What a Program Manager at Minds Matter Southern California Wishes They Had Known Before Entering the Non-Profit Industry
Alex, a Program Manager at Minds Matter Southern California, wished they had better anticipated the unique challenges of managing volunteers, noting that "respecting volunteers' time and skillset and knowing how to utilize volunteers to their strengths" was crucial. This experience highlighted the importance of setting boundaries to maintain a healthy work-life balance in a volunteer-based organization.
Volunteer Management, Nonprofit Management, Work-Life Balance, Boundary Setting, Youth Mentoring
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Alex Moses
Program Manager
Minds Matter Southern California
Reed College, 2018
n/a
English
Education, Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Education
Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, LGBTQ
Video Highlights
1. Working with volunteers is unique and requires understanding how to utilize their skills effectively.
2. The work-life balance can be challenging, requiring setting boundaries to manage expectations and avoid burnout.
3. It's crucial to respect volunteers' time and skills, and to leverage their strengths for optimal outcomes.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone would have told you before you entered the industry?
I wish I had known more about the unique challenges of working with volunteers. I had previous experience in college access as a volunteer, mentoring students and working with them both before and during college.
However, I realized that managing volunteers and utilizing their time and skillsets is very different from working with students directly. I hadn't fully anticipated how much I would need to leverage their strengths and passions.
As a full-time staff member, I'm only one person with limited time. I learned the importance of figuring out how to best use the volunteers' unique abilities. This aspect of the role was quite distinct to my position in this volunteer-based organization.
Additionally, the work-life balance can be challenging. Volunteers may reach out at times outside of typical work hours. It was important for me to learn that setting boundaries is acceptable and necessary.
For instance, I've learned to establish times when I won't check messages, unless it's an emergency, such as after a certain hour at night or on my days off. Setting these boundaries is perfectly fine.