Talk about the Passion: Today's Volunteerism is about making an impact and seeing the results, say volunteer leaders.

PASSION. HAVING AN IMPACT. GETTING TO SEE THE FRUITS OF YOUR LABOR. FEELING that your time is well spent. These are some of the common themes that reverberated.

When ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT sought three volunteer leaders to ask what makes them serve--and what they think makes others serve--we looked for diversity. After all, a common theme on boards these days is how to create a more diverse, talented board, whether the criteria be age, culture, or what-have-you. If you want to know, for example, how to attract a younger volunteer, why not ask a younger volunteer? Further, a diverse group might offer a cross-section of ideas.

And a cross-section of ideas we got. All three of the volunteers interviewed for this article offered original insights into what drives them and what they feel might drive others to become volunteer leaders. Yet perhaps almost as interesting as the diverse and unique ideas that the leaders offered were the common themes that, surfaced throughout--perhaps suggesting a certain universality in what a prospective board member is looking for in his or her commitment. Further, from the recruiting perspective, this same universality might suggest what boards need to offer today's prospective volunteer leaders in order to attract good candidates.

With more than 140,000 associations in the United States--about 500 new associations were created in 2000 alone, according to Internal Revenue Service figures--the issue of board volunteer recruitment reaches across the spectrum of our society. In that light, ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT spoke with leaders ranging from the board president of the Financial Planning Association to a staff vice president at Women in Cable & Telecommunications, and finally, to the graduate student board chair of the National Society of Black Engineers, to discuss with them their passions for service and their ideas on creating a diverse and talented board.

Guy Cumbie: A passion for innovation

When you talk to Guy Cumbie, you get the feeling that you might be talking to a philosophical cousin of Phil Jackson or some other proven modern-day success guru. Cumbie may or may not be a fan of the eight-time NBA Championship coach famed for finding Zen in the art of basketball, but when listening to him, you do hear terms like conscious awareness, magnetic attraction, and synching--as in, "synching in new board members."

No question, the principal at Cumbie Advisory Services, a personal financial planning and investment advisory organization, has a passion for the process, for the big picture, and for the dynamics of how an organization can run at its most creative, effective level. In fact, by his own admission, passion is one of the things that drives him in his work with the Financial Planning Association (FPA), Atlanta, and apparently he feels it is an ingredient for bringing new members to the board table as well. But passion is not the only ingredient, for there is also the practical that must be considered, and Cumbie knows this firsthand.

"I think more than anything else, it was a combination of interest in the issues and passion for the larger cause," Cumbie says of how he came to be involved in association work, ultimately leading to his role as president on the FPA board for 2001. "There needs to be a little bit of a convergence of both the interest and the passion with the availability, life situation, and business situation."

If Cumbie is turned on by big-picture ideas and the dynamics of a successfully running organization, it follows that he would participate on a board that he's excited about, and there's no question that Cumbie is excited about the sometimes-nontraditional ways of the FPA board, which has 23 members. Recently the board met in a retreat environment ("the western slope of the Grand Tetons," says Cumbie) with the plan of "Calling the Circle," a practice that emphasizes peer-led, spirit-centered gatherings, mapped out in a book of that title by Christina Baldwin (1998, Bantam Books). Prior to the gathering, says Cumbie, board members decided that the experience should be "paper free," because, in the words of one member, "What you remember and take away is what really matters anyway." Participants were encouraged to operate in "all-leader mode," under which they self-selected who would speak and when.

Another nontraditional twist to the FPA board: Members of management are invited to board meetings. "And I don't just mean [Executive Director] Janet [MeCallen]," says Cumbie. "I'm talking about department heads. We consider them part of top management, and they're welcome in the board room." Cumbie says that in doing so, the board is trying to open up lines of communication and "break down some of those traditional barriers, humanize our board room." Managers also were included in the recent retreat.

For sure, the very identity of FPA, which was formed in January 2000 from the unification of the International Association for Financial Planning and the Institute of Certified Financial Planners, is fluid by nature, Cumbie points out. "Even in our short life, we have already done some successive iteration on our identity."

