it’s your turn, or else!” say “I want to divide the housework fairly.”

4.THOUGHTS. Communicate your thoughts, and use caution. Beginning your statement with an “I” doesn’t qualify it as an “I” message. “I think you are a slob” is a “You” judgment in disguise. Instead say “I’d have more time to study if I didn’t have to clean up so often.”

5.INTENTIONS. The last part of an “I” message is a statement about what you intend to do. Have a plan that doesn’t depend on the other person. For example, instead of “From now on we’re going to split the dishwashing evenly,” you could say “I intend to do my share of the housework and leave the rest undone.”

I hope you find this information as helpful as I have over the years.

Penny Kern is retired volunteer manager and a featured blogger.

By Charlie Hartman

Back in June, Jo Hersom, the Director of the Maine Conservation Corps, mentioned that the teams working on trails around Maine included one working in Gulf Hagas. Since Gulf Hagas is one of my favorite places in Maine, that sounded like a pretty good project to me, and Jo invited my son and me to join the Americorps team for a day of trail building.

So early one July morning this past summer, my 19-year-old son, Alec, and I met up with the Gulf Hagas team of volunteers. There were about eight of them, mostly in their late teens or early 20s, and all they had been told was that two people were going to join them for the day. Although they hid their surprise quickly when they saw me, it was clear that many of them were thinking, “It’s my mother!” Nonetheless, they welcomed us warmly.

We had to ford a river and hike two miles into the work site, and although I was much slower than they, they made sure I got to the right place. Alec and I were put to work clearing brush for the next part of the trail along a hillside, then working with pick-axes to make the trail level. After lunch, I also got to work on building stone steps, which was really fascinating! It was like seeing how a magic trick is done. Many 300 to 400 pound stones are moved from higher up the hill and placed in position to make steps. (The next time you take a hike through the woods and climb stone steps, think about how those steps came to be arranged there without any machine other than a pulley.)

I know my share of young people, and they’re not always very easy to get along with. This group, though, was terrific! They were mature, generous, open-minded, and smart. I’ve never seen a group of people get along so well. They were not all academic overachievers, and many did not take the traditional route through school. This surprised and impressed my son, who also followed the beat of a different drum and left school at 15. It was great for both of us to see such a spectrum of young people with different backgrounds, all with their heads clearly on straight.

By the end of the day, I was tired, exhilarated, and dirtier than I had ever been in my life. I now have a much greater appreciation of the work behind the woods trails I hike, and any time I’m in Gulf Hagas, I can proudly point out the trail I helped build. It’s good to know you can make a difference.

Charlie Hartman is an Education Consultant at the Department of Education, a guest blogger and a board member on the Maine Commission for Community Service.