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Engaging Your Community: The Importance of Volunteering

Dubuque Circles Initiative Leadership Track Series

To choose to act in recognition of a need, with an attitude of social responsibility and without concern for monetary profit, going beyond one’s basic obligation

What is Volunteering?

{Community Benefits

Why Volunteer?

Volunteers deliver critical services Volunteers help to keep our

neighborhoods clean and safe for everyone

Volunteers educate the public

Getting Things Done

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A Little Can Mean Alot

{Motivators of Volunteers

Why Do People Volunteer?

People join an organization because it meets their needs

Needs can include: Business Friendship Belonging

Volunteers will stay because the organization continues to meet those needs

The Self-Serving Motivational Drive

People also commit because of friendship When a friend personally asks, most

people have a hard time saying no A friend excited about the organization’s

cause is the best person to recruit Investing in relationships can be one of

the strongest stimulators when it comes to motivating volunteers

The Relational Drive

For most volunteers, their core motivational drive – what they believe in – represents the strongest level of commitment

This takes place when volunteers commit to the organization because of their passion – meaning that they actually believe in your cause

Even if the cause will cost them a great deal of personals sacrifice and pain, these volunteers remain highly motivated

The Core Motivational Drive – Their Beliefs

{Personal Benefits

Why Volunteer?

Expands your personal and professional networks

Learn new and transferable skills Opportunity for career exploration Builds a track record of work and

commitment Hiring managers value volunteerism

Benefits Your Professional Aspirations

{Compassion Fatigue

Don’t Forget to Help Yourself, However

A form of burnout that manifests itself as physical, emotional and spiritual exhaustion

Gradual lessening of compassion over time

What is Compassion Fatigue?

Normal displays of chronic stress Apathy Isolation Bottled Up Emotions Abusing drugs, alcohol or food Anger Blaming Chronic lateness Depression Workaholism

Symptoms of Compassion Fatigue

Take time for self-reflection Identify wat’s important Live in a way that reflects this Develop your own self-care plan

Spend plenty of quiet time alone Recharge your batteries daily Hold one focused, connected &

meaningful conversation each day

Preventing Compassion Fatigue

“Volunteers are unpaid because they are

worthless, but because they are priceless.”