Ask a Mentor: I Volunteered to Help a Nonprofit and It is a Mess

Written by Sandra Kleinsasser

Dear Mentors,

I am trying to grow my communications skills and have been volunteering for a nonprofit group by helping with their newsletter. Unfortunately, this group (not WCA!) is disorganized and there is a lot of drama and angst among the volunteers.

I’ve only been helping for six months, but I feel like throwing in the towel.

Will leaving after six months look bad? Should I stick it out? I do care about the mission of the group.

— Frustrated

Talk it Out First

It’s not uncommon to find a non-profit that you feel passionate about, but is not a good fit for your personal goals.

Before you throw in the towel, have a candid conversation with the volunteer coordinator, or the person you “report to.” If you get feedback that things will change, then give it 30 days. If nothing changes, then it’s time for you to find another outlet for your talent. If you don’t get the feedback you are expecting, then it’s time to leave.

Find another organization that is better suited to your skills. Your experience should also give you a new set of questions to ask first to avoid the same situation.

Just because you are a volunteer doesn’t mean you should endure an environment that is not a good experience.

— Barbara Springer

High drama? Angst? Disorganization? Run!

Be diligent in choosing your associations. Find a similar organization with a healthy culture — or start one yourself. If you stay, the board may need new leadership or a new mix before you can make a productive impact.

Suggest they hire a coach or mediator who can help the group work through the miscommunications that led to distrust so the group can get back on track.

I suspect someone from the outside is needed to help fix the current state of affairs. If the board is resistant to outside help or internal change, the toxicity may do them in and you won’t have to worry about how throwing in the towel looks. An organization that repeatedly shoots itself in the foot has a death wish.

— Karen Aroian, VP of Student Programming

Be the Change

No matter how disorganized the group is, it’s likely they want to get better.

If you have some ideas for what might make the team run more smoothly (a new communication process, a different technology tool), find an ally in the group who has been there a while and take them to coffee.

If your ideas are well received, maybe your best volunteer contribution would be helping them be a better team!

But if you get a lot of excuses about why things will likely stay the same, consider that your “permission” (not that you needed it!) to find a group more open to your ideas and talents.

—Jenny Magic

Any views or opinions presented in this post are solely those of the individuals quoted and do not necessarily represent those of Women Communicators of Austin.