كيف تجذب و تحافظ على المتطوعين في مؤسستك او جمعيتك او مجموعتك

[Abdulrahman Alswaid]

السلام عليكم
اعطتني سوزان مقال جميل باللغة الانجليزية بهذا العنوان:

Attracting and Keeping Volunteers in Your Organization
كيف تجذب و تحافظ على المتطوعين في مؤسستك
تأليف جيم مككافري من لوس انجلوس بامريكا.

و هي مقاله رغم قصرها(3 صفحات) الى انها تضع الخطوط العريضة على امرين مهمين

الا و هي جذب المتطوعين و المحافظة عليهم
اعتقد ان هذا المقال يستحق الترجمه

لعل سوزان ترفع المقال لنجد " متطوع" ههه يترجمه لنا ثم نتحاور حوله

[سوزان]

المقال غير متوفر لدي الكترونيا هو من الجورنال نفسها

ولا يوجد لدي سكانر..

لو لقيت مترجم في المكتبه بعطيه يترجمها اذا لا يوجد..

تصبرون علي اترجمها ؟؟ بعد ان انتهي من بعض المواضيع

المتعلقة بالترجمة.

[صدى الصمت]

من العنـــوان احس الموضوع مفيد و مهم ..

بصراحة شد انتباهي ..

بإذن الله يجي من يترجم هذا الموضوع و نستفيد مما كُتِب فيه ..

وفقكم الله لكل خير

[um fahad]

عطوني اياها انا اترجمها..

ودي اطلب طلب اختي سوزان بس لاتضغطين على نفسك..

اذا تقدرين تقدرين ترفعينها الاسبوع هذا لأن دراستي بتبدأ بعد اسبوع وافضل اني اسويها قبل الدراسة

[um fahad]

بحثت في النت وحصلته في هذا الموقع md consult

بس حبيت اتأكد هل هذا هو الموضوع ام لا


Volunteerism is about as American as apple pie and ice cream. As
long as our nation has existed, our citizens have been more than willing to contribute to the good of the order by volunteering their time and expertise. This article explores ways to attract and keep volunteers—particularly as this applies to district or state associations or dietetic practice or member interest groups. These concepts are basic principles, however, and are applicable to volunteerism whether in your community or for your professional group.

In the area of associations, professionals are joining like never before. In fact, the Smith Institute’s Generations and the Future of Association Participation reports that the number of association members in the United States is expected to rise from 51 million in 2005 to about 55 million in 2015, with the percentage of all workers belonging to associations expected to climb from 28.3% to 28.9% in the same interval (1). However, just like any other area of today’s economy, competition for new and current members is fierce; associations must compete with all the other areas of a member’s life. As a result, organizations can’t play by yesterday’s rules when attracting, developing, and keeping its volunteers.

Attracting Volunteers

“Volunteers are members whose interest in the organization expands beyond paying dues,” says Mary P. Fuhrman, MS, RD, LD, FADA, CNSD, a nutrition support specialist in St Louis, MO, director-at-large for ADA’s Board of Directors, and member of several ADA dietetic practice groups and committees. Attracting those volunteers is crucial to preventing burnout among current volunteers and keeping the organization fresh. However, when asked to volunteer, many members say they don’t have the time. Cynthia D’Amour, MBA, president of the management consulting firm People Power Unlimited, LLC, in Ann Arbor, MI, says, “I think that leaders have to be willing to say that if people don’t have time, it’s because we didn’t make them the right offer or create the right experience for them. They have to take ownership of it, because people will show up if it’s worth their time.”

So how can organizations make it worth their time?

“Make it easy, make it easy, make it easy,” says Bud Crouch, of Tecker Consultants, LLC, in Yardley, PA. “Nonprofits need to change the way they offer work,” he says. “They need to make it fun, they need to be flexible, and they need to make more use of ad hoc committees.” Mark Levin, author of The Gift of Leadership and president of the consulting firm BAI Leadership, agrees, adding that organizations need to provide training to ensure the volunteer is successful in the job. Otherwise, they will never volunteer again (2).

The biggest mistake many organizations make when looking for volunteers is that they don’t ask the right questions the right way. “Many people like to be asked to help or participate,” Fuhrman says. “A call for volunteers may not get them to self-volunteer.” It’s important to ask the potential volunteer the right way, in a one-on-one setting. “If you focus on using the person’s talent rather than their time, there’s a better chance you’ll get them to participate,” Levin says.

It’s also important to have something meaningful for a volunteer to do when they want to volunteer, Fuhrman says. “People lose enthusiasm or find another organization to volunteer for if they have to wait too long to become involved.”

Keeping Volunteers

Build a Leadership Foundation

Helping your members develop their leadership skills is crucial to keeping volunteers. Leadership skills are something members can take back to their employers, which can earn them a higher income and promotions, and in turn promote their profession. And just because someone is technically good at their job it doesn’t mean they’re a leader in their field, says Levin. “They may not have good management, negotiating, or facilitation skills, and they can get those through involvement in their local organizations, if the organizations are willing to give them that kind of training and exposure.”

Doing so not only provides members with a benefit they can take back to their jobs, it also builds a leadership foundation that will support the organization in the future. D’Amour says that leaders need to empower the volunteers to “do the fun stuff.” However, she says that many leaders say it’s easier to do something themselves than to teach someone else, an attitude that she says is the “nail in the coffin of the group.” When the time comes for new leadership to take over, “we can’t take people who have never been allowed to participate and put them in a leadership role,” says D’Amour.

Matching the Right Job with the Right Volunteer

Recruiting the right person for the right job is important to ensure a positive experience for volunteers and keep them involved. Fuhrman says there are three basic types of volunteers, based on their level of involvement:

1 dues-paying members who never want to be called for anything;

2 members who want finite projects that do not require a lot of time or a continual obligation; and

3 those who won’t leave until the lights are turned off.


