Pick volunteer roles that match your time and talents

Final of a Three-part Series

In June, I shared the three main reasons you should consider an organizational involvement. In July, I gave you the four key levels of involvements within an organization. Now it is time to assess the different ways you can be strategically involved so you can make the most strategic choices for you and your business. Take some initial time at the participant level within an organization to gauge the different opportunities for involvement. Talk to other members who have been involved in areas you have interest to gain insight to the time commitment and expectations.

Committee Level: Identify a committee level involvement that will use your talents in the best way for the organization. This level is a good first step without creating an extensive time commitment since you are among a group each ideally tasked with one aspect of an overall outcome.

Special Projects: Sometimes the best way to stand out is to take charge of projects no-one else is stepping up to take on. If it is a short-term project, you will have the ability to tackle the project and get it achieved without being a burden. If it requires a long-term timeframe, you can offer to oversee a first phase and then build a committee to assign another person as your successor. In one instance, a banking director volunteered to oversee what would be involved in establishing a charitable foundation within an organization. Once she had reported the proper procedure and necessary steps, another volunteer pursued the process of getting the foundation established.

Committee Chair: Stepping up to chair a committee will place you in a leadership role. It is important your choice is a good match with what you feel you are capable of doing. Key to being an effective chairperson is in assembling a committee to support you. This is important for three reasons. First, you are not a committee of one doing everything overburdening yourself in the process. Second, you are connecting with people who are ideally interested in helping and supporting the success of the committee’s responsibility, hence making connections for your business as well. Third, you can then assess the group of committee members to identify your successor. 

Board Member: There are three different levels of board level involvement depending on the structure of the organization. In some cases, two of these can be in operation at a time. One type of board is a volunteer board that is responsible for leading, setting policies, and also rolling up their sleeves and doing the actual work. Typically the organization does not have paid staff and requires a volunteer board to get things done. This level will mean more time on your part. A second board is a governing board. This type of board sets policies and oversees volunteer committees. It does not require as much hands-on on your part. You are serving in a leadership and policy making capacity. This organization has paid staff supporting it administratively. The third board type is an advisory board level position, which typical is in support of a governing or volunteer board. It is usually requires a lesser time commitment, but you are expected to provide a high level of guidance and expertise to assist the board in special initiatives or circumstances as they arise.

Keep in mind that each involvement should help you achieve your goals through putting you in direct contact with your ideal target market, in direct contact with those who could refer you to your ideal target market, or to help you gain needed support or resources for growing your business. You also want to identify those areas which will bring attention to your strengths and abilities so others can witness what you are capable of doing. Those who can be counted on in a volunteer capacity are viewed as ideal to do business with because they demonstrated their commitment and ability to get things done.
Review your current involvements and assess them with this knowledge to truly transform the chosen organizations into their highest potential of return on investment of your time, talents and money. Making sure you and your employees are involved in the right organizations in the right way will prove valuable to your bottom line.

— Sherré DeMao is author of Me, Myself & Inc. - a Synergized World, An Energized Business, Living Your Ultimate Life, and the founder of SLD Unlimited Marketing/PR, Inc., a full-service marketing, branding and public relations firm based in Denver, NC. Her column seeks to help business owners become more savvy marketers, managers and strategists. She is currently working on her second book, 50 Marketing Secrets of Growth Companies in Down Economic Times due out in fall of 2010. DeMao can be reached at 704.483.2941 or sherre@sldunlimited.com.