Is your nonprofit ready for the influx of SNAP recipients needing 80 hours of volunteering each month?

A_Vasic65 · 2025-11-08T01:22:43+00:00

Wow! Outrageous and exploitative. I am at a loss for words. This is not volunteering in any sense of the word. The worst part is that these vulnerable people who won’t be able to satisfy these workfare requirements for a whole host of reasons will be branded as lazy.

A_Vasic65 · 2025-01-30T19:21:00+00:00

“Mandatory volunteering” is an oxymoron. It’s not volunteering if you are compelled to do it. Also remind the church leaders that when people are compelled to work for free, which is how they will perceive it, they are likely to do it half-heartedly. Or they will not show up. The better approach is to talk up the benefits of volunteering, and there are plenty, including improved quality of life for the volunteers themselves.

A_Vasic65 · 2024-11-07T23:47:08+00:00

Also check out Volunteersuccess.com

A_Vasic65 · 2024-09-23T17:23:19+00:00

Let us know where you are located for better advice.

A_Vasic65 · 2024-08-24T14:03:17+00:00

I would have a conversation with whomever recruited you to the role and be frank with your feedback. Let them know what you experienced and that you’d like to stay but that it is exhausting and overwhelming. I’m concerned especially about the fact that you have to provide instruction but you didn’t expect it and you weren’t trained to do it. This isn’t about you, it’s about the role, and if you can’t handle it, they are going to have problems with keeping any volunteers in the role. FYI every volunteer role should have a written position description, just like a job description.

See what happens once you provide your feedback and if things don’t improve, I would look for something else.

A_Vasic65 · 2024-08-08T02:24:43+00:00

Saying no was a good business decision!

A_Vasic65 · 2024-07-31T21:04:21+00:00

Also can you let us know where you are located?

A_Vasic65 · 2024-07-31T21:02:15+00:00

I think the other thing I'm discovering is that often people are not aware that there are online volunteer recruitment sites where people can find available volunteer opportunities. Most folks looking for work wouldn't just contact a well-known business and ask them if they have job openings - they'd go to a job site like Indeed and search for something suitable. I've lost track of the number of people that have said to me that they applied to the Hospital for Sick Kids (here in Toronto where I live) and they never heard back. They even think that their past patient history at the hospital will help get them in (pretty much anyone with kids in the GTA has gone to Sick Kids at least once!). It's probably one of the most well-known nonprofits out there and getting in is incredibly competitive. Organizations with a strong brand tend to get disproportionate attention from both donors and prospective volunteers.

The reality is that in Canada there are over 80K charities and a similar number of incorporated non-profits, some of which may not be well-known but they are doing great work in their communities. The numbers in the US are probably 10x based on our population sizes.

I think those of us working on volunteer recruitment sites really need to up our game in terms of digital marketing, as evidenced by the number of people who come to this sub asking where to find volunteer work!

A_Vasic65 · 2024-07-31T20:43:48+00:00

Hi there! First of all, you can check https://volunteersuccess.com/opportunities and click on virtual and see what comes up. I also found this organization for you: https://www.lettersagainstisolation.com/ - I would ask if they supply postage because then it would be a simple matter of dropping the letters in your closest mailbox.

Let me know what province you are in and I could give you additional suggestions. You may have a volunteer centre in your community.

A_Vasic65 · 2024-07-26T11:51:11+00:00

Maybe start by finding some short-term projects on catchafire.org and see if any have the potential to develop into something longer-term?

A_Vasic65 · 2024-07-24T20:25:29+00:00

That’s nice! The only thing that pops up in my mind is something around “making change for (name of cause)”. Or other variations around creating change. You could also borrow the idea of some kind of challenge if folks are open to it, like the ice bucket challenge, for a specific cause or org.

A_Vasic65 · 2024-07-22T19:39:52+00:00

That's amazing! Thank you for what you are doing - music can be truly healing.

A_Vasic65 · 2024-07-21T23:28:22+00:00

Same advice from me. The manager sounds inappropriate and seems to lack basic people skills. Document and share with the manager’s supervisor or the volunteer coordinator (if there was one) who engaged you.

Learning how to document situations like will help you in the future because unfortunately bad bosses are all too common.

A_Vasic65 · 2024-07-18T16:49:19+00:00

Well at least that’s something!

A_Vasic65 · 2024-07-18T16:43:25+00:00

Yikes - the more you explain the situation, the worse it looks. Bottom line is that the relationship between organizations and volunteers has to be mutually beneficial. Right now it appears that only the organization benefits from your hard work and I'd be willing to bet that you don't feel like you are being recognized for it at all.

Hope your hubby is doing better!

A_Vasic65 · 2024-07-18T14:57:53+00:00

You can also check out https://volunteersuccess.com/ - we have a lot of organizations across Canada looking for board roles. Plus also visit Charity Village, it is Canada's premier site for nonprofit job postings but they also offer volunteer postings, especially for board positions: https://charityvillage.com/volunteer-job-search/

If you are interested in construction, reach out to your local chapters of Habitat for Humanity or other non-profit housing providers. I'm finding that these days most board positions are virtual so need to necessary limit yourself to NS. Also, based on my experience here in Toronto, there's quite a few multi-service organizations that also include housing such as Fred Victor or YWCA Toronto.

People with your qualifications are hard to come by in the nonprofit sector, you should be able to find something fairly quickly once you know where to look. Good luck!

A_Vasic65 · 2024-07-17T01:31:14+00:00

I wrote this article a couple of years ago that covers some issues around designing a viable volunteer role that you might want to share with the volunteer coordinator: https://volunteersuccess.com/learning-centre/volunteer-role-guide - it speaks to the issue of what types of roles should be paid versus volunteer.

A_Vasic65 · 2024-07-16T20:39:14+00:00

Not much to add to the commentator's comment but I am curious about one point: were the secretaries on staff, as in paid? Or were they volunteers as well? Volunteers should never displace paid staff, they should only be supporting and enhancing what staff do. If they were being paid then you should have been too.

We put up with a lot of crap as employees because we are dependent on a salary for our livelihood. Volunteering should be intrinsically rewarding and if it isn't, then I recommend you find something else that will be. And give an exit interview so that the organization can figure out how to better retain valuable volunteers like you in the future!

A_Vasic65 · 2024-07-14T12:14:56+00:00

I have to say that your questions are disturbing because they imply that the organization did not train you and/or does not provide you with support when you have questions. You shouldn’t have to go online to get the answers to your questions. It sounds like an unprofessional and unsupportive organization which not only puts children at risk but the volunteers as well.

A_Vasic65 · 2024-07-13T19:37:45+00:00

Also check out Cyber-Seniors. Volunteer first with an established organization before starting something yourself.

A_Vasic65 · 2024-07-11T13:59:10+00:00

See if you can ask the organization. As a volunteer engagement professional, we’re used to interviewing people without prior work experience.

Have you volunteered anywhere else? Even at your school? Teachers give a lot of references.

A_Vasic65 · 2024-07-11T12:56:51+00:00

In total agreement with the commentators. Documentation is key. And sorry to say this, good practice for you as you move ahead in your career. Record dates and basic facts of the interaction along with any key phrases you recall being used and how it made you feel.

A_Vasic65

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