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Volunteering Time: Too much or too little
By Jana M. Kemp
Tired? Or full of energy? Either way, spending time volunteering can be energizing and rewarding. Here are some strategies for finding the right organizations and right amounts of time for volunteering.
Overall Volunteering Guidelines Consider why you want to get involved. Is it to affect change, to have fun, to network, to serve the community, or some other reason?
Be passionate about and committed to the cause of the groups you participate in. Without passion and genuine interest, burnout happens sooner than later.
Set time limits. How many hours a week or a month will you devote to the group? My rule of thumb is to invest no more than 10 percent of my time a month in volunteering.
Set giving limits. Decide how much money you plan to give. Dollars add up in driving expenses, dollar and item donations, and fundraising activities.
Have fun or don't do it. If you are not having fun, it shows and brings down your energy as well as the energy levels of the organization.
Choosing Organizations When considering organizations to participate in, ask questions of group members, board members, and non-members to be sure there really is a fit. Ask questions about:
Mission. What is the purpose of the organization? If you don't know, why are you joining?
By-laws. What are the rules of conduct? The by-laws are a public document. Any organization worth joining will willingly share the by-laws so that you can make a sound decision about joining.
Fees & Dues. What are the weekly, monthly and/or annual dues? Are there one-time joining or initiation fees? Know how much money you are committing before joining.
Committee and Fundraising Expectations. What are the responsibilities of being a member? How many committees are you expected to serve on? How much fundraising work are you expected to do? Find out before joining, rather than being surprised later.
Saying No With all these considerations, why do so many of us end up feeling short on time and long on volunteering commitments? There are a lot of good causes and a lot of good people to get involved with. However, the more we commit ourselves to others, the less time we have for ourselves and our families.
Here are some time management strategies for saying no.
Honest response. "I'm already committed to the number of volunteering projects that I can handle." Or "Thanks for thinking of me, I'm committed to other causes and giving in other ways." Or "The opportunity doesn't feel like a fit for me."
Use your schedule. "My schedule is already full. I'm not in the position to take on any more projects."
Show appreciation. "Thank you for thinking of me."
Offer Alternatives. "Thanks for considering me. I'm already over-committed. However, let me check with a few people who might be able to help out."
The ongoing challenge is to discover what the right amount of time to volunteer really is. Too much volunteering time and we can burn out. Too little time spent volunteering and the community eventually suffers.
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Jana M. Kemp is an internationally recognized speaker, author and workshop provider on the subjects of improving day-to-day business activities. Jana hosts Momentum(tm) every Saturday at 9:00 a.m. on KBOI 670am. Reach Jana via her website www.janakemp.com
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