Continually revisiting its identity, constantly redefining itself: That's what a board's core purpose should be all about, says Cumbie, because success flows out of an ever-evolving identity. "It's my personal world view that the specific strategies and tactics will pretty naturally flow or emerge from a well-discerned and well-articulated identity," he says.

And just as strategies and tactics flow out of identity, in a similar manner the right volunteer leaders will gravitate toward an organization with a vibrant culture, Cumbie contends. "The culture resonates in and of itself, and creates an almost magnetic attraction," he says.

To get a solid pool of board candidates, FPA cast its net wide, putting out a call via e-mail, Web site posting, chapter leader newsletter, regional leadership training conferences, chapter meetings, and other avenues.

Whether the success of the process can be attributed to the magnetic pull of a vibrant board, e-mail solicitations, or both, FPA's recruitment approach apparently worked, even for attracting a diverse age range of candidates: The range of age on Cumbie's board spans close to 30 years.

Further, Cumbie's principles, which to some may seem a bit abstract for the real hoard world, do in fact appear to be getting results talent-wise. While emphasizing that his board is open to new means of recruiting volunteers, cumbie notes, "We did not have any shortage of names this last time we put out a call. And we wound up having a good selection of new people."

For its new class of hoard members, FPA has set up a mentoring program, taking great care to determine who would make the best mentors. The board chose relatively new members, those who came in the previous year. "They're not rookies, but they're not set in their ways either," explains Cumbie. "They can still feel both sides."

Delano White: Youthful--and universal--wisdom

Don't bother using a highlighter when reading through a transcribed interview with Delano White. Problem is, you might find yourself highlighting practically the entire interview, as I did, leaving me with three pages of lime green.

Now a University of Michigan graduate student, White initially became involved with the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), Alexandria, Virginia, as an undergraduate through perhaps the most common and effective means of marketing: word of mouth.

"I was attending school, and there was actually a conference about an hour away, and one of my buddies was going," he says. "I had never heard of the organization before; and he convinced me to go. When I got there, it was just something I had never seen before, with the membership and people my age doing such positive things."

The rest is history for the national executive board chair. His interest and love for the organization blossomed with the people he met and the virtually limitless opportunity for new professional experiences and learning that the society steadily put before him. It wasn't long before White found himself learning--and using--the skills necessary to plan and manage a national convention that brings in $4 million.

White tells of how NSBE is unique in the way it is run, and this is precisely what draws him--and presumably other volunteers--to the organization. With the bulk of NSBE's members being college students--the organization also includes alumni and precollege extensions--it follows naturally that the national board is managed by students. But don't think this is your average, shoestring-budget student organization.

"What I like about the board is the student-managed concept," White says. "You have students managing this, but they're gaining business experience that a lot of people don't get until their mid-forties or fifties. Our organization is an $8 million organization. We have over 15,000 members and I have a staff of 25-plus in Alexandria."

But what is so special about NSBE apparently has nothing to do with money. Through White's words you sense a love for the organization--a love shared by many. "We have a term we call NSBE ['Nezbie'] Love," he says. "Any member in our organization can just spout the mission statement off the top of their head. And that's pretty much what I like--when I go to diferent conferences, just seeing, regardless of where you're at, that same NSBE Love going across the board."

Whether it's run by students or not, $8 million is $8 million, making participating in NSBE every bit the real world. "So you have to grow up and make real-life decisions, because money is money, and service is service, regardless of whether you're doing it as a student or a 20-year professional," says White. "If you drop the ball on a project, you have to answer that question, so I definitely appreciate the real-time experience."

So what do young people want out of a volunteer commitment? "I think part of the motivation is just belonging to something," says White. "I think everybody wants to be a part of something. And then I think everyone gets motivated because you see some immediate results. You get to see some of the fruits of your labor sooner than later." Add to those factors the opportunity to network and learn new skills, says White, and you might have a fairly complete picture of what attracts younger volunteers.

White feels that in general, attracting volunteers--no matter what age--is accomplished simply by conveying what they will gain out of it. "I think everybody wants to see, 'What is going to be the benefit to me?'--even if you're doing a strictly service venture. At some point you're going to get something back from it, whether it's just the satisfaction of helping somebody."

