Introducing AL!VE's Standards for Organizational Volunteer Engagement
These Standards were revised and updated in May of 2022 by volunteer engagement professionals (VEP) for volunteer engagement professionals. Based on extensive research and experience, these Standards have been shown to deliver value to both the organization and individual volunteers.
This version and the accompanying Self-Evaluation Tool were developed to be adaptable, relevant, and scalable within organizations of every size, structure, and industry. The Standards incorporate current trends in volunteer engagement such as inclusion and diversity, transformational volunteerism, and context-based volunteer management models.
The Standards can be useful to VEPs at every level of experience. Those who are new to the field can use these them as a guide for developing their organization's volunteer engagement programs. Those who are experienced VEPs and whose organizations have more established volunteer programs can use these them as a way to assess the effectiveness of their organization's volunteer engagement. In all cases, these Standards can be used to make the case for increased investment in and integration of volunteer engagement.
The AL!VE Standards are a living document, so the Standards Task Force will be soliciting feedback over the next year on their usability and effectiveness of these Standards so we can continuously update and improve them. We'll be developing training and support opportunities for interested users. An introduction to these Standards was held during the June AL!VE Academy on June 24th, 2022: Using Standards to Make Your Case: Introducing AL!VE's Standards for Organizational Volunteer Engagement. The recording of the webinar is posted below.
Looking for a subject matter topic for your upcoming Local Association (DOVIA) meeting? The new AL!VE Standards for Organizational Volunteer Engagement are a great conversation starter and are sure to get your members brainstorming. The standards are designed to be applicable to volunteer engagement professionals at any level of experience and are adaptable enough to be used across different industries.
You’ve already achieved Standard #2 (Professional Volunteer Management and Professional Development) if you are an AL!VE member and keeping up-to-date on best practices in the field. Go you!
Want to request a speaker from AL!VE to present a more in-depth look at the standards virtually at your next DOVIA meeting? Let us know.
