While binge researching, I thought I’d share a few recent volunteering headlines I found with you. They were deep in my feed…really deep, like buried deep.
Disclaimer: These “headlines” are made up.

In blatant effort to increase respect for volunteers, volunteer manger renames them “Fluffy Donors” and requires each Fluffy Donor to pledge $1 to the general fund for “you know, the fluffy work we do.” In other news, charity heralds “new era of respect for donors.”

In bid to save money, nonprofit CEO cuts volunteer department budget by 50% before being told there is no volunteer department budget and laments, “What, now I have to cut the senior retreat?”

In a shocking nonprofit study, organizations learn that 78% of mistreated volunteers quit. “The remaining 22% will get a nice thank you luncheon,” says one CEO.

Upon hearing there is an uptick in people wanting to volunteer, nonprofit consulting agency unveils “Fees to Volunteer” as next big source of revenue for struggling organizations, using “They should pay for the privilege of volunteering” as their tagline.
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After learning the 850 packets they assembled for the annual walk/run were thrown away because of typos, volunteers stage walkout the same day the marketing manager is promoted.

After reading study that shows volunteering is good for health and well-being, nonprofit ED scraps wellness plan, asks staff to volunteer and replace “those pesky unpaid people.”
It’s nice to know volunteering makes the news. 🙂
-Meridian
these aren’t real right?
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Hi Jessica, fortunately they are not real, they are just made up nonsense from my warped mind… 🙂
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Oh my gosh these are so funny! I am still laughing after reading them a few hours ago.
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Thanks Laura, I’m pretty much laughing at myself.
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I know this is satire – but except for the packet/typo thing, I can point to some actual nonprofits that do each of these things.
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Thanks Jayne, sadly me too.
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But whoa, Meridian – aren’t those examples just too easy to imagine, given the way the world of volunteering is going? “Let’s exploit the do-gooders as much as we can”. High time we got a big push-back up and showing muscle!
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Thanks Sue, absolutely agree and for me, this is what makes it so hard to do humor/satire (not that I’m any expert, mind you). There’s a part of me that laughs but feels a gut punch at what I’m perceiving to be attitudes towards volunteering. You’re right, my friend. On the positive side, there are so many volunteer engagement experts working at changing the system. Jayne Cravens for example (thx Jayne for commenting). So, there’s hope.
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