Whether you’re looking to grow your own network, spark some connection within your work team, or foster ties between members of a broader group (like an association), volunteering can be a crackerjack tool.

In my time as a corporate fundraiser, I  both watched it in action and used it myself. Let’s look at how it works for a few different goals, then talk about some elements that make it work optimally (aka: not be icky).volunteering-as-connection

Grow Your Own Network

Volunteering is a great way to meet people and get to know them. Most volunteer opportunities bring you into contact with other people in a low-pressure way. You’ll see them at meetings, when you work together on a task or project, and at events such as volunteer appreciation nights or fundraisers.

Even better, your mutual willingness to devote time and effort to a worthy cause kick starts your connection. When you meet someone while volunteering, there’s a good chance that they are not only generous and compassionate, but that they share an interest with you.

Build Your Team

Volunteering can be a great team building activity for an employee group. I saw this time and again when I was in corporate fundraising. It works, in my opinion, for three reasons:

  • It gets them out of their usual environment and habits
  • It gives them a higher purpose around which they can come together
  • It provides an opportunity for them to show sides of themselves that might normally stay hidden in the workplace

This volunteering can be set up as an outing during work time, or as an extracurricular.

The result is often a group with higher morale and stronger relationships. It’s not a silver bullet, and it has to be done properly (see below), but it can be very powerful.

Build Your Organization/Group Membership

Clubs, associations, and other groups can benefit from setting up volunteer opportunities for their members. It makes a nice change from mixers, luncheons, and conferences. Often, members welcome the opportunity for community involvement without the legwork of setting it up. Voluntary work may also appeal to members who aren’t interested in the other types of activity on offer.

In my city, many networking organizations (like the Junior Chamber) have a tradition of annual service, partnering with the same organization every year to do a donation drive or a day of service. These can be among the most popular activities of the year.

My own Meetup group, the We Hate Networking Club, is planning to visit a local seniors’ drop in centre next month instead of holding our regular meetup. The holidays can be a particularly difficult time for low income seniors, as they tend to be socially isolated and feel it more keenly at this time, when we traditionally gather with our loved ones. Since WHN is all about building social connection, we thought it would make sense to go and spend some time with them. If you’re in the Edmonton area, we’d love to have you join us. Sign up here.

The Secret Ingredients

You might be wondering about the apparently self-serving nature of using volunteering for your own goals, rather than for altruistic reasons.

I’ve certainly seen it – sooner or later, it becomes obvious who’s in it for the right reasons, and who’s simply looking to advance their own agenda.

This is a major pitfall when we volunteer for connection, but it can be avoided. There’s no reason we can’t volunteer for the benefit of ourselves and others.

The key is to find the right fit in terms of the volunteer opportunity you choose. If you are sincerely engaged in a cause and an organization that you believe in, and you build your relationship with them while building the other relationships you’re interested in, it can be a win-win. If you’re setting up volunteering on behalf of an organization, try to find something that’s in line with the values and work of that organization, rather than completely foreign.

If you’d like to know more about how to find that fit, you might be interested in a short book I wrote years ago, after spending 3 years as a professional fundraiser: The Savvy Do Gooder, Giving that makes a difference.

The high profile and well connected community members who volunteered for the campaigns I used to work on had this down to a science. The best ones genuinely cared about the issues we were working on, and enjoyed robust relationships with their fellow contributors. They were also those who tended to stick around, rather than flitting from cause to cause according to whatever was most popular. The best and most well-respected volunteers were committed.

 

Volunteering can be a great networking tool, especially if you’re really uncomfortable going to more conventional ‘networking’ activities like mixers. With some care and consideration, you can find one that will give you the opportunity to grow your network and make a positive impact at the same time.