The task, she says, is to fit the volunteer into the appropriate category for volunteer assignments. “Organizations need to strategize how to use volunteers and where the finite project volunteers fit and where and how to mentor and progress the ‘here until the lights go out volunteers’ throughout the organization with even a progression to other parts of the organization.” Levin echoes this comment. He says that if a volunteer can’t commit to a particular job, then they’re not right for the job.

Recognition

It is only human to want to be thanked or publicly recognized for a job well done, and volunteers are no different. “The key to keeping volunteers in professional organizations is recognition for their contribution,” says Fuhrman. The Florida Dietetic Association has added recognition to their strategic plan, says Molly Gladding, RD, LD, past president of the Florida Dietetic Association and member of the Public Health/Community Nutrition dietetic practice group. “It is in our strategic plan to add a minimum of one member recognition each year and three leadership recognitions in the next 5 years.” Some of the ways the Florida Dietetic Association recognizes their members are: at the opening night of their annual meeting, they ask several groups to stand, such as 50-year members, students, or meeting volunteers; present awards and recognition at the member reception; during the year, the affiliate newsletter on their Web site recognized member and district accomplishments, as does the monthly President’s Update. Gladding reports that these initiatives have received extremely favorable feedback from the affiliate’s volunteers.

D’Amour offers another piece of advice: “It’s okay to have fun. Some groups are so serious, they take the joy out of being involved and serving as a leader.”

Generation Gap: Truth or Myth?

Many people assume that “Generation X” doesn’t volunteer in the numbers Baby Boomers did. According to the Smith Institute’s Generations, that assumption is inaccurate. That report cites a 2004 poll taken by the Campbell Public Affairs Institute at Syracuse University of about 600 American adults on civic participation and membership in many types of voluntary organizations, including professional/trade associations. According to that poll, the percentage of Baby Boomers belonging to trade and professional associations was 32%. The percentage of Gen Xers polled who belong to trade and professional organizations was 33% (1). Instead, they found that involvement in trade and professional organizations is more closely tied to age than generation (1). Levin agrees, “It’s more a factor of [younger people] not having their careers at a point where they can afford that kind of time.” But, he says, “when they’ve advanced in their careers, they have every intention of being involved in their profession.”

“The reason why younger leaders aren’t necessarily stepping up,” says D’Amour, “is because a lot of times, those in power don’t want them there. They bring new ideas to the table and that’s scary for a lot of groups.” She says that it’s not as much a generational issue as it is one of welcoming new voices to the table. In fact, she says, when younger members ask, for example, why they should sit through boring committee meetings or do meaningless work, older members begin to ask the same questions.

Instead of categorizing volunteers by generation or age, D’Amour prefers the categories “Traditional Volunteers” and “Today’s Volunteers.” Today’s Volunteers are not necessarily Gen Xers but anyone who “wants to have a meaningful job and wants to be participatory, to be strategic.” In many groups there is a challenge between Traditional Volunteers and Today’s Volunteers. Having to explain the benefits of volunteering to Today’s Volunteers is insulting to some Traditional Volunteers. In addition, Traditional Volunteers are used to a command/control leadership paradigm that Today’s Volunteers, especially those in Generation X, chafe under. “Gen Xers are raised to be participatory and strategic.”

The Florida Dietetic Association, too, is concerned with recruiting and retaining younger volunteers and they added it to their strategic plan, says Gladding. “One of our plan goals is to ‘Cultivate Future Leadership,’” she says. “Our experience has been if we can identify committed volunteers and leaders at the district level, we can get them involved at the state level. Therefore, we are committed to helping the districts grow volunteers and leaders.” In recent years, Gladding says, they have reached out to students and new members by adding a student liaison position to their Administrative Council; the Chair of Student Issues puts together a student committee to help with student communications and involvement; and students who are awarded an annual meeting stipend volunteer at the meeting for 8 hours. “If we can get them to the annual meeting, the hook is pretty strong.”

Don’t Forget the Past

It is important not to overlook older volunteers. Three years ago, Gladding says, the Florida Dietetic Association sent letters to all past presidents thanking them for their past service and informed them of a then-new policy of compensating all past presidents with complementary registration to their annual meeting for life. “They were so appreciative,” says Gladding. “Many past presidents we hadn’t seen in years started coming back to the annual meeting and several of them are now recycling as committee chairs and committee members and are bringing new volunteers with them.” She says they “still want to work, are fabulous mentors, and are very appreciative of a simple thank you.” Fuhrman agrees: “Don’t drop good volunteers after they have reached a pinnacle,” she says. “That expertise of your organization is invaluable.”

American Dietetic Association (ADA) on the Cusp

Levin says that the ADA is on the cusp of changing the image of the profession. “The three issues that most Americans are concerned about, disregarding security issues, are health care in general, childhood obesity specifically, and education. ADA does all three of those things, and they do it at the highest of levels.” He adds that ADA has the chance to raise the level of pride and security their members have in the dietetics profession. “Providing the opportunity to be a leader in the organization can help them develop the skills to go out and make that happen in their communities and in the institutions they work in, be more valued employees, and be more valuable to the health care system,” an opportunity Levin says ADA’s Leadership Institute has been doing the past 4 years. The task ADA and its affiliates have, according to Levin, is being patient with younger dietetics practitioners and keeping them interested in the organization until the time comes when they can commit the kind of time needed from them.

Fuhrman offers one last point: Whether an organization needs to attract new members or retain current ones, it is important to remember that all members and volunteers want to give back to the organization and profession. Each volunteer, regardless of the degree of their involvement, is precious to an organization.

