TOP
Value & Contribution of
Directors of Volunteers
Role
Core Beliefs
We Call
As the international professional association for
volunteer leadership, the Association for Volunteer Administration envisions a
world in which the lives of individuals and communities are improved by the
positive impact of volunteer action.
This vision can best be achieved when there are people
who make it their primary responsibility to provide leadership in the
management of volunteer resources, whether in the community or within
organizations.
These “leaders of volunteer resources”* optimize the
impact of individual and collective volunteer action to enhance the common good
and enable humanitarian benefit. These leaders are most effective when
they have the respect and support of their communities and/or their
organizations, appropriate resources and the opportunity to continually develop
their knowledge and skills.
With the growth of volunteering worldwide there is a
recognition that the time and contribution of volunteers must be respected, and
that their work must benefit both volunteers and the causes and organizations
they serve.
Thus, we affirm and support the Universal Declaration on
Volunteering adopted by IAVE – The International Association for Volunteer
Effort – which states “Volunteering is a fundamental building block of
civil society. It brings to life the noblest aspirations of humankind –
the pursuit of peace, freedom, opportunity, safety and justice for all
people….At the dawn of the new millennium, volunteering is an essential element
of all societies.” (The complete text is available at www.iave.org)
As volunteering has expanded globally, the need has
emerged for strong leadership and management of volunteers. Increasingly, this
is recognized as a professional role.
*This phrase applies equally to
terms like administrators, managers, coordinators and directors of volunteers.
For this declaration, the term “Director of Volunteers” was selected to
represent these many terms.
Directors
of Volunteers aspire to:
- act
in accordance with high professional standards.
-
build commitment to a shared vision and mission.
-
develop and match volunteer talents, motivations, time availability and
differing contributions with satisfying opportunities.
-
guide volunteers to success in actions that are meaningful to both the
individual and the cause they serve.
- help
develop and enhance an organizing framework for volunteering
As
Directors of Volunteers we strive to:
- be innovative agents for change and
progress.
- be passionate advocates for
volunteering.
- welcome diverse contributions and ideas.
- develop trusting and positive work
environments in which volunteers and other resources are effectively
engaged and empowered.
- ensure the safety and security of
volunteers.
- develop networks and facilitate partnerships
to achieve desired results.
- be guided by, and committed to the
goals and ideals of the cause/mission towards which we are working
and to continually expand our knowledge and skills.
- communicate sensitively and accurately the
context, rationale, and purpose of the work we are doing.
- learn from volunteers and others in order to
improve the quality of our work.
- We believe in the potential of people to
make a difference.
- We believe in volunteering and its value to
individuals and society.
- We believe that change and progress are
possible.
- We believe that diversity in views and in
voluntary contribution enriches our effort.
- We believe that tolerance and trust are
fundamental to volunteering.
- We believe in the value of individual and
collective action.
- We believe in the substantial added value
represented by the effective planning, resourcing and management of volunteers.
- to manage the contributions of volunteers
with care and respect
- to act with a sense of fairness and equity
-
to ensure our
services are responsible and accountable, and
- to demonstrate the practices of honesty and
integrity
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 Directors of Volunteers.
They are most
effective when their work is recognized and supported. Therefore, we call
on leaders in:
- Non governmental and civil society
organizations, to make volunteering integral to achieving their missions and to
elevate the role of volunteer directors within the organization
- Government at all levels, to invest in the
sustainable development of high quality volunteer leadership and to model
excellence in the management of volunteers
- Business and the private sector, to
understand the importance of volunteer management and to assist
volunteer-involving organizations in developing this capacity
- Funders and donors, to support the
commitment of resources to build the capacity of volunteer management
- Education, to provide opportunities for
leaders of volunteers to continually expand their knowledge and skills
We call upon Directors of Volunteers worldwide to accept
this Declaration, to integrate and embody it in our shared work, and to promote
and encourage its adoption.
While we recognize that all countries in the world
do not approach volunteer development in the same way, this Declaration is
intended to encourage all those concerned with the advancement of this
profession, to aspire to these statements.
Developed by the International Working Group on
the Profession
Convened by the Association for Volunteer Administration
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2001
With representation from:
Argentina, Bangladesh, Canada, England, Hungary, Israel, Mauritius,
Mexico, Nepal, New Zealand, Scotland, United States
TOP
Value & Contribution of
Directors of Volunteers
Role
Core Beliefs
We Call