White finds that telling his own story is also an effective means of recruitment. He sees that people need to understand first that they are capable, and second, that they can make an immediate impact. "When I go out and I talk with people in the organization, I basically give them my story and I show them how it's possible to make a change, or just have an impact," he says. "You don't have to have all the answers." As for White making an impact, in addition to telling of how he chaired a planning committee for a national convention that brought in a record number of attendees (11,000), he can also tell prospective volunteers of his experiences developing NSBE's Community College Initiative Program, or his work putting together the organization's health fair.

And now the question that many a board probably would like to pose to someone like White, a knowledgeable and thoughtful younger professional who might know a little something about his peers: If he were a board member of an older, established organization, what would he do to attract younger members?

"The first thing you need to do is understand what they're looking for," White advises. And as he suggested earlier, today's younger candidates are looking for opportunity in taking on volunteer roles: the opportunity to make a difference, to meet new people, to learn new skills, and simply to belong.

Again, says White, it all has to do with a concept relevant to any age group: what's in it for them. "Once you understand what the younger group is looking for, just show what they can get from it," he says. "Make them feel involved, and bring them in and show them that they'll be working on substantial projects that will have an impact. In my organization we get people to do things as volunteers because they're having an impact. They want to work on projects where they can make a difference, and they enjoy doing it. There's an old saying: You can make all' the money in the world, but if you don't like what you're doing, you'll be miserable."

Further, says White, if you find something that you enjoy to the extent that you would do it for free, you have discovered something that you can turn into financial wealth.

"So if you're trying to get volunteers, find what people like to do, and get them to embrace what they're doing."

Kenyetta Haywood: Making an impact

Shortly after I first e-mailed Kenyetta Haywood, CAE, requesting an interview on the subject of how to attract volunteers, a fax came in from her delineating "a few thoughts" that she had "jotted down" on the subject, which she said she would expand on when we spoke. "A few thoughts" included a four-page outline on the volunteer recruitment process. Then, a few days after the interview, a two-page letter arrived from her in which she thanked me for speaking with her and then proceeded to expand on a question that she felt she had not answered to her satisfaction.

These two communications are true indications of who Kenyetta Haywood is: intelligent, thoughtful, diligent, and detail-oriented. At the moment, Haywood finds herself on the staff side as vice president of operations with Women in Cable & Telecommunications, Chicago. Haywood's volunteer experience is extensive, however, ranging from board member at the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging to member of the House of Delegates and national officer for the Law Student Division at the American Bar Association.

With that kind of background, Haywood's understanding of boards and associations is both vast and multidimensional. Asked what draws her to volunteer, she expresses a familiar point--that it allows her to use her talents--only with a unique slant. "It's a personal sense of giving back," she begins. But then she elaborates, "You do one thing from 9 to 5, but then you try to find another outlet for some of your talents and expertise as well. So it's one, a sense of giving back, but, two, getting more fulfillment, because sometimes one particular job doesn't utilize all of your skills and your interests. So for me, it's just been a way of using some multiple talents, both in a work environment and then in a volunteer opportunity."

Similar to NSBE's White, Haywood likes to talk in terms of "making an impact" and seeing a concrete result, when explaining what volunteers enjoy about participating in her organization. "We call it transforming," she says of the opportunity to be a part of creating real change. "[The volunteers] will get a chance to help shape, educate, transform, and improve the whole industry by getting involved in some of our activities and advocacy issues. So they get a chance to make an impact."

As indicated by her faxed outline, Haywood cares deeply about the issue of attracting a talented and diverse group of volunteers. One of her innovative ideas--one that she feels is "imperative"--is to bring all levels of an organization into the development of a recruitment plan for volunteers. Not only does this "foster synergy between all levels of the organization," she wrote in her follow-up letter, but "without having a cross section of input the organization may not accurately identify the requisite volunteer skills."

Haywood also sees the importance of assigning volunteer projects with a defined duration. That means not only assigning specific projects with a beginning and end but breaking down those individual projects even further, into smaller components. To Haywood, it's all about flexibility and understanding the needs of today's volunteer. It's about "realizing that there are some people who can give for very short or specific components of an activity, but not be there from the A to Z," she says. "And they like that better and it works out better in terms of what they contribute to the organization."

