tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637372924851105604.post6705115943100693480..comments2023-08-29T12:58:53.386-04:00Comments on Too XYZ (Archives): 8 Reasons that Volunteering Sucks. (So Far...)Ty Unglebowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06836504600859993438noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637372924851105604.post-14160897779149166592012-03-02T14:35:54.012-05:002012-03-02T14:35:54.012-05:00I think another good thing to do to save oneself f...I think another good thing to do to save oneself from poor volunteer opportunities is to carefully check the financial statements of the organizations you choose to volunteer for (get help if you are not yourself knowledgeable about this)Also ask what volunteer screening processes are used. (You may also need protection from other volunteers who are unstable or have criminal records - especially if you're dealing with money in your volunteer position). I know from experience that a really dark side of volunteering - I don't think mentioned yet - is the vulnerability of many non-profits to financial fraud - often by their own executives!! By hiring expensive lawyers and accountants fraud can often be covered up by a board of directors with the rationalization that the non-profit needs to keep up morale and not reveal its transgressions. In Canada there was a good article on financial accountability of non-profits in the Summer 2011 edition of MoneySense Magazine. Take a read.. and watch your wallet as well as your time!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637372924851105604.post-7811338473974925182012-02-23T12:05:05.914-05:002012-02-23T12:05:05.914-05:00Thanks, Andrea. Your advice is sound, and indeed I...Thanks, Andrea. Your advice is sound, and indeed I have over the years tried to match more closely my personality with that of the organization. I've met, with minimal success so far, but I haven't given up hope that some day I'll find a good match.<br /><br />Perhaps I should talk to people longer before I commit. When I can get them on the phone that is.Ty Unglebowerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06836504600859993438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637372924851105604.post-86713417714187821552012-02-23T11:51:06.266-05:002012-02-23T11:51:06.266-05:00Ty:
Thanks for your frank comments on volunteerin...Ty:<br /><br />Thanks for your frank comments on volunteering. I appreciate it as someone who has volunteered throughout my life and supervises volunteers at non-profit agencies.<br /><br />I think that prospective volunteers should interview agencies to see if the culture of the agency resonates with them. I'm sorry to hear that you've had negative experiences with agencies. <br /><br />Would it be okay to encourage you to continue the search for the best agency that fits your goals?<br /><br />May you continue in your commitment to give back to your community.<br /><br />Blessings,<br /><br />Andrea Scott<br />"Mentoring for your success"<br />http://andreascott.infoAndrea Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09295862799684961602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637372924851105604.post-69512890311728926302012-02-07T21:33:13.042-05:002012-02-07T21:33:13.042-05:00You may not be claiming so, but perhaps you ARE in...You may not be claiming so, but perhaps you ARE in fact something special, if you are willing to dedicate your time, energy and skills to a cause bigger than yourself. In fact, I'd argue that anybody who does so is special to a certain degree, if they put what they are doing ahead of politics and games while volunteering. Sadly, many do not, and that is what I have always found frustrating.<br /><br />But a person shouldn't have to be special in order to receive someone'e respect. I can't understand why so many volunteer organizations cannot give that simple, vital thing to their volunteers. They certainly deserve it. You certainly do. And until we behave in a disrespectful manner, we ALL do. I am sorry you are not getting the respect you deserve from your volunteer supervisors, (or whatever their title may be.) <br /><br />Just another sad example of volunteering going wrong. (I still haven't volunteered anywhere since I wrote this post.)Ty Unglebowerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06836504600859993438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637372924851105604.post-78652763031634169102012-02-07T21:23:28.657-05:002012-02-07T21:23:28.657-05:00I'm with the others who said they were relieve...I'm with the others who said they were relieved to have found this. A recent experience has me rethinking if I really want to continue volunteering. After being with two organizations for over a year and a half, I have a mixed opinion toward volunteering. It seems that it was a bit more fun and rewarding in the beginning. <br /><br />I volunteer for a cat adoption agency and in a thrift store that benefits the local domestic abuse shelter. Usually the worst part is dealing with the public. I hate that I keep thinking "These people are getting on my frickin' nerves, and I'm not even getting paid for it!" At the cat adoption