International Volunteer Managers Day 2023
Helping Others Help
SAVMA Leadership celebrates International Volunteer Managers Day 2023
This November 5, 2023, SAVMA celebrates those that support the profession of volunteer engagement. This includes: volunteer managers, leaders of volunteers, volunteer engagement professionals and volunteer administrators. Thank you for your dedication to your craft. Thank you for your work.
This day provides an opportunity to recognize the invaluable contributions of volunteer managers. They play a pivotal role in mobilizing and coordinating volunteers to address critical needs within our communities. Volunteer managers serve as the linchpin between volunteers and organizations. They ensure that the skills and time offered by volunteers get effectively utilized for the betterment of society. Their dedication, passion, and strategic planning are instrumental in driving positive change, enhancing community resilience, and promoting a spirit of civic engagement.
By recognizing International Volunteer Manager’s Day, we acknowledge the vital role these professionals play in building stronger, more connected communities across Arizona.
International Volunteer Managers Day 2023
The Facts of Helping Others Help
In order for volunteering to have the greatest impact, and to be as inclusive as possible, it must be well planned, adequately resourced and effectively managed. This is the responsibility of Volunteer Management Professionals, and their professional associations.
Arizona is proud to be home to two trusted volunteer management associations. Together, SAVMA, the Southern Arizona Volunteer Management Association, and AVACA, the Association of Volunteers Administrators of Central Arizona lift the profession and amplify the impact of volunteers. Insofar as their efforts seek to strength individual professionals, their work indirectly impacts the volunteers, ensuring active, engaged, healthy stable communities.
A 2022 survey from the Do-Good Institute at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy revealed 72.2 percent of nonprofit leaders felt that volunteers improve the quality of services or programs provided to a great extent, but only 25.2 percent of funders agreed.
However, considering the financial value of volunteer involvement has shown up to a $6.00 return on every dollar invested, when effective volunteer engagement is led by volunteer management professionals. Additionally, high-net-worth donors, who volunteer at strategically engaged organizations give up to ten times more money than those who do not volunteer. Most of those high-net-worth donor-volunteers donate to the organizations at which they volunteer.
To achieve the level of effective volunteer management necessary to engage 50 or more volunteers requires strong volunteer management practices. Only one in five of surveyed organizations had a clear and effective model of volunteer management. This is the responsibility of Volunteer Management Professionals.
Thank you Volunteer Managers
In full and humbling appreciation, I thank you, the volunteer managers, your staff, your volunteers, and donors. Thank you for your unwavering service to our communities. I encourage you to continue to generously volunteer your time and talent, so that we all may thrive.
Jennifer Lohse, SAVMA Board President for 2023