The Center for Creative Community

FACT SHEET ON PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AS OF 1994

FROM THE NATIONAL DOVIA NETWORK @
@ -- permission for use-with-acknowledgment

DEFINITION: a local or regional association of individuals with a career or other serious interest in leadership of volunteers and/or volunteerism. NAMES vary widely. Most often "DOVIA" (Directors of Volunteers in Agencies) or "DOVS"(Directors of Volunteer Services) or "Association", "Council", "Society", or sometimes "Roundtable", "Network", "Cluster", "Forum", Alliance".

HISTORY: First we know of was the Volunteer Resources Council of the National Capital Area (Wash. D.C., founded in 1956). Next is the Quebec Assoc. of Directors of Volunteer Services in Healthcare, 1958. Then L.A. 1964, WADV'67.

SIZE: We have 325 associations in our files and may know about half of what is actually happening, hence est. is 650 DOVIA-type locals in North America. Average membership of 70 is skewed upward by a relatively few large DOVIAS. Median membership is about 40. Total members of 650 DOVIAS is about 50,000.

AFFILIATIONS: About 1/4 report no affiliations; 1/2 say they have one, and 1/4 say more than one. Among the DOVIAs that do have associations, most are with local volunteer centers except for single-subject-area locals such as in healthcare, likely to be associated with their national. About 60 DOVIAs participate in the National DOVIA Network, and about 30 are affiliates of AVA.

PURPOSES: Virtually every association gives as main purposes 1) networking, idea and information exchange among members and 2) education and training in the volunteer leadership field. About half of the associations also give as goals: 1) increasing professionalization and 2)upgrading/promoting positive image for volunteers and volunteerism. About 1/3 also give as aim, avoiding duplication and the encouragement of joint projects in recruiting, recognition, etc.

MAIN ACTIVITIES: Meetings (40% say monthly), Workshops (av. 3 or 4 per yr.), recognition events (for volunteers and volunteer coordinators); and publications of a newsletter (about half do so; some of the others have space in another newsletter, e.g. the local volunteer center).

FUNDING SOURCES: Mainly dues and secondarily workshop fees. Other less frequent revenue sources are: fees charged for special events; donations from individuals or businesses; local govt. budget allocation; small earmarked grants for special projects; share of dues of national organization the local is affiliated with; sales of books, recognition items; sales of adverts in newsletter.

NATIONAL PUBLICATIONS:, "The DOVIA Exchange"(every other month) "The DOVIA CONNECTION, PLANNING AND STRENGTHENING A DOVIA" and 'THE NATIONAL DOVIA DIRECTORY". Membership in The National DOVIA Network is $20 annually.

August, 2000 notes by Ivan Scheier. The above estimates were based on a number of surveys, usually taken annually, frequent field trips, and extensive correspondence with local professional association leadership. I therefore feel the estimates are quite accurate. Though I have been inactive in this area since 1996, I expect that, if anything, local DOVIA-type professional associations today are at least as pervasive and active.