[Abdulrahman Alswaid]

بالضبط هذه هي المقالة يا ام فهد
جزاك الله كل خير و الله يحفظك و يسعدك
انا شخصيا اعجبتني ففيها نقاط مضيئة
يحتاج من يترجمها يزيل الاشياء الخاصة بالمريكا
يعني كلما لف و رجع لامريكا تعدل الترجمة لكي تكون العبارة عامه هههه

انا انصح الجميع ان يقراءها حتى و ان استعمل ترجمة القوقل لكي يفهم المحتوى بشكل عام

[سوزان]

تماااام يا ام فهد شكرا لك

وجزاك الله الف خير

عشان اوضح لك الصورة واسهلك المهمة هذه

المقاله مكتوبه لمجلة علمية في مجال التغذية الاكلينيكية

لذا تجدين بعض الكلام موجه أو عن اخصائي التغذية والعاملين في مؤسسات تابعه لهذا التخصص

لذا لا تجهدي نفسك تترجمين عنهم شخصيا دعيها تكون بشكل عام وليس بشكل خاص

[Abdulrahman Alswaid]

هي لن تترجمها
جزاها الله خير انها اتت بها

[um fahad]

You might have not noticed the 4th response above..I will translate it enshallah

[um fahad]

وإياااكم يارب..حاولت قدر الإمكان إني أطبق نصائحكم..

كيف تجذب و تحافظ على المتطوعين في مؤسستك

هذا المقال يستكشف سبل لاجتذاب والحفاظ على المتطوعين ، خاصةً الجمعيات أو المجموعات التي لها اهتمامات معينة. هذه المفاهيم والمبادئ بسيطة ولكن أساسية وقابلة للتطبيق على العمل التطوعي سواء في مجتمعك او مجموعتك المهنية.

اجتذاب المتطوعين
"المتطوعون هم اعضاء يعملون لخدمة منظمة أو مجموعة ما بدون مقابل مادي"
اجتذاب متطوعين جدد أمر مهم جداً لتجنب انهاك المتطوعين الحاليين والحفاظ على نشاط المجموعة بشكل مستمر. عادةً، عند طلب التطوع من الأفراد ويعتذرون بسبب عدم توفر الوقت الكافي لديهم، هذا يعني أن الموضوع لم يتم عرضه بطريقة جذابة ومشجعة تجعلهم يشعرون بأن هذا العمل يستحق وقتهم بالفعل. لذلك، على القادة الاهتمام بهذا الجانب.

إذن، كيف يمكن للمنظمات أو المجموعات أن تجذب هؤلاء الأعضاء؟

الحل بأن تجعل طريقة العرض سهلة ، ممتعة ، مرنة وعمل لجان مخصصة لذلك.
أيضاً يجب على المنظمات توفير برامج تدريب لهؤلاء المتطوعين لضمان نجاحهم في العمل.بخلاف ذلك، لن يرجع هؤلاء المتطوعين للعمل مرة أخرى.

أكبر خطأ تقع فيه الكثير من المنظمات عند البحث عن متطوعين هو أنهم لا يسألوا الأسئلة المناسبة بالطريقة المناسبة. فعند طلب التطوع من الأفراد فإنهم يدعونه للمشاركة والمساعدة وهذا لا يكفي لجعلهم يتطوعون من أنفسهم.ولكن، إن تم التركيز عند الحديث مع المتطوعين المحتملين على موهبتهم وخبرتهم التي يملكونها بدلاً من التركيز على اعطاء جزء من وقتهم، سوف يكون هناك فرصة أكثر للحصول على عدد متطوعين أكبر.

أيضاً من المهم عند اعطاء المهام لمن يرغب في التطوع أن تكون ذات معنى وقيمة له وألا لا يتم جعله ينتظر فتره طويلة للمشاركة وإلا سوف يفقد حماسه ويتجه لمنظمة أخرى .

الحفاظ على المتطوعين

بناء مؤسسة القيادة

مساعدة أعضاءك في تطوير مهاراتهم القيادية أمر في غاية الأهمية للحفاظ عليهم. المهارات القيادية شيء يمكن للأعضاء أ يرجعوا فيه إلى مدرائهم أو المشرفين عليهم. وليس شرطاً أن الشخص الناجح في عمله، يكون قائد ناجح في مجاله فربما يكون غير قادر على الإدارة والمفاوضة مع الأشخاص أوغير مرن في تعامله. لذلك، إذا كان المنظمات لديها القدرة لمنح هؤلاء الأشخاص برامج تدريبية، فمن الممكن اشراكهم في اعمال المنظمات المحلية.

القيام بذلك، لا يعني فقط انتاج اعضاء مفيدين للمنظمة أو المجموعة وإنما يبني مؤسسة قيادية تدعم المنظمة في المستقبل. القادة بحاجة إلى تمكين متطوعيهم من القيام بأعمال ذات أهمية. فالكثير من القادة يعتقدون أنه من الأسهل عليهم أن يقوموا بالأعمال المهمة بأنفسهم بدلاً من تعليم شخص آخر للقيام بنفس العمل. وهنا تكمن المشكلة، فعندما يأتي الوقت لتولي منصب قيادة جديدة، فمن غير الممكن وضع شخص لم يسمح له بالمشاركة من قبل في دور قيادي.

تعيين الشخص المناسب في المكان المناسب:

تعيين الشخص المناسب للوظيفة المناسبة أمر مهم جداً لضمان تجربة إيجابية للمتطوعين وجعلهم مشاركين دائماً.
هناك 3 تصنيفات أساسية للمتطوعين بناءً على مستوى مشاركتهم
1) أعضاء يدفعون رسوم للعضوية ولكن لا يرغبون بدعوتهم للمشاركة في أي عمل.
2) أعضاء يريدون المشاركة في مشاريع محدودة والتي لا تتطلب الكثير من الوقت أو التزام مستمر.
3) أعضاء لن يغادروا منظمتهم أو جمعيتهم حتى تنطفئ أنوارها.

إذن، المهمة هي وضع المتطوع في الفئة المناسبة لمهامه. لذلك، تحتاج المنظمات إلى وضع استراتيجية لكيفية الاستفادة المتطوعين والمتطوعات بالشكل الصحيح وأي المشاريع والأعمال التي تناسبهم. فإذا لم يستطع المتطوع القيام بوظيفة معينة فهذا يعني أنه في المكان الغير مناسب.

