Volunteering

Editor's Note: The following is an expanded version of the Leadership article published in the April 2023 Issue of Materials Evaluation.?

Every year during Volunteer Week I reflect on what it means to volunteer, how volunteerism is changing, and how ASNT can better utilize volunteers. I can still remember that first time (40 years ago!) when my colleague tapped me on the shoulder and invited me to attend my first association meeting, only to station me at the check-in desk to register people as they came to the dinner. We refer to that as being “volun-told,” which is sort of like volunteering but with a nudge. In those days, it was typical for a volunteer to engage for years, slowly making their way up the chain, until they achieved that pinnacle of being section president, thinking they had really made it—only to learn that there was this big national organization out there, which represented another 10–20 years of work to make it to a position of real responsibility. Volunteering for many people was just like a parallel career track that you traveled along much like you did in your main career.

I also remember the many association members who shared their less-than-happy volunteering experiences with me. One of our ASNT Board members, a highly accomplished executive who made it to the top of his field and industry, shared his story of being a young professional trying to break into ASNT’s volunteer ranks, only to be told he was too “green” and to come back in 10 years. He was summarily dismissed, undervalued, and insulted. I could tell by how he told the story how much it affected him, to the point where he didn’t look to volunteer for ASNT for many years. Through the fortunate invitation of another of our Board members, we were lucky to win this man back as a champion for our Society. But there are, unfortunately, too many such stories involving a willing member trying to engage in ASNT to no avail, either because another volunteer underappreciated them or because they fell through the cracks and gave up.

There is no excuse for ASNT not engaging a member who wants to volunteer. Volunteers are precious assets, perhaps more valuable than even our intellectual property or our tangible assets. Volunteers are how much of our work gets done, how our brand gets communicated, how our membership grows…as we say in the association world, volunteers are the “special sauce” that differentiates associations from other organizations. It is incumbent upon ASNT’s leaders to ensure we have systems in place to make it easy for members to volunteer, to make every volunteer feel included and welcomed, to provide meaningful opportunities for volunteers to engage, and to ensure their engagement experience is positive.

ASNT’s leaders felt so strongly about this that they wrote it into our Strategic Plan. Pillar 2, “Improve the Value of Membership by Providing Essential Content and Engagement,” speaks directly to volunteering:

“Association research makes clear that members who have a positive volunteer experience tend to retain membership in their society. Volunteers also report a much higher level of satisfaction and value of membership. Our engagement strategy is built around this understanding and begins by creating a system for identifying ASNT’s needs for volunteers, followed by identifying and recruiting volunteer candidates, training and mentoring volunteers, and engaging volunteers.”

One of the first steps in this endeavor was to create an online portal that makes it easy for members to find volunteering opportunities in ASNT. The ASNT Volunteer Portal (visit asnt.org/volunteer or go to Membership > Volunteer from asnt.org) was launched in October 2022 and works like a job board. Members can set up their volunteer interest profile, browse volunteer opportunities, and respond to listings. All members can access the system. I encourage you to go in and set up your account and start browsing the opportunities.

The volunteer portal provides another tangible benefit in that it helps cut through the “good-ole-boy” network. All societies experience this phenomenon to some extent, and ASNT is no exception. People tend to tap into their own personal networks when they need help, but if you are a newcomer, these established networks serve as barriers to volunteering. The portal helps us get newcomers into the ASNT network to the benefit of everyone.

If you have tried to volunteer at ASNT and have been turned away, ignored, or overlooked, I invite you to contact me directly. I promise we’ll find a volunteer role that fits your interests and availability and provides you with a positive ASNT experience. Or if you simply haven’t found the chance to step up yet, here’s your opportunity. Thank you for being there for us!