Pulling from her multiboard experience, Haywood recalls the success of a volunteer orientation that one of her previous boards offered, in which new members got a chance to meet with the executive staff. "It pretty much [gave] them a sense of belonging--not just, 'OK, welcome aboard, and the next committee meeting is three weeks from now at 7:00 a.m.' So it gave them a good foundation and a sense of what the organization was all about, and they appreciated that."

Haywood also sees great potential for mentoring programs, but offers a different reason for the need. She points out that often new board members are brought in by friends or associates who are already on the board, possibly creating a situation where the new member has gotten only one point of view. "It would be beneficial for them to have another viewpoint, or another contact person who could help them understand sometimes just little nuances," Haywood says. As for nuances, she cites an example within her own industry: the countless acronyms that new members are confronted with. It's the little things such as shedding light on mysterious acronyms, Haywood says, that make a new member feel comfortable.

Also important to Haywood in the whole process: marketing an association directly to volunteers and creating nontraditional means of recognition. For marketing, Haywood suggests a volunteer Web site, which can list volunteer opportunities.

Of course, if you have a revolving door of volunteers, the recruiting is all in vain. So how do you recognize and retain them?

"The cheating way, so to speak, is to really ask people what kinds of recognition options would be meaningful to them," says Haywood. "And then beyond that, maybe they'd like the press release, maybe they want the person they report to in the organization or the president or the PR department to know what they've done and contributed."

The thing to always have in mind, she concludes, is that any motivation for volunteering, by definition, is "not going to be from a paycheck. So how else do we really say thank you, and have it be meaningful?"

Carl J. Levesque is senior editor of ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT.

RELATED ARTICLE: TIPS FOR THE WISE: RECRUITING THE RIGHT VOLUNTEER

J.P. O'Connor knows about boards. She studies them, she teaches them, and she participates on them--three, at the moment. Nonprofit organizations have been a labor of love for O'Connor, principal of O'Connor Management Consulting, Bur-bank, California, for nearly 27 years.

Sure, it is as hard as ever to attract volunteers, she agrees, but that's not because willing and able candidates are not out there. "I see great generosity in volunteering. I think we're just still using old techniques of getting them and we haven't changed how we're using them well enough." O'Connor offers some tips for attracting--and keeping--the right volunteer leaders:

* OFFER 'EPISODIC VOLUNTEERING," wherein projects have a defined duration. O'Connor says that not only do volunteers want to know when a project will stop and start, such projects also allow for "short-term wins," where volunteers can see an impact.

* MAKE SURE VOLUNTEERS' TIME IS WELL SPENT. "I think having a really clear mission statement--why we exist, what difference we make--and a really clear strategic set of objectives and plans for how to get there is critical to my feeling that if I give you these talents, we are going to make a difference," says O'Connor.

* DON'T JUST PUT OUT THE HELP WANTED" SIGN. The jobs are complex, O'Connor points out, and from the prospective volunteer's point of view, "if anybody could do them, why would you want me specifically? So the whole recruitment process has to be different and taken seriously to bring people on, with a lot of upfront exchange about what they'll offer and what you'll offer them."

* GO FOR DIVERSITY--NOT TOKENISM. For one thing, a token member inevitably will feel that he or she doesn't fit in, says O'Connor. "If you're really going to try to make a change, identify several of us in whatever that change group is so that we have enough of a voice," she says. "Because any one of us is just a cross section of our own opinion, and we don't want to represent necessarily a whole spectrum of people."

* PROVIDE THE GOODS--SAY THANK YOU THROUGHOUT. Don't wait until the end of a project to express appreciation. "Recognition and motivation is much more than plaques and pens," says O'Connor. "It's giving me the adequate resources [including training] to do my job."

* OFFER EDIFICATION MATERIALS. O'Connor recommends to her clients that they provide "leadership libraries" of cutting-edge books and articles because volunteers want to grow--not only for the sake of their experience on the board but so that they can bring what they learn in their volunteer experience to other parts of their lives as well.