About SAVMA

The association is built by voting and engaged members. Many roles (jobs) engage volunteers, and many types of organizations engage volunteerism, therefore, a tiered membership structure provides the most flexibility to our community.

Vision

A supported and connected network of volunteer engagement professionals, inspiring a thriving civic-minded culture.

About SAVMA’s Leadership

Members make up the leadership team. The leadership team comprise the board of directors and individuals that serve on committees. Members elect the Board of Directors through an annual nomination and selection process. Interested members, considering leadership positions should learn more here.

Proposed Mission: SAVMA promotes excellence in volunteer program management for volunteer engagement professionals, by providing educational programs, leadership, resources, and peer networking throughout Southern Arizona.

Who We Are

Members come from a wide range of organizations including; arts, culture and humanities, education, environment and animals, health, human services, international and foreign affairs, public and societal benefit, religious, and mutual benefit organizations. We even have congressionally mandated for profit members with volunteer programs, and corporate volunteer program professionals.  Member experience in the field ranges from those who are new to the field to those who have more than 40 years of experience in volunteer engagement.

Core Values

Define our organization’s culture and decision-making framework.

  1. Integrity: showing consistency between one’s actions, words, and beliefs, and a commitment to upholding ethical principles even in the face of challenges or temptations.
  2. Professionalism: reflecting a high standard of competence, while maintaining a level of expertise, and ethical conduct in our work, while treating colleagues, volunteers, and stakeholders with courtesy and care.
  3. Respect: treating others with courtesy, consideration, and fairness, and acknowledging their rights, opinions, and boundaries.
  4. Volunteerism: driven to make a positive impact, a willingness to engage and contribute to the betterment of the community.

Ethics in Volunteer Engagement

First, individual members adhere to the SAVMA Code of Ethics.  Second, Organizational Memberships take the additional step to adopt the Code of Ethics annually at a board meeting. Additionally, individuals with their CVA designation from the Council of Certified Volunteer Administrators, further adhere to the Professional Ethics in Volunteer Administration. 

Fundamental Principles

  • Volunteer Engagement Professionals (VEPs): individuals in the volunteer program management profession are best at their jobs when they are trained, strategically integrated, part of a peer network, and financially supported.
  • Volunteers are people: VEPs engage volunteers, but do not “use” them like tools. For that reason, as individuals, we refer to them by name and never as “my” volunteer or “our” when the organization’s name can be referenced.
  • Volunteer Resources/ Services Program: these terms (used interchangeably) classify a centrally coordinated volunteer program. It is preferred to assign costs of volunteer resources appropriately by program. Calculation options are square footage or time allocation.
  • Volunteers belong everywhere, so we prepare: training, insurance, and supervision are requirements for all staff, paid and unpaid. Inclusion requires that all supervisors require basic volunteer engagement training.

Individual Industry Standards of Practice

The seven essential standards of practice establish the scope, activities, and accountabilities for individuals within the profession of Volunteer Engagement.

  1. Strategic volunteer engagement planning.
  2. Advocating for volunteer involvement (Internal & External Stakeholders)
  3. Recruit and Onboard a Volunteer Workforce
  4. Prepare Volunteers for Their Roles (Orient and Train)
  5. Document Volunteer Involvement (Supervise and Support)
  6. Manage Volunteer Performance and Impact (Continuous Quality Improvement)
  7. Acknowledge, Celebrate and Sustain Volunteer Involvement

The Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration (CCVA) fully supports the standards (what you know) with competencies (what you do with what you know). The Competencies Framework clarifies and defines the full range of activities volunteer engagement professionals undertake in support of a full service volunteer program.

SAVMA’s Ecosystem 

The SAVMA ecosystem defines relationships among multiple organizations, individuals, and resources, working together to create shared value and mutual benefit. This transparency outlines the roles and responsibilities, improves two-way communication, and streamlines the deliverables of ecosystem participants.

Most importantly, the SAVMA ecosystem adopts a common language used by the Volunteer Engagement Professionals in the industry as defined in the glossary.

SAVMA’s Strategic Direction

We dream big locally, and for the profession. Check out our wildest dreams page.

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