Dubuque Circles Initiative Leadership Track Series

1. {
Engaging Your Community:
The Importance of
Volunteering
Dubuque Circles Initiative Leadership Track Series

2.  To choose to act in recognition of a need, with
an attitude of social responsibility and without
concern for monetary profit, going beyond
one’s basic obligation
What is Volunteering?

3. {Community Benefits
Why Volunteer?

4.  Volunteers deliver critical services
 Volunteers help to keep our neighborhoods
clean and safe for everyone
 Volunteers educate the public
Getting Things Done

5. {
A Little Can Mean Alot

6. {Motivators of Volunteers
Why Do People
Volunteer?

8.  People join an organization because it meets
their needs
 Needs can include:
 Business
 Friendship
 Belonging
 Volunteers will stay because the organization
continues to meet those needs
The Self-Serving
Motivational Drive

9.  People also commit because of friendship
 When a friend personally asks, most people
have a hard time saying no
 A friend excited about the organization’s cause
is the best person to recruit
 Investing in relationships can be one of the
strongest stimulators when it comes to
motivating volunteers
The Relational Drive

10.  For most volunteers, their core motivational
drive – what they believe in – represents the
strongest level of commitment
 This takes place when volunteers commit to the
organization because of their passion –
meaning that they actually believe in your
cause
 Even if the cause will cost them a great deal of
personals sacrifice and pain, these volunteers
remain highly motivated
The Core Motivational
Drive – Their Beliefs

11. {Personal Benefits
Why Volunteer?

12.  Expands your personal and professional
networks
 Learn new and transferable skills
 Opportunity for career exploration
 Builds a track record of work and commitment
 Hiring managers value volunteerism
Benefits Your Professional
Aspirations

17. {Compassion Fatigue
Don’t Forget to
Help Yourself,
However

18.  A form of burnout that manifests itself as
physical, emotional and spiritual exhaustion
 Gradual lessening of compassion over time
What is Compassion
Fatigue?

19.  Normal displays of chronic stress
 Apathy
 Isolation
 Bottled Up Emotions
 Abusing drugs, alcohol or food
 Anger
 Blaming
 Chronic lateness
 Depression
 Workaholism
Symptoms of Compassion
Fatigue

20.  Take time for self-reflection
 Identify wat’s important
 Live in a way that reflects this
 Develop your own self-care plan
 Spend plenty of quiet time alone
 Recharge your batteries daily
 Hold one focused, connected & meaningful
conversation each day
Preventing Compassion
Fatigue

21. “Volunteers are unpaid
because they are worthless,
but because they are
priceless.”