Volunteers are an invaluable resource for any civil organization. They contribute with their free time and enthusiasm to achieve its goals. Volunteers can fulfill multiple roles, such as helping in event organization, conducting research, providing consultations to users, or communicating with the media. With their assistance, more results can be achieved, the personnel budget can be reduced, and the services and activities offered to the community can be improved.
Working with volunteers does not simply mean posting a message on social media, gathering a few people, and relying on their self-initiative. In fact, it is essential to pay attention to how these new people are involved, whether they recognize our cause, receive adequate and proper training, and simultaneously, it is important to monitor whether they are visibly satisfied with what they have committed to.
Within the "Initiative" project, we decided to pay special attention to the topic "Working with volunteers." It is important for project participants to realize how valuable every additional support is when working on a cause, while being constantly "attacked" by unexpected difficulties.
Monika Pisankeva, program director at the "Workshop for Civic Initiatives" Foundation, spoke on the topic with youth leaders. Within one hour of an online meeting on July 6, 2023, she shared advice on where they could seek volunteer support and outlined five key elements for successfully involving volunteers in various causes. Later in the conversation, she revealed potential problems and solutions when working with people with different understandings, and what are the key questions when selecting volunteers in NGOs.
The "Initiative for Building the Next Generation of Civic Leaders" project by Workshop for Civic Initiatives Foundation is funded by the Active Citizens Fund Bulgaria under the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area (EEA FM) 2014-2021, provided by Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. The project aims to support the development of a new generation of civil leaders in Bulgaria who have the knowledge and skills to work effectively in a shrinking space for civil society and limited resources.