التقدير

لابد من الشكر والاعتراف علناً على العمل الجيد الذي أداه المتطوع. فالمفتاح لحفظ المتطوعين هو الاعتراف بمساهماتهم . ومن الممكن وضع خطة للتكريم ضمن استراتيجية المنظمة. فمثلاً، يتم اختيار مجموعة من الاعضاء كل سنة لتكريمهم (على الأقل واحد) أو مثلاً يتم اختيار عدد من الأعضاء كل 5 سنوات لتكريمهم بسبب نجاحهم في القيادة. ويمكن أن يكون هذا التكريم في احتفال الاجتماع السنوي أو في النشرة التابعة للمؤسسة.

ولا مانع من بعض المرح اثناء العمل.فبعض المجموعات تأخذ الموضوع بجدية كاملة والتصرف على أساس انه قادة فقط.

الفجوة بين الأجيال..حقيقة أم أسطورة؟

في بعض الأحيان ، السبب في أن القيادات الشابة لا تصعد هو أن في السلطة أو القيادة العليا من لايريدونهم معهم لأنهم يطرحون أفكار جديدة على طاولة المفاوضات لا تروق للقيادات الأكثر تقدماً في العمر فهو مخيف بالنسبة لبعضهم. في الحقيقة، المسألة ليست مسألة اختلاف أجيال فقط بقدر ماهي عدم الرغبة بانضمام أصوات جديدة إلى طاولتهم. على سبيل المثال، عندما يسأل الأعضاء الشباب لماذا يجب عليهم الجلوس في اجتماعات مملة؟ أو لماذا يقومون بأعمال ليس لها فائدة ملموسة، الأعضاء الأقدم يبدأون في طرح الأسئلة ذاتها.

لذلك، فبدلاً من تصنيف المتطوعين على أساس السن أو الجيل، من الأفضل أن يتم تصنيفهم على فئتين وهي " متطوعي اليوم" و " المتطوعين التقليدين" ورغم ذلك قد يحصل بعض المنافسة بينهم.

ولكن، لا تنسى!!!

المتطوعين الأكبر سناً الذين خدموا المنظمة في فترات مضت، فلا يجب أن تغفل عنهم..
من الممكن إرسال رسائل لشكرهم على ماقدموا من أعمال وخدمات سابقة أو دعوتهم للاجتماع السنوي.فمن تجارب سابقة، هذه الطريقة أشعرت هؤلاء المتطوعين السابقين بالامتنان وساعدت على عودتهم مرة أخرى لهذه الاجتماعات، فبعضهم لم يُروا من سنوات ولكنهم عادوا ويريدون الرغبة في العمل مرة أخرى وبعضهم أيضاً قام بجلب متطوعين جدد. لذلك من المهم أن لا تغفل عن هؤلاء المتطوعين الجيدين بعد وصولهم لقمتهم، فهذه خبرات مؤسستك التي لا تقدر بثمن.

نقطة أخيرة:

سواءً كانت المؤسسة بحاجة الى اجتذاب متطوعين جدد أو الحفاظ عليهم، فإنه من المهم تذكر أن كل هؤلاء الاعضاء والمتطوعين يريدون أن يردوا الجميل ويعطوا مرة اخرى لهذه المؤسسة.فكل متطوع بغض النظر عن مقدار مشاركته يعتبر شيء ثمين للمؤسسة.

[إراده]

جزاك الله خيرا يا ام فهد......

مقال جميل وهادف.


....

[Abdulrahman Alswaid]

la walaah I have not

جزاك الله كل خير يا ام فهد

و الله يسعدك و يبارك لك في وقتك و يسهل لك كل امورك
و يوفقك في دراستك

اعتقد انه مقال يستحق القراءة من كل من يود ان يكون مجموعة دعم اسرية
او يعمل عمل تطوعي

[سوزان]

يا حبيييلك يا ام فهد مو بس ترجمة وملخصته بعد ما شاء الله

الله يعطيك الف عافية وييسر أمورك كلهاا آمين

شكراااااااااا جزيييييييييلا

[um fahad]

اختي إرادة
اختي سوزان
دكتور عبدالرحمن

آآآآآمين..جزاكم الله خير على دعواتكم الصادقة واياكم يارب

عسانا نرد ولو شي بسيط لهالمنتدى الغالي

دكتور عبدالرحمن

ههههههه والله اني ضحكت على ردك..انا كنت اكتب وانا مسافرة من الجوال

[احساس مرهف]