agency, I'm confined to a really small space, and I'm supposed to clean out 10 cages while a huge family comes in, getting in my way while scaring all the cats. It's a rewarding experience when I deal with intelligent, courteous customers at the thrift store and the cat center, but having to encounter idiots pretty often makes me want to quit volunteering sometimes. <br /><br />Then there's the fact that when I've already had to stay 30 minutes after at the cat center, I'm a little irked and ready to go, but then someone makes the assumption that I will do another adoption so I can stay another 30 or 40 minutes. Volunteers want a life, too, and deserve respect. I know how to set boundaries and tell someone what I will and will not do, but I shouldn't have to as a volunteer. Most people I know aren't willing to extend even half the amount of time I have to help others without expecting pay. I'm not saying it makes me someone special. I simply have a problem when a volunteer can't be shown appreciation and receives any amount of disrespect.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637372924851105604.post-29742523688432731952011-06-06T12:09:50.181-04:002011-06-06T12:09:50.181-04:00Well, New England, I am glad that despite your bad...Well, New England, I am glad that despite your bad history with volunteering you have now found a place where it is actually rewarding, and works for you. It sounds like just the wort of place I had wished I could find when I tried to volunteer. And perhaps some day I will find such a place. <br /><br />I hope it continues to work for you! Thanks for stopping by.Ty Unglebowerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06836504600859993438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637372924851105604.post-48546840025574668082011-06-06T12:03:17.261-04:002011-06-06T12:03:17.261-04:00I cannot agree more! You've done a fantastic ...I cannot agree more! You've done a fantastic job of pinpointing the areas of volunteering that have STOPPED me from volunteering in the past. <br /><br />About 10 years ago, I decided to volunteer at my city's animal rescue league as a "cat socializer". My job was to take the cats out of their cages, play with them, and then put them back. At the end of my shift, I was to wash out the litter boxes and do some light housekeeping. Fine, no problem. My first day started off great. I played with a bunch of cats and at the end of the shift, went into the storage area where there was a sink to begin washing litter boxes. There was another volunteer there who apparently had been there since the beginning of time. When I soaped up a litter box and began scrubbing it down, I heard her say, "Oh no ... not like that." She grabbed the wet, soapy box from my hands and began washing it herself. Then, she started having a conversation about "the way people do things" to another volunteer, who was also washing litter boxes. I was standing there without anything to do, and they were both talking to each other and ignoring me, so I went home.<br /><br />The next week (I volunteered on Saturdays), was awful from the start. I was told that I was "playing with the cats too much". Um ... what is my job again? Another snotty "head" volunteer told me that the cats were all riled up by the time I put them back in their cages. I was supposed to be socializing them to get them ready to be adopted, but apparently that was beyond their realm of intelligence. They just thought I was being a nuisance, even though I had answered an ad in our local paper looking for "cat socializers". I asked if there was anything else that needed doing. There was a dog area where you could walk the dogs and play with them, but they told me that I wasn't allowed there because I was "too new". I told them that I had a dog and four cats at home and that I knew what I was doing, but they brushed me off. I asked for some cleaning duties, and they told me there were none. I went home and never went back.<br /><br />Ten years later, I began volunteering with a non-profit organization. I was welcomed, was treated with respect, and have made fast friends with some of the head volunteers. Now, the type of volunteering that I do is very physical. There is also another branch of the organization that puts together fundraisers, etc. I can see how this part of the non-profit may fall into the same category as what you talked about in your blog. However, I have not really experienced much of that yet. I think that the trick is to stay as "removed" as possible and only do the work that you feel comfortable with. I feel comfortable with the animals, with getting my hands dirty, and working with the friends I've made. I've earned the trust of my fellow volunteers and have gone further with this particular organization than I ever had the chance to with the other one. I hope to stay on for many years, but like I said, I would rather remain a “background player” to avoid any of the BS that you (and I) have encountered. The animals keep me going back, and the nice people I’ve met are a plus. But, like anything, if it wears out its welcome, it can become more of a hassle than its worth.New England Biteshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15748217011468123041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637372924851105604.post-67774605930389132942011-05-07T12:02:17.345-04:002011-05-07T12:02:17.345-04:00Sounds like quite the case of entitlement to me, A...Sounds like quite the case of entitlement to me, Anonymous. The problems is that it gives not only the person, but the organization itself a bad name. Even if they could do a lot of good work, people still don't like working with asses!Ty Unglebowerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06836504600859993438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637372924851105604.post-41487185642261542222011-05-07T10:49:54.586-04:002011-05-07T10:49:54.586-04:00I'm also really glad to come across this page....I'm also really glad to come across this page. It's ridiculous how unappreciative and bossy these people can be. Volunteering should be fun and volunteers should be free to show up when they want and do whichever jobs they want. The jobs they stick people with are either a waste of time or way too much work to justify dealing with a snippy attitude. While rebuilding a school in SF, the woman in charge walked around doing nothing and actually yelling at people for taking breaks!! I understand the cobbler comment (haha) because there was a fight at a kitchen in town here about the proper placement and amounts of food. WHO. CARES. The reason I searched for "volunteering sucks" today is because my husband is dragging me to volunteer at a festival we worked at last year for the sake of our neighbor whose name we don't want to tarnish by not showing up. Last year the woman who gave us our jobs was incredibly entitled. We we ended up selling t-shirts for 10 hours and were accused of taking t-shirts (they were ugly anyway!!) and never thanked. In the end she offered for us to buy a leftover shirt for full price and "give us that opportunity". Wow, thanks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637372924851105604.post-18751363743204811012011-02-28T03:13:37.766-05:002011-02-28T03:13:37.766-05:00hi, new to the site, thanks.hi, new to the site, thanks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637372924851105604.post-83752508327657615572011-02-27T12:37:22.635-05:002011-02-27T12:37:22.635-05:00Seems like it is a world wide problem, not just in...Seems like it is a world wide problem, not just inb the US. Good to know. (Or perhaps it's not so good to know...)Ty Unglebowerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06836504600859993438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637372924851105604.post-43437225010615183472011-02-20T11:07:28.609-05:002011-02-20T11:07:28.609-05:00Again, I too googled "nonprofit sucks". ...Again, I too googled "nonprofit sucks". I am 27 years old and I have been in the grey area between volunteering and semi-employment for too long now. <br />This year I decided to enroll in a film-making course, and guess what's the subject of the screenplay I'm writing at the moment! Volunteering.<br />I don't know much about volunteering in the States but all of what I read in these posts rings true. Here in the UK it sucks even more though because both the previous and the current government have this policy of axing public service jobs and then asking the "community" to do the same jobs for free.mnimonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15355878681700226082noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637372924851105604.post-3449754579249919802010-12-13T04:58:35.832-05:002010-12-13T04:58:35.832-05:00I live in place where unless you've medical ex...I live in place where unless you've medical exemption you can become homeless and be evicted unless you volunteer certain amount of hours to the community which was some "higher ups" ideal with the Seattle Housing Authority office. Even though I am disabled been very ill and exempt I have made few attempts in past volunteer through different organizations mainly those that share personal interest to get my rusty skills from not getting rustier and perhaps to get into few free events. I experienced some of similar things too but because I have less experience dealing with these things I thought it was personal and got quite upset. I too googled "nonprofits suck" to see who else is experiencing this. Thanks for posting this. You were able to express this whole better than I did.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637372924851105604.post-25828828121848294432010-12-09T11:46:12.717-05:002010-12-09T11:46:12.717-05:00Yet another example from the trenches of what I am...Yet another example from the trenches of what I am talking about in this post. Absurd experience for you!Ty Unglebowerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06836504600859993438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637372924851105604.post-79003449196814672292010-12-08T11:06:41.219-05:002010-12-08T11:06:41.219-05:00Thanks for the post. I was starting to think somet...Thanks for the post. I was starting to think something might be wrong with me! I am not working at the moment and will be going back to school in a month. I thought I would use my time wisely and do some good around my community. I found what I felt was a great non profit, signed up for the orientation, had to drive nearly an hour to get there, even had to pay for them to do my background check and provided a bunch of references. I was told that the background check came back fine and that my references would be checked right away. Well it's been a month and my references have yet to be contacted. I was one of 3 people at orientation and we were told that the organization needed a lot of help, specifically family mentors for refugees. I was truly enthusiastic about doing some volunteer work for them but I am now wondering if I should really continue calling, emailing, and pressing the volunteer coordinator who seems to care so little about wasting my time!