Seasons Greetings

Well what a fantastic year it has been and we look forward to an even bigger and better one next year.

We hope you have a lovely holiday season and enjoy the Christmas and New Year festivities.

See you in 2014.

Why Do People Volunteer?

Although volunteering is a term dating back to the middle of the 18^th century, it is a thriving practice in the modern world. People all around the world volunteer for certain causes and events and a lot of charities and activities are constantly recruiting volunteers.

Have you ever wondered why people volunteer?

Certainly volunteering has a lot of advantages. For example, volunteers notice an increase in their self-esteem, feeling that they are doing something good and making a difference. Moreover, a lot of people volunteer to do things they like, which means that they are having some fun while doing it. It also brings them into the company of new friends and acquaintances who are connected by the commitment to the same good cause.

Of course, there are other reasons that make people volunteer. For example, volunteering is now widely recognised as a strong point on one’s resume, university or job application. Moreover, by participating in certain activities, volunteers develop various professional and personal skills that may come handy in their later life and career. Working in teams may also have benefits for the volunteers, improving their social skills and leadership qualities.

We should not forget that lots of the events recruiting volunteers aim to make the world a better place to live. This is surely a strong motivation for a lot of volunteers, who are up for bringing about social change and improving the world. Working for a charity or an organisation with a good cause certainly looks like a good way to spend your free time instead of wasting it.

Of course, there may also be other reasons why people volunteer; the reasons are different for everyone. When asked about why they participate, volunteers share various reasons; for example, because they were asked, because they wanted to impress someone, to relax or take their mind off of something or because they wanted to help people.

Volunteers are amazing people who make a significant difference to the world. Let’s make sure we appreciate them.

Why Treasurers And Accountants Aren’t Really Boring

Are you one of those people who think treasurers and accountants are boring? Well, you are not the only one. People all over the world share your opinion and tend to assume that accountants and treasurers are more effective than the average sleeping pill.

So we decided to bust this myth and to give you some reasons why treasurers and accountants aren’t really boring.

1. First of all, these people work with money! They have money (or data related to money) in their hands every day, day after day, for their whole life. Without acting like materialists, how can anything related to money be boring? Surely a lot of people have dreamt of having a job that fills their hands and lives with money! Well, that’s what accountants and treasurers have.
2. Now take treasurers as a group. The name of their profession comes from ‘treasure’. How can anything related to treasure be boring? We grew up with books like ‘Treasure Island’ and filled the cinemas to watch ‘The Pirates of the Caribbean.’ These stories showed us people looking for treasure, but if you are a treasurer you get to find and guard the goods all the time.
3. A lot of accountants and treasurers in fact have favourite accountancy jokes and are happy to share them with us: ‘An accountant is a person who doesn’t have the charisma to be an Undertaker’ or ‘Q: Why are they putting the accountants at the bottom of the ocean? A: They found out that deep down they are not so bad.’
4. In fact, a lot of accountants or treasurers are just ordinary people with a great sense of humour who just happen to be interested in the things that we don’t want to bother with. Thank heavens for their perseverance and intelligence! Without them, we would be forced to deal with our own money or lack of it. Luckily someone has an eye on the numbers for us.

If you are not yet convinced that accountants and treasurers are not boring at all, check out this funny post with the typical Monty Python spin on it: http://whatdoclientsreallywant.com/are-accountants-boring/.  You just might change your mind!

Are You Seeking Professionals?

If you are a non-profit, governmental agency, or other institution, it can be difficult to find volunteers for your organisation, especially if you need a volunteer with a highly specialised skill set, such as that of a treasurer, secretary, or other professional.  According to a study by The Australian Society for Association Professionals, the members of many organisations are increasingly turning to their associations as their leading source for news and information about their industry, and these same members expect their groups to be a source of authority, a voice for influence within their profession. So now, more than ever, the professional qualifications and abilities of the person that your organisation selects counts more than ever.

How can you find great candidates to fill your group’s volunteer positions?  The answer may be as close as your next Tweet or targeted Facebook ad.

Today’s busy professionals are increasingly turning to social media to stay connected with the persons, places, things and even products and businesses that they care about.  Why should the associations and organisations that they are involved with be any different?  Social Media can be an incredibly efficient, low cost way of advertising a product or a position.  To be effective, you will want to keep the following tips in mind when you are using social media to locate your next recruit and get them to commit.