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Attracting and Keeping
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Attracting and Keeping Youth Volunteers I
Table of Contents
1. Introduction \ 1
2. Methodology \ 3
3. Research Questions \ 4
4. Findings \ 5
5. Conclusion \ 13
II Knowledge Development Centre
We would like to acknowledge the support of youth participants in the Atlantic
Co-operative Youth Leadership Seminar program and camps, Carole Findlay,
and the many people who participated in our focus groups and our online and
telephone surveys. Your co-operation made this research possible.
Acknowledgements
Attracting and Keeping Youth Volunteers 1
1. Introduction
The volunteer base in charitable and nonprofi t organizations
is aging.1 According to the 2000 National
Survey on Giving, Volunteering and Participating,
28% of Canadians aged 55 – 64 years volunteered,
while 18% of those 65 years and over did some kind
of volunteer work.2 The median age of volunteers is
well over 55, and numbers of volunteers are declining.
Consequently, there is growing recognition on the
part of volunteer organizations of the importance in
attracting youth to revitalize their pool of volunteers.
Hence, these organizations would be wise in their
planning for the future to consider strategies
for encouraging more young people to join in
implementing their programmes. Youth volunteers
(i.e. volunteers between the ages of 15 and 30) have
the potential to develop into leaders and to serve on
nonprofi t boards of directors where they can play
an active role in shaping the future of the voluntary
sector. Board candidates are usually chosen or
encouraged to run from among an organization’s
most active members. Therefore, getting more
young people onto boards of directors depends
on getting more youth involved in the life of the
organization. However, there are many barriers to
youth involvement that need to be overcome.
To address these barriers, we conducted a
research project in Atlantic Canada between March
and October 2004 to determine what charitable
and nonprofi t organizations could do to create a
governance culture that nurtures and values youth.
Our research team was a partnership between
the Regional Co-operative Development Centre’s
Atlantic Co-operative Youth-Leadership Seminar
program; the Canadian Worker Co-operative
Federation; and Rising Tide Co-operative Ltd.
More than 350 individuals, including youth between
the ages of 16 and 30, and 40 organizations in
Atlantic Canada were involved in the research.
Participants were from a variety of organizations
including the Canadian Cancer Society; the Canadian
Red Cross; AIDS PEI (Prince Edward Island); local
co-operatives and credit unions; environmental organizations;
faith communities, women’s organizations;
the Atlantic Co-operative Youth Leadership seminars;
Big Brothers Big Sisters; family resource centres;
the Air Cadets; Girl Guides; Planned Parenthood
Federation of Canada; provincial advisory councils
on youth; student unions at universities; regional
Attracting and Keeping Youth Volunteers:
Creating a Governance Culture that
Nurtures and Values Youth
1 Information from website of The New Economy Programme (INE) of the
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
http://nre.concordia.ca/nre2.htm (Last retrieved June 1, 2005).
2 Hall, M, L. McKeown and K. Roberts (2001), Caring Canadians, Involved
Canadians: Highlights from the 2000 National Survey of Giving, Volunteering
and Participating, Statistics Canada and Canadian Centre for Philanthropy, 83p.
http://www.givingandvolunteering.ca/...2000-hr-ca.pdf (Last retrieved June 1, 2005).
2 Knowledge Development Centre
development associations; hospital volunteers; youth
leadership associations; United Way; Canada World
Youth; and youth health committees in schools.
The project was funded through the Canada
Volunteerism Initiative’s Knowledge Development
Centre at Imagine Canada.
We gathered information through telephone and
e-mail interviews, a written survey, and 14 focus
groups. The youth who participated in the research
were all volunteers, either as part of their school activities
or in community events and organizations.
In most cases, they were not in leadership positions.
We asked them about their successful volunteer experiences,
what barriers to volunteering they
had encountered, and how they thought these
barriers could be overcome.
The representatives of nonprofi t and charitable organizations
who participated in our research were all
grappling with how to design effective plans to attract
youth and provide them with the skills to become
effective leaders. We asked these representatives
about their successes and failures in attracting youth
volunteers and about what changes might be needed
to increase youth involvement in their programs.
We also asked youth and representatives of
organizations to identify organizations that did a
good job in attracting youth volunteers. We used
this information to select two organizations: the
Fredericton Direct Charge Co-op, and the Women’s
Network of Prince Edward Island, as case studies.
We hope that these case studies, and the lessons
we learned from them, will help more organizations
involve young people in leadership roles and become
more accommodating to the needs of youth.
Attracting and Keeping Youth Volunteers 3
2. Methodology
We set out to be as inclusive as possible. As there
were four provinces involved (Prince Edward Island,
Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and
Labrador), each province was approached separately
with consideration given to populations, languages,
demographics, and current youth volunteer initiatives.
A Project Advisory Committee composed of youth
from the Regional Co-operative Development
Centre’s (RCDC) Atlantic Co-operative Youth
Leadership Seminar program was set up to
provide input into the research methodology,
the timelines, and the research questions.
We gathered information through focus groups,
interviews, and a written survey.
Focus groups with an average of 10 participants each
were held in 14 communities. We decided on focus
group locations after consultation with various voluntary
organizations and with RCDC’s Youth Leadership
Seminar program manager. We made contact with
people in specifi c geographic areas who were working
with youth, either formally or informally, to request
a list of potential, focus group participants. The lists
were then narrowed down with an eye to achieving
diversity in gender, age, geographical region, and language.
Some focus groups had gender balance, while
others had more women. Ages ranged from 15 to 60,
depending on whether they were focus groups conducted
with youth specifi cally, or with leaders of organizations
that were trying to attract young volunteers.
We conducted more than 30 telephone and e-mail
interviews and completed 30 written surveys. We
chose these research tools for areas where focus
groups were not held and with young people who
had participated in leadership seminars given
throughout the co-operative sector. The questions
were the same as those used in the focus groups.
4 Knowledge Development Centre
3. Research Questions
The research questions used in the focus groups,
the telephone and e-mail interviews, and the
written survey, were designed in consultation
with the Project Advisory Committee. The questions
were tested, and revised after the fi rst
focus group, to ensure that the forthcoming data
would refl ect of the purpose of the study.
The research questions were:
For youth
• What obstacles have you encountered
as a volunteer? What successes
have you had as a volunteer?
• Could the obstacles you encountered been
overcome by changes in the policies, by-laws,
and/or governance structure of organizations?
• Are you aware of any organizations or community
groups that do a good job of involving youth
volunteers?
For organizations
• Has your organization tried to get youth involved
as volunteers? Have you been successful?
Describe your successes and failures.
• In your own organization or community group,
what changes would be necessary to your policies,
by-laws, and/or governance structure
to allow you to involve youth volunteers in a
meaningful way?
• Are you aware of any organizations or
community groups that do a good job
of involving youth volunteers?
Attracting and Keeping Youth Volunteers 5
4. Findings
4.1 Summary of Findings from Focus
Groups, Interviews, and the Survey
Youth bring enthusiasm, talents, skills, and a fresh
perspective to organizations with which they volunteer.
Some organizations do an excellent job attracting
and keeping young volunteers, but many
do not.
The key fi ndings from the focus groups, interviews
and the written survey are:
1) Overall, the organizations that participated in the
research were committed to change and recognized
that meaningful youth involvement would
require them to make changes to their governance
structure and/or to how they conduct meetings.
2) Overall, organizations were aware that youth
need to be truly integrated into nonprofi t and
charitable organizations, not just consulted
or included sporadically.
3) The youth who participated in the research
reported that an excellent way to attract youth
volunteers is to invite youth to information sessions
or make presentations to them and then follow up
by contacting those who indicated an interest.
4) Youth said that to stay involved, they need to feel
like equals and to be included as partners on
committees, boards of directors, and in the
organization in general.
5) Youth said they prefer a more informal structure
but need well-defi ned roles and responsibilities.
One youth advised organizations to:
“Recognize our skills, our enthusiasm,
and our diversity, and let us use them to
accomplish the organization’s goals.”
Another youth said: “All we want in