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637372924851105604.post-30332270875569954122010-11-09T07:00:06.885-05:002010-11-09T07:00:06.885-05:00I have had a terrible expereince in the past few m...I have had a terrible expereince in the past few months looking for volunteer work. I've applied for two charity shops and chased them up a few times. They all said, "We will phone you next week." I spoke to the managers personally both times. No joy. <br />I have had a negative expereince of voluteering in the past with being put under immense pressure and being mistreated by a manager. I had some wonderful experiences too though. I made the mistake of assuming that every experience you have with volunteering will be great.<br />Half of them just use people up like kitchen roll. Take a piece use it a lot then throw it away and get another piece off the roll.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637372924851105604.post-1700678881217773622010-10-21T15:14:15.890-04:002010-10-21T15:14:15.890-04:00Wow. That toilet paper thing may be the best examp...Wow. That toilet paper thing may be the best example of what I am talking about that I have ever come across! Absurd!Ty Unglebowerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06836504600859993438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637372924851105604.post-75421532007851801872010-10-21T14:21:15.488-04:002010-10-21T14:21:15.488-04:00Thank you very much for this blog posting. I got y...Thank you very much for this blog posting. I got yelled and screamed at by an old 80 year old this morning. I had to put toilet paper rolls inside little clear plastic bags. My crime was not poofing up the top of the bag and tying it with blue ribbon. Toilet paper rolls should not look like mini Easter gift baskets or a table display from a wedding. That woman ranted and raved for 45 minutes.Geesh. Working behind the scenes at a soup kitchen/food bank is not easy work.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637372924851105604.post-28609965907935940062010-09-23T23:44:06.756-04:002010-09-23T23:44:06.756-04:00You are absolutely right. It is those who are supp...You are absolutely right. It is those who are supposed to be served that suffer most from the politics and BS of so many charities. I am sorry you experience has been so poor, but thank you for stopping by and sharing your situation.Ty Unglebowerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06836504600859993438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637372924851105604.post-38676150928932896062010-09-23T23:29:03.488-04:002010-09-23T23:29:03.488-04:00I am so happy to have found this site because I th...I am so happy to have found this site because I thought I was losing my mind. I have been self absorbed so long and had an epiphany that my life would improve dramatically if I "gave back" to the community. I researched endless hours to come up with an Organization that "spoke to me" and I finally found several. The first was volunteering to plant trees, something I had never done before but thought it sounded interesting and I could learn a thing or two and my black thumb might turn somewhere nearer to tiel.....No response after about 12 attempts at contact and NOW, I am so excited about trying to vounteer at a battered womens shelter and I have called, emailed, emailed, sent the application in followed by an email and NO CALL. I am in utter disbelief and so greatly disappointed in these people. The victims of this are the people in need and because of these extremely poorly run non profits, they will continue to suffer needlessly.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637372924851105604.post-74157244533541187442010-05-11T01:38:08.906-04:002010-05-11T01:38:08.906-04:00Anonymous,
