How to Ruin DOVIA
(In Ten Easy Steps)

Charge too much for membership, workshops, etc. Remember it’s not worth anything unless you pay for it; therefore its worth more when you pay more. Along that line, be sure that you don't check out the possibility of savings for members via group rates on such things as volunteer insurance, travel agencies, office supplies, car rentals, etc.

Show how important you are by being ‘exclusive’ about membership requirements. Remember, only paid leaders of volunteers are eligible. A college degree adds prestige even when based on entirely irrelevant subject matter (as it usually is).

Emphasize seniority (though never admit that’s what you’re doing). You must be in the club at least five years before you get to serve the coffee.

Fiddle with structure, ad infinitum. Remember, refinement of by-law 78A is more important than the two members who got laid off last week as superfluous.

Make sure your program ignores significant segments of the volunteer community. This includes advanced members who need more challenge and leaders of entirely volunteer groups, who don't need another seminar on volunteer-staff relations.

Choose meeting/workshop locations that are inconvenient, intimidating, or irrelevant. The Country Club is a great place to meet, for example, if you're trying to attract grassroots members, the week before the workshop on cultural diversity.

Never consult your members on most convenient meeting times. In fact, never consult your members about anything. Remember, you know what's best for them. If you have to do a membership need survey, just report results and forget it.

Burn out DOVIA officers as quickly as possible. A good way to do this is treat them like full-time paid staff who have nothing else to do in their lives besides serve complaining members. Never, never encourage members to see themselves as a support system for DOVIA officers.

Compete vigorously with other parts of the volunteer sector, such as the local Volunteer Center. After all, why confront the powerful denigrators of volunteerism when we can have so much more fun fighting among ourselves?

Targets for "Doing DOVIA Right"

Several issues ago, we presented a checklist of twenty things successful DOVIAs do, with a total score ranging from 0 to 100. We asked you to complete the checklist and send it to us, so we could suggest reasonable target scores. Many thanks to those of you who did so. We now have enough to suggest the following rough norms.

*Checklist scores as low as 5-10 are quite normal for new DOVIAS. Not to worry, but don’t get complacent either.

*Checklist total scores of 20-30 mean you’re doing about average for a DOVIA that’s been around a few years.

*Long established, truly outstanding DOVIAs might reach a score of 60-70. Congratulations! Higher scores are practically unheard of and might actually mean DOVIA is trying to do too much.

Don't relax yet. We still need more filled-out checklists in order to analyze individual success practices. So please send yours in.

DOVIA Dues and Don'ts

How much is too much to charge for DOVIA dues? DOVIA membership fees average about $10-$12 a year while DOVIAs collectively have 30 to 40 times more members than national professional associations. Coincidence? There seems to be a psychological barrier at about $15-20. At or below it, people might not think twice about an outlay. Above it, they might think thrice most carefully and decide against it.

DOVIA in Print

A North American directory of DOVIA-type professional associations now has over 100 listings and may well reach 150 or more. In recognition of their support and assistance, copies will be sent to AVA and VMSystems.

 

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Ivan Scheier
Stillpoint
607 Marr
Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, 87901
Tel (505) 894-1340
Email: ivan@zianet.com

For comments and editing suggestions please contact Mary Lou McNatt mlmcnatt@indra.com