most cases is a ‘thank you,’ and some
recognition that we have contributed
and that you value what we did.”
6) Nonprofi t and charitable organizations that want
to involve youth as volunteers must be clear about
what they require from volunteers (i.e. when,
where, how much time).
6 Knowledge Development Centre
4.2 The Case Studies
In interviews and at the focus groups, participants in
this research project were asked to identify organizations
that did a good job involving youth as volunteers.
We contacted representatives of the organizations
named by participants, and then interviewed staff
or board members of these organizations, to determine
if they would be suitable as case studies.
Two organizations were chosen: the Fredericton
Direct Charge Co-op and the Women’s Network of
Prince Edward Island, both of which have successfully
involved youth. The case studies are presented
below, followed by lessons drawn from these case
studies that can help organizations create a governance
culture that nurtures and values youth.
Case Study 1: Fredericton Direct Charge Co-op
Founded in 1973, the Fredericton Direct Charge
Co-op is the most successful co-operative in Atlantic
Canada.3 It has grown to a membership of more than
6,000 and is the largest single-branch co-operative
retail store in the region. It has more than 220 employees
and is governed by a volunteer board of directors.
The 12-member board of directors is elected on a
rotating basis; four new board members are elected
each January at its annual general meeting to replace
four out-going board members. Since the late 1990s,
three of the seats on the board have been designated
as staff seats. Youth are encouraged to participate,
and there are many opportunities for them to do so.
Fredericton Direct Charge Co-op supports
the community in many ways. It raises funds
for local charities, makes donations to youth
groups, and awards scholarships.
“We also recognize that for the co-operative to
be successful, we need to ensure that our leadership
— our board — is representative of the community
at large and of our own membership,” says the
co-operative’s general manager, Sheldon Palk.
The board tries to ensure that directors have a
good mix of skills and that the board is representative
of the co-operative’s members. The nominating
committee has taken steps to attract board
nominees who can represent the young people and
young families who are co-operative members.
“We also want people who are interested and
who have the time to give, so the board sets
up an information table in the store to recruit
nominees. We post signs and talk to people.
Then, we invite them to an information session.
They can see what it’s all about,” says Palk.
Ivan Corbett and Michelle Dougherty, two former
board members, were recruited in this way. Both say
it was a good experience.
Ivan Corbett had volunteered in other organizations
but never with a co-operative. Then,
when he was in his mid-20s, he recalls,
“I was in the store one day, and I stopped
at the information table and felt the enthusiasm
among the current directors…They
made me want to learn more, so I went to
the information session, and fi lled in an
3 To learn more about Fredericton Direct Charge Co-operative, go to:
www.frederictoncoop.nb.ca (Last retrieved June 1, 2005).
Attracting and Keeping Youth Volunteers 7
application form, and the nominating committee
put my name forward. I was elected
to a three-year term. I enjoyed every minute
of it, even the long meetings where tough
decisions had to be made…There were
a couple of other board members in my
age group. I would say we were considered
to be equals, a part of the team.”
Corbett says that he learned so much that, “I would
have let my name stand again [the by-laws allow
two three-year terms] but I started a new job and
it was very time consuming.” In his new capacity
as executive director of the New Brunswick
Advisory Council on Youth, he says, “I see every
day the challenges and barriers youth face.” Young
people must learn to understand their roles as
leaders and seek out mentors or champions who
will nurture their involvement. Often, they struggle
to balance volunteering with other commitments.
Corbett thinks that in addition to an active recruitment
and nomination committee, and detailed information
sessions, board member mentoring would be an
excellent avenue to overcome a lot of these barriers.
“If you pair up a current and a new board
member for about six months, the comfort
level, and therefore the functionality of
a new member, is greatly increased,” he
says. “They [new board members] now
have some one to call, to ask, even to sit
beside. Some people, especially youth,
never considered what they were doing
— helping a neighbour, selling tickets at
an event, collecting for a charity — as
volunteering. It’s a whole new concept
to them and much more structured.”
When young people begin volunteering as members
of a board of directors that has collective responsibility
for the future of an organization they gain a very different
perspective on the role of volunteers. They begin
to work as a team and to focus on “the big picture.”
One day when Michelle Dougherty, an employee of
Fredericton Direct Charge Co-op, was in her late 20s,
she saw a sign in the staff room of the co-operative
explaining about the co-operative’s board and encouraging
staff to sign up for an information session.
There are three staff seats on the board, designated
as follows: one staff member at large; one staff
member from the staff liaison committee; and one
staff member representing the management group.
“Just like the members [of the co-op], we
[as staff] have to attend the information
session, be nominated by the committee,
and stand for election by the more
than 300 members who usually attend
the AGM. There is always an election
because the committee is mandated to
nominate at least two more candidates
than there are seats,” Dougherty says.
“At least one of these, and often two, are
young [people] because we have a big
staff of 220 and many of them are under
30,” she says. “Every staff person I talked
to who had been on the board said, ‘Go
ahead, it’s a good experience.’ So I jumped
in with both feet, serving on committees and
being secretary for three years. I learned
so much about the co-op, and how boards
and committees work. Management is
very supportive. If I have to take a couple
8 Knowledge Development Centre
of hours off to attend a board meeting on
a Wednesday night, it’s not a problem.”
Within the co-operative system in Atlantic
Canada, Fredericton Direct Charge Co-op is
a leader in bringing younger people into governance
through a well-defi ned and organized
process. General manager Sheldon Palk says,
“The regulations and by-laws, of course, set
down the rules around the age of majority
and the election process. We put all the
other pieces in place to ensure that the
candidates are diverse and representative
of our stakeholders and members. It’s
worked well and it’s going to work even
better as we have created a new position
— marketing and education manager.”
Rob Boyle has been selected from the staff to
fi ll the new position and is currently sitting on
the board, so there will be good integration.
“I think we will see a lot more youth involvement
in the co-op because as we educate
people about what we are about, as we fi nd
out what they want as consumers, we will
increase our membership,” he says. “If we
attract young families, there will be more
and more young people exposed to the
co-op and our governance model, and we
hope they will become involved as leaders.”
Case Study 2: Women’s Network of Prince
Edward Island
Accepting a challenge is not new for the Women’s
Network of Prince Edward Island.4 Since 1996, it has
been involved in many projects, such as one aimed at
increasing women’s involvement in municipal politics
and provincial policy issues. It is also involved in
issues that require perseverance and commitment,
such as family law and legal aid, parental benefi ts,
the provincial education system, and employment
equity. So when the organization began work on
the Youth Healthy Sexuality and Reproductive
Health caucus, it was relentless in its efforts to
have youth take a meaningful role in the project.
Project coordinator Kele Redmond says, “It was
very diffi cult at fi rst to bring youth to the table — to
determine how to relate to them.” Youth organizations
were represented on the caucus, but they were
not represented by youth. The Women’s Network
of Prince Edward Island set out to change that.
“We went out and met them [youth],”
Redmond says, “told them about our new
mindset and how we were prioritizing youth.
We changed how meetings were held
— the time, the process. We made them fun
and made sure the language was plain.”
Redmond was responsible for developing orientation
materials. Because she had been working with
youth, she knew where to look for resources. She
viewed orientation as an opportunity to plant the
seeds that would blossom into committed volunteers.
4 You can learn more about the Women’s Network of Prince Edward Island at:
www.wnpei.org (Last retrieved June 1, 2005).
Attracting and Keeping Youth Volunteers 9
The project set a goal: youth would make up
25 percent of its 20-member caucus. At fi rst, it
was hard to maintain that percentage, she said.
Youth members would leave for a variety of valid
reasons (e.g., time, location, interest, schoolwork,
recreational activities, etc.), and Redmond
would have to recruit again and again.
“It would have been easy to let it go, to
say there was no interest, but we targeted
more youth, brought them in. It also would
have been easy to say well, just set up
a youth committee or appoint a ‘youth
advisor’ and that will show we have youth
involved,” says Redmond. “It’s a long
process and we are still working at getting