Thanks for the post! It's true, w...Anonymous, <br /><br />Thanks for the post! It's true, we got volunteers to do work for free that otherwise we'd have to hire people for. Sometimes volunteering leads to paid work. Sometimes not. But calling you at home, and all the time, to do something that they could do? <br /><br />AWFUL. Gotta tell them to fuck off, and fast!<br /><br />MMazarinehttp://wildwomanfundraising.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637372924851105604.post-24811543456201548432010-05-05T22:15:23.160-04:002010-05-05T22:15:23.160-04:00I found this blog through searching Google for &qu...I found this blog through searching Google for "volunteering sucks" and I have to admit that I'm relieved to have found it. It will give me a way to vent anonymously...<br /><br />Recently, and like others out there, I decided to assume the role of volunteer. Unlike most people, however, who volunteer by doing things like scouring the local community to pick trash up and whatnot, I decided to volunteer my web design and development expertise. Needless to say, the experience has been a living hell.<br /><br />First and foremost, I can honestly admit that I had fun in the beginning. Everything seemed like it was stemmed from a good cause and everyone wanted me to help them without being too brazen about how this "help" came to fruition. As time progressed, this changed.<br /><br />Now, I get phone calls at inconvenient times of the day about things pertaining to this website I've set up for the non-profit. I guess I've been placed on-call?<br /><br />One time after a monthly meeting, I received approximately 7 or 8 individual e-mails pertaining to information some of the people wanted on the website. These e-mails contained everything from images to PDF files... It took about 2 hours to get everything organized and uploaded / displayed accordingly due to the strict naming conventions, precise articulation of wording, placement and positioning, padding / margins, etc. All for nothing...<br /><br />Again, I get phone calls now from the main person in charge of this organization who believes that having a successful non-profit boils down to having a perfect website. One night I even received a phone call from her at 9:00 PM! "Hey, could you add X-Y-and-Z to the website?"<br /><br />Keep in mind that this organization is using Wordpress--something that allows them to upload / edit EVERYTHING.<br /><br />Needless to say, this will absolutely be the very last time I EVER do any volunteerism. These lazy cretins exploit the help they're given and while part of me understands their desire to get every ounce of water from the sponge, I also understand that their tenacity for constantly drafting the younger generations into said roles is never gone unnoticed--there's a reason for this. The younger generations allow them to outsource specific responsibilities for free. Do you think that some seasoned web designer who is established with a day job would give the time of day that some young kid like me would? Of course not... Do you think that some professional would do this sort of work for free? Of course not... That's why they pick people like me--because they know I'm doing this half the time for networking instead of any common ancillary benefits.<br /><br />Regardless, the point is old but constant: never volunteer for bastards.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637372924851105604.post-84550712907798829752010-04-21T18:01:08.723-04:002010-04-21T18:01:08.723-04:00I've had good experiences volunteering, but I&...I've had good experiences volunteering, but I've only sat on the boards of all volunteer groups (I think they have some national level staff, but from my point of view all volunteer). As a student there was tons of activity... weekly meetings, outreach events, general meeting, and all the planning to make it happen. Outside of school it has been less frequent... planning meetings once a month and one or two activities a month. <br /><br />I've grown my leadership and planning skills tremendously, picked up tons of amazing career advice, and gotten a tiny bit of speaking experience. <br /><br />Very few non-profit groups really are the backbone of communication and organization they need to be to make things work out. I might be worse that there are paid people because then they are relied on to do all the planning and make all the decisions.Kellyhttp://kelly.seilerfam.com/kellynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637372924851105604.post-43720878150305102672010-04-20T23:45:26.578-04:002010-04-20T23:45:26.578-04:00Thanks everyone for your comments.
Mazarine, I se...Thanks everyone for your comments.<br /><br />Mazarine, I see where you are coming from, and I do understand some of why it may be happening, but as you say, there's no reason to make people feel unappreciated.<br /><br />Lori...It's admirable to feel the desire to serve the community, but hopefully you will come to the point where you do not feel guilty for not doing so.<br /><br />Cameron- I am not sure I totally agree with your assessment about non-profits, but I do agree that a wide scale rethinking of how they operate may in fact be in order in this country.Ty Unglebowerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06836504600859993438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637372924851105604.post-45470034633196143622010-04-20T21:44:39.065-04:002010-04-20T21:44:39.065-04:00I'd agree with a lot of your points. i look a...I'd agree with a lot of your points. i look at this way: if an organization needs volunteers, then they don't have money, and if they don't have money, they probably aren't well run.<br /><br />I think nonprofits need to completely rethink how they do things and figure out how they do things.Cameron Plommerhttp://econapps.comnoreply@blogger.com