Have A Clear Online Presence Before You Advertise Your Position

Before you tell the world that you are seeking volunteers for your organisation, make certain that your association already has a website that clearly states its goals and mission and provides information about the sort of work that your group does.  Having a link on your group’s site that lists the benefits of volunteering with you, as well as contact information for potential recruits, can be very helpful to your efforts to find qualified volunteers.

Utilise Social Media Tools To Your Best Advantage

Facebook and other social media outlets often have tools to help you find out what members and other individuals are already saying about your group.  Oftentimes you can find a qualified volunteer simply by looking at those individuals who frequently like and comment on the status updates of your organisation, and Facebook offers you the ability to target your help wanted ads to those individuals so that you can ensure that you are controlling your ad costs and only targeting those with an interest in your cause.  Other social media tools, such as Google Search, can help you find individuals who are already interested in your group’s mission but who may not yet be affiliated with your association.

You can discover more helpful tips about how to use social media to find your next treasurer or other volunteer professional in this recent article at the online magazine, Third Sector.

The Results Of The 2013 Associations Matter Study

The results of the 2013 Associations Matter Study have just been released and they are interesting reading. The survey has found that there is likely to be an increase in demand for professional associations in the near future.

The AuSAE states that “Whilst members still join for networking opportunities and the credibility that membership affords them, the study found that their main reason for joining is for access to relevant information - they are looking to their association to be the leading, authoritative source of news about their profession.

Additionally, the study found that members also want their association to promote their profession to the general public and advocate for qualified, accredited professionals.”

The findings show that members want their association to provide clear leadership and education in their fields.  Up and coming members are looking to gain professional standing and credibility by joining an association.  The collection and dissemination of current knowledge and information is going to be vital to the association’s success.

As a volunteer treasurer, how concerned are you at having professional recognition for what you do?  Would it be tempting to join an association which gave you a form of certification and education?

What sort of education or leadership would you expect from your professional association? 

Social Media Strategy For Non Profits

Social media for non profit organisations can be extremely beneficial particularly in terms of fundraising and creating an awareness of new projects or plans.  Whether you use Facebook, Twitter or some other method the key is to interact and engage with the followers on the page to ensure that the information is being circulated to the widest audience as possible.  A multi-channel campaign – ie a campaign that involves many avenues for awareness and fundraising is the best bet for non-profit organisations as you have more chance of your information being seen and acted upon.

Often just starting out in social media can be the most difficult so you want to ensure that your staff, volunteers, friends and family support the work that you are doing.  Get them to spread the word about your campaign in the first instance so your information has a chance to be noticed.

 

Another great tip is to link up all your social media profiles with your website and include them in your newsletter and emails and other marketing avenues you have working for you.  You don’t want to waste any opportunity when it comes to letting people know that you are active online.

As part of your social media strategy, once you have it up and running, you will need to allocate a person or persons to post on and monitor the social media accounts daily to maximise the benefits and answer any questions that your supporters may have.

While getting donations may be important to your cause, social media has many other great benefits as well.  You will find that once you have a solid support network up and running through your social media avenues, it will be easier to get new campaigns off the ground and recruit volunteers for your next project as your fans are already supportive to your cause and will be keen to help in any way possible. 

End of Financial Year - Changing Roles

 

The end of the Financial Year is enough to drive most volunteer treasurers crazy but sometimes it is the time a treasurer chooses to resign from the role.  He or she can resign knowing they’ve completed their year’s end work satisfactorily.

 

While the focus for most committees is getting the financial reports completed on time and dealing with audits, others may also need to look for a replacement treasurer.

Throughout this blog we have shared information which will come in useful at this time.  Here are the posts we think are most important.

First of all, consider your public speaking skills.  Not only will you need them when you present your reports, you’ll need them to help recruit your replacement.  How good are your public speaking skills?

Finding volunteers isn’t easy although most small committees tend to recruit on the spot.  Unfortunately that often means someone is pressured into accepting the role.  You really need someone who is committed to the role so consider scouting for new recruits regularly.  You never know when you might need them and it’s a great way to introduce them to the organisation before they accept a role.  If you know you will be leaving, find your replacement before you go.

Handing over to the new treasurer should not be a complex job.  Arrange to meet with the new treasurer so you can provide an overview of the finances of the organisation as well as to discuss any other issues.

Now, if you happen to be taking over the role and you’ve never been a treasurer before, you will find a lot of useful information on our sister blog at Admin Bandit.  Starting from the very basics, the posts will help you settle into your role and comfortably take control.

Good luck with the end of Financial Year fun!