youth involved and keeping them active.”
“We learned as we went along,” she says. “[We
learned] things such as [the importance of] having
a meeting space that is not formal and stuffy. We
learned a boardroom intimidates youth, so we
went to cottages, restaurants, or outdoors. We had
everyone take turns sharing the leadership and
activities, so the adults had to learn to play games,
and the youth had to learn to take minutes.”
The organization had the attitude that everyone has
skills and that everyone is a leader, but that not all
leaders excel in the same areas. Some excel academically,
while others excel in the arts or in
organizing community fundraisers. The caucus
made room for all kinds of leaders.
The organization understood that the role of the adult
leaders is very important in integrating youth into leadership.
Adult leaders must constantly remind everyone
why the organization is spending time recruiting and
mentoring youth, why it may have to make changes to
how it operates in order to accommodate youth and
make them feel welcome, and why developing young
leaders is important to the future of the organization.
“We lost some good participants along the
way and, in our case, they were mostly
male,” Redmond says. “We looked at it and
recognized that some of the reasons were
about culture. Males don’t like to do process
[the social side]. They like activities and
tasks, and often committees and
caucuses are only about process.” As
well, she says, “We were trying for gender
balance but the project itself, Healthy
Sexuality and Reproductive Health, was not
an easy topic for males. Youth will not speak
up and say ‘I’m not comfortable.’ They just
don’t show up the next time. Eventually
this was overcome when word of what we
were doing got out and around and we
were seen as genuinely welcoming youth.”
Redmond notes that the type of adults who are
recruited to boards, caucuses, or committees
that are moving toward the full integration of
youth is important. These adults must be willing
to be mentors to youth members, to coach them,
and to be open to new ways of doing things.
One last thing Redmond added is that the young
people she has met and worked with as volun–
teers are passionate about the same things as
their parents. Often, if they come from a household
where volunteering is the norm they really want
to participate.
10 Knowledge Development Centre
What We Learned from the Case Studies
Integrating youth into an organization is a
two-stage process:
1) The organization must encourage youth to
participate in the organization, and must
nurture and develop youth leaders.
2) The organization must work with these youth to
identify what changes, if any, need to be made
to its governance structure to enable youth
to fulfi ll a meaningful role. This could include
making changes to policies and by-laws that
will ensure a commitment to youth participation,
regardless of any changes in the adult leadership,
or management of the organization. The
organization may need to amend its by-laws
and policies to allow members to vote and hold
offi ce at age 18. In some jurisdictions, legislation-
governing societies, corporations, and
co-operatives prevent youth under the age of 21
from serving on boards of directors. Lobbying
may be required to change this legislation. The
organization may also have to revise its governance
structure to incorporate youth seats on the
board or institute a youth caucus or committee.
Lessons learned from the case studies can
help organizations in this two-stage process:
1) Serving on the board of a nonprofi t or charitable
organization isn’t for everyone. Board
members must be team players and must
be able to respect a diversity of views.
2) A well-structured and informative recruitment
process brings in good candidates. Having a
young person involved in the nominating and
recruitment committee can help to identify
and attract other youth.
3) Remember that whether volunteers are young, old
or middle-aged, they will be juggling more than
their volunteer commitments. Make allowances.
4) Young board members will feel more comfortable if
they are not the only youth involved. Try to recruit
at least two young people to any committee
or board.
5) If, as in the case of Fredericton Direct Charge
Co-op, youth representatives are solicited from
among the staff of the organization, they should
still go through the process of being nominated
and elected. This is so they feel that they have the
same role, and responsibility, as any member of
the board (i.e., that they have been elected by the
members of the organization to lead and govern).
Attracting and Keeping Youth Volunteers 11
6) Choose meeting dates and times so you are not
excluding participation. If you schedule meetings
during school hours, youth will be unable
to attend. Similarly, do not schedule meetings
and activities at exam times. If youth participants
have children, do not schedule lunch or supper
committee/board meetings when it may be diffi
cult for them to get babysitters. Consult with
all board members to fi nd a meeting time and
date suitable to as many people as possible.
7) Youth are more comfortable in less formal settings.
Evaluate how and where you hold your
meetings. How could you make the setting
and the meeting format more informal?
8) Young people do not always know where to fi nd
detailed material about an organization, (i.e., what
the organization does and what role they can play
in it). Prepare an information package on your
organization and on its board and committees.
9) Build awareness in the community that your organization
wants to include youth and is committed
to integrating youth into its governance structures.
10) Assign adult board members to be mentors to
younger board members. Mentors can play a
big role in increasing the effectiveness of youth
volunteers and improving their comfort level.
11) Educate the members of your organization about
what a board is and what it does. Demystify
the role of a director. Tell young people that
serving on a board is a learning experience,
and that the new skills they will learn are
transferable to other aspects of life.
12) Hold an information session in advance of
the annual meeting so that anyone who
is thinking about volunteering can fi nd out
about board roles and responsibilities.
13) Invite interested youth to attend a board
meeting once a year.
14) Becoming a team does not happen over night.
It takes time and understanding. Start small.
Celebrate your success in building a team that
is rich in diversity. Remember: everyone wants
to belong and to be liked. Be inclusive and
work toward board unity, not divisiveness.
15) Be patient with each other, and value and
recognize the contribution that each board
member makes. Set a goal of two or three
years for the new board to achieve a level of
cohesiveness. Consider how the board as a
whole can participate in team-building
activities and exercises.
12 Knowledge Development Centre
16) Be realistic about what is achievable. For
example, although gender balance is ideal, it
is not always possible. Set realistic goals for
achieving gender balance on your board and
establish policies to help you achieve these goals.
17) Recruit adults who are receptive to youth involvement,
who are prepared to help mentor youth,
and who are open to new ways of doing things.
18) Because the composition of any board changes
over time, revisit your commitment to youth
involvement regularly, and make sure that
new board members understand why youth
involvement is important to the organization.
19) Youth should be thoroughly integrated into the
leadership of the organization. They should
not be limited to serving on youth committees
that may not receive the same level of
support as a regular board committee.
20) Recruit youth where they are active. For example,
in a community with an agricultural base, consider
recruiting from among 4-H Club members.5
Make presentations at youth events or write
letters inviting youth to an information
session about your organization.
21) Allow youth to determine their own level of
participation.
5 4-H in Canada had its beginnings in Roland, Manitoba in 1913 as a communitybased
organization dedicated to the growth and development of rural youth. 4-H is
open to both boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 21 (varies in each province).
4-H focuses on developing well-rounded, responsible, and independent citizens.
http://www.4-h-canada.ca/what_is_4-h.html (Last retrieved June 1, 2005).
Attracting and Keeping Youth Volunteers 13
5. Conclusion
Organizations that want to attract youth as volunteers
must allocate time and resources to the task. Older
volunteers must be prepared to serve as mentors
for youth and as the liaison between older volunteers
and young people until young people have been
truly integrated into the day-to-day working of
the organization.
The three most important things that organizations
can do to help retain youth volunteers are educate
them about the organization, provide training for
the tasks they are assigned, and mentor them.
This report contains suggestions that can help organizations
involve youth volunteers, especially in leadership
positions. However, every nonprofi t or charitable
organization is unique, and some may operate under
municipal, provincial, or federal laws that prohibit
youth participation in certain areas of the organization.
Despite these limitations, we believe that organizations
that are interested can use the fi ndings of
this research to involve youth in a meaningful way.
14 Knowledge Development Centre
Notes
Attracting and Keeping Youth Volunteers 15
Notes
www.kdc-cdc.ca
This and other Knowledge Development
Centre publications are also available online
at www.kdc-cdc.ca, or as a special collection
of the Imagine Canada — John Hodgson
Library at www.nonprofi tscan.ca.

