The Emirates Foundation Youth Philanthropy Summit 2014 was held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates in early November and proved to be just as exciting and inspiring as the first summit held in 2013. As I wrote then and found to be true again this year, it is so wonderful to meet and learn from people from around the world who are committed to volunteer engagement.
The theme of the summit was “Philanthropy 2020: Improving Impact, Effectiveness and Collaboration” and the array of topics covered were impressive. There were plenary sessions on the value of capacity building and helping tie these costs to impact; building leadership platforms and networks for non-profit CEOs; understanding the value of business and nonprofit partnerships beyond improving the company’s reputation and image; and more.
Alan Witchey, director of the United Way of Central Indiana Volunteer Center and I presented on three topics. The first focused on intellectual (skills-based) volunteering. One of the key takeaways of this session was that, unlike “hands on” volunteering (like painting classrooms at a school in a struggling neighborhood), with a skills-based project, the volunteer and the organization need to outline expectations and check in regularly to ensure a successful outcome for both parties.
Millennials in particular like skills-based volunteering, and tapping into their preferences as a way to attract and retain members of this growing segment of the global workforce was the focus of our next session, called “Boosting Employee Engagement through Volunteering.” We wrapped up with a session called “Creating a Volunteer-Centered Experience.” That’s right; if nonprofits want to inspire and motivate volunteers to give more of themselves, they need to find ways to help the volunteer feel valued. Alan and I shared ideas for recognizing volunteers, offering professional development opportunities, building in systems for feedback, and keeping volunteers engaged.
These last few months I have been fortunate to learn from and exchange ideas with like-minded professionals from across the globe focused on deepening volunteer engagement. Interested in perspectives on volunteering from other parts of the world? Check out these recent blogs from Australia, Taiwan, and Romania.