With so many people volunteering (more than a billion worldwide), you have to wonder: how is volunteering changing to keep up with changes in society? You can find 35 interesting perspectives on this question in Volunteer Engagement 2.0: Ideas and Insights Changing the World.
Curated and edited by VolunteerMatch, this new book explores how innovative approaches to volunteer engagement are reshaping nonprofits and their communities and how to use these approaches in your own community. Contributors include volunteer engagement experts, from organizations such as LinkedIn, DoSomething.org, Realized Worth, and the Corporation for National & Community Service.
Evan Hochberg, chief strategy officer at United Way Worldwide, and I were also asked to contribute to the book. Our chapter, “Rethinking the Status Quo” is about how United Way’s thinking and approach to volunteering has evolved in recent years. We are moving far beyond traditional United Way volunteer roles, such as board members’ service and annual corporate volunteer days, to strategies that will fundamentally change the scope of volunteer leadership and the ways in which human need is addressed. Today, our approach includes inviting volunteers to be part of a continuum of service – to offer a variety of volunteer roles to help people understand, experience, and feel connected to our work. Our chapter also covers how United Way has embraced the principles set forth by the Reimagining Service coalition.
United Way is constantly seeking to strengthen and improve the way we attract, inspire and deepen the passion and knowledge of volunteers. It can be messy and it certainly takes time, but it is the only way we can advance the common good in a lasting way. The world of volunteering is changing. Check out our chapter and tell us how you’re rethinking the status quo.