[سوزان]

عقيلة كيف حالك عساك طيبه؟

ممكن تشرحين لي عن فكرة الموضوع

حاولت اقراه بس طويل وفيه اشياء عرضيه ^_^

اذا ممكن تنقحيه وترتبيه عشان نقدر نتناقش فيه

واي جزئيه مفيده نقدر نترجمها.

شكله مشوق وانتظر ردك حول الموضوع واستخلاص "الزبده"

^_^ شكرا يا عقيله جزاك الله الف خير

[نوارة محمد]

موضوع مهم وشيق...

نحتاجه في كل مجالات الحياة وليس في العمل التطوعي فقط...

بارك الله فيكم جميعا

[انوار]

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

تسلمي اختي ام فهد على ترجمة المقال

مقال رائع

وهذا ما احسست فيه من خلال تعاوني مع مديرتنا في العمل التطوعي في الجمعية الخيرية ,,,

وفقكم الله

[احساس مرهف]

سوزان اعتذر مررررررة لأني مارديت ماكان جهازي عند لذلك تقدري تعتبري الي كنت اشوف المنتدى منه طرررراره ههههههههههههههههه والي زاد الطين باله انه مافي احرف عربي خمني اي حرف
المهم نرجع الى موضوعنا هو موضوع على صيغه كتاب لذل ما عرفت انقله نقلته بهذا الطريقة الي قدرت عليه وارسلت نسخه الى الدكتور ان شاء الله اكون شاهدها اني عجبني لكن ما اتعمقت فيه لكن بما ان جهازي حبيبي رجعت اليه فان شاء الله باحاول ابتدي في تنقيحه اذا عجبني وترجمته

[شذى الإيمان]

مجهود رائع ......

جزاك الله كل الخير يا أم فهد ،،

شدني وأعجبني المقال