Avoiding Volunteer Burnout

Every association is lucky to have those few people who are so passionate about the organization that they volunteer for everything! They join the group eager to help in every way they can to keep the association moving in the right direction. You might notice that saying “few people” is not an understatement. An associations can be made up of 50 people or hundreds and it will still have a small amount of people who are willing to volunteer their time.

This can lead to the same handful of people volunteering for the board, committees, or events which can result in volunteer burnout. If you notice that your volunteers are becoming increasingly less enthusiastic, slacking on the job, or more and more negative, you might have a case of volunteer burnout on your hands. Recognizing this burnout is the first step in fixing it. Keep an eye out for when your volunteer’s excitement starts to dwindle.

Once you have noticed that a volunteer is starting to burnout, take a look at their workload and figure out how to divvy it up differently. Pass some responsibilities to those who are looking for more to do. This will allow your volunteer some more free time and a moment to catch their breath.

It is also important to show your appreciation for the volunteers. Feeling valued is often a strong motivator in someone’s work ethic. Showing the group that they are special and emphasizing the difference they are making will raise the morale of the group and keep them chugging along.

Another option to take the load off your volunteers, would be to hire an AMC. AMCs are there to do all of the minuscule things that your volunteers either don’t have time for or simply do not want to do. It allows them to focus on the bigger picture of the association, keeping the mission at the forefront.

Volunteer management can be a challenge, however, it is better to keep a close eye on your volunteers throughout their time with the organization than to run them into the ground.

Adjusting to an AMC

The changeover to an AMC can be a big one. Because of that, we have put in place an on-boarding process for each of our new clients. With this process things tend to run a lot smoother, however, we do notice some clients still have a hard time adjusting to an AMC. Below are a few tips and tricks to an easy transition.

• Overload your AMC with information. Keep in mind that your AMC is becoming a part of your association with only the knowledge you provide and that they can research. They might be new to the industry of your association or even just the way you have done things in the past. Never hesitate to share information about your association. The more your AMC knows, the better off you will be.

• Be available. We often find that if we are not provided information, we spend a majority of our time tracking down the person with that information. If that person is often unavailable, the process drags out. Make sure your AMC has any login information and processes right off the bat in order to avoid delay of communication. If you expect your AMC to provide drafts before publishing work, make sure to get back to them in a timely manner in order to make sure the work officially goes out.

• Let go and let us! AMCs have the experience and skills to do the job. If you are paying for them to do it, make sure to actually let them do it. Once you have seen drafts in the first few months and have evaluated the quality of the work, learn to trust your AMC. This will alleviate you of the duties and free up time that you wanted to gain by hiring an AMC. 

Although change and depending on others can be scary, it is often for the best. If you hired an AMC it was for a reason. You also picked the AMC you picked for a reason. Learn to trust them, communicate with them, and fill them in on all things about your association will only make your organization more successful.

Rebuilding a Committee

Losing committee members right and left? This is a pretty common problem found in associations. Volunteers burn out, run into new time commitments, or get frustrated with the position leaving your committee with empty seats. If you find yourself with a lacking committee, it is important to quickly fill those empty seats in order to keep everything on schedule.  

• Identify tasks. Understand what the committee was originally established for, their current tasks, and any future objectives. Make sure these issues and goals are clearly established before bringing on new committee members. 

• Determine a leader. If your committee leader has also left you high and dry, it is time to pick someone new to step into his or her shoes. Feel out the current committee members and see if anyone is willing to volunteer. If nobody is willing to take on this role, it is up to you to handle this in the meantime. This will also motivate you to continue the search for new committee members. 

• Fill the other positions. Make sure members are aware of the opportunity to join the committee. Include it in newsletters, emails, social media, and anywhere else you are communicating with your members. If this does not entice enough members, have the current committee members make a list of members they feel would be a good fit. Once the list is created, the recruiting can begin. 

• Check in. Once the new committee is established, be sure to check in regularly. Make sure the group is happy and understands their role in the organization.  

Moving forward, make sure to consistently remind members of committee opportunities. Remind them that they can get more involved by joining committees. This will keep it in the forefront of their minds and might lead to more people joining before it is crucial that they join. This will lead to easier turnover and a more positive experience. 

The AMC Checklist

Things can get a bit hectic for a volunteer in an association. When this overwhelming feeling gets to be too much, it is time to begin your search for an association management company. Beginning this search might lead to even more of a headache for the Board of Directors, but we have made it easy! Here is a checklist of what to look for in an AMC. 

• Size fit. If you are on the board of an extremely large association, make sure that the AMC you choose has the capacity to take you on. This applies to smaller associations as well. You want to make sure that you are at equal priority to the AMC’s other clients. This ensures that things do not slip through the cracks and the work is done. 

• Passion. Look for a group of Executive Administrators that has a true passion for what they do. Find an AMC that becomes a partner and cares about your goals and milestones. This will guarantee that they are just as dedicated as you are to the organization. 

• Culture Fit. You are going to be working with the Executive Administrator closely. It is important that you and that person get along, communicate well, and have a strong understanding of one another. If you prefer working with someone more laid back than intense, keep that in mind when conducting your AMC interviews. This relationship will be something you are maintaining for the length of the contract and should be a positive one. 

• Transparency. Find an AMC that holds themselves to high standards when it comes to ethical business practice. You are handing your AMC highly important information and access when you work with them. Make sure that the AMC you choose has an open and honest policy about how they are spending your time, what they do for you on a regular basis, and any information they might hold during their time with you. It is important to know that your money is being used properly and that if the partnership were to end, your information is readily available. 

• More than one dedicated Administrator. It is a smart move to look for an AMC that will provide you with at least two dedicated Executive Administrators. Two Executive Administrators allows you easier communication, more collaboration, and a back up plan. If you are working with one Executive Administrator and they have to take a day off or leave the company, you have someone who has already been working with your association to train a new staff member. This keeps things running smoothly and prevents a chaotic transition if your primary administrator is unavailable.  

• Experience. If you are lacking in marketing, financial support, or member communication, find an AMC that has that experience. Question them during the interview and look for examples that line up with what your organization is looking for. This guarantees a good administrative fit. 

  The hunt for the perfect AMC might be a stressful one, but once you find the right fit, the stress will quickly fade. The AMC will allow you to redirect your focus to the mission of your association and leave the administrative tasks to your new partner. 

What Makes Impact, Impact

2019 marks Impact’s 13th year of business. It has been an exciting ride full of changes and growth. This year, we decided it was important to define what is unique about Impact. Talking over everything that is unique to Impact, our team narrowed it down to 3 defining factors.

1.  We love what we do, and it shows. Our team is passionate about supporting Associations and becoming partners in order to surpass goals and achieve milestones. As partners, we find great value in developing relationships with our Clients. We are real people with different personalities, skill-sets and strengths. We celebrate this diversity and believe in having FUN while providing top level professional services to our Clients. 

2. We specialize in small-medium sized Associations. We understand the unique challenges and benefits that align with these Organizations. While each Client is unique, we believe in sharing the strategies and successes we’ve experienced in the past rather than reinventing the wheel. Regardless of how long our Clients have been established or what phase they are in as an Organization, we believe they deserve the best customer service, support and resources.
   

3. We believe in transparency. We hold ourselves to extremely high standards when it comes to ethical business practice. From day one we are working hard to establish trust with our Clients. We often pick up the pieces from previous broken partnerships and this has given us the knowledge of how to do things right, right from the start. From our contracts to our invoices and everything in between, we respect our Clients too much to keep anything in the dark. 

Although logos, employees, and clients may have changed over the last 13 years, these 3 unique selling points never will. Happy 13 years of Impact!