A Volunteer Bill of Rights
Today, the DC Central Kitchen will unveil a new effort that we hope will push our own organizational envelope, while also jump-starting the semi-stalled dialogue about the future of philanthropy in America…..a Volunteer Bill of Rights.
I serve on the board or advisory board for a bunch of great organizations (including Charity Navigator, The Alliance for Effective Social Investing, The Philanthropic Collaborative and Great Nonprofits) which have convened some of the best minds in the biz to see if we can use our collective brain power to help free the sector’s finances (and future) from the grip of what we ALL agree is the intellectual tar of “low administrative overhead”.
To that great goal, we have devoted numerous meetings to discussions revolving around which metrics can or should be measured, in what order, and most importantly, to what ends.
Naturally, this led us to genuflect to the need for outside evaluation—to the proxy of an unbiased third-party that would “certify” that groups actually do what they say they do.
I dig this direction, as this would help donors see that sometimes, things that look good, sound good and feel good can actually be astoundingly lame (For example: serving LOTS of meals sounds good, but it really isn’t, unless the meals being served are healthy. One clogs the arteries, the other frees the mind…ya dig?)
Which got me thinking….
Back in the day, when I was running nightclubs, there were really only a handful of “great” restaurants in America, and they were all French, period. Now, just about EVERY city in America boasts a bevy of great dining establishments. How did that happen?
I’ll tell you. Restaurant critics (often women writers who, in the 1960’s and 70’s, were relegated to the “women’s page” of the local paper) began to explore a new way of reviewing restaurants. This generation of writers began with a simple concept—diners had rights—and they crafted a whole new set of metrics that used “diner’s dollars” as the sharp point of their critical pens. They championed a new generation of American chefs by telling an escalating number of diners that they did not have to take what was served and like it—they could send it back. They could demand better. And demand they did. Soon, restaurant managers were training staff to be more accommodating and to talk to customers about the ingredients of the food. Open kitchens began to appear. Soon chefs began to come out of the kitchen to greet increasingly sophisticated diners and sit with them to talk about food theory, locally sourced products, green practices and giving back to community. And now, with the advent of the internet, comes technology that allows ANY customer to review a restaurant. And, it is because of that customer driven system that just about EVERY community in America now boasts numerous great restaurants that continue to push the boundries.
So rather than set out on a course that would have us hire expensive experts to verify what we do at DCCK….we did what we always do—look right in front of us—and we found close to 14,000 potential evaluators waiting on deck: the men and women, students and families who volunteer with us every year.
Frankly, if DCCK volunteers, and America’s 60 million volunteers start asking…no, demanding that they be told, in detail, what they did and why its important to the community–what the investment of their time helped grow–THAT will drive innovation a whole lot faster than another “Y x Z x % of Pi = Good” formula.
So, as of tomorrow, the Volunteer Bill of Rights will be posted throughout ALL DCCK business locations (including the 26 amazing Campus Kitchens). It gets right to the point—ALL volunteers have the right to:
- Work in a safe environment.
- Be treated with respect by all staff members.
- Be engaged in meaningful work and be actively included regardless of any physical limitations.
- Be told what impact your work made in the community.
- Ask any staff member questions about our work.
- Provide feedback about your experience.
- Receive a copy of our financial information or annual report upon request.
Some of these rights are, of course, pretty obvious….but by publicly committing to these standards, we hope that volunteers will see this list and will feel comfortable talking to ANY member of our team–that they will dig deep into our financial reports and they will ask us hard questions and push harder still for details, which we are, to a team member, double down ready to provide.
All of these rights are important….but the most purposeful of these is the one right in the middle—the right to “be told what impact your work made in the community”. THAT’S the kicker. We want, and think it’s critical, that every nonprofit in America be prepared to answer that question, in detail. No more fuzzy, feel good platitudes. No more bromides, brothers and sisters—it’s about facts and figures. Verifiable, Hard Core, Detailed Deeds.
Look, like a whole bunch of you, we are really excited by how much we pack into our 24-7-365 programs, and we WANT volunteers to ask LOTS of questions. To that end, we were thrilled to be a lead partner with our colleague and friend, Perla Ni at Great Nonprofits when they recently launched their new volunteer review project, which empowers volunteers to rate their experiences at programs like DCCK. She and her partners at Guidestar are way out front on this and they deserve big props.
But, this isn’t a time for talk, or theory or more meeting….this is a time for movement. The wheat is being seperated from the chaffe, baby….and the winds are blowing harder and harder everyday.
So see the future. Be part of making something bigger happen. We are an open source organization, so feel free to use this Bill of Rights in your shop. Add more rights if you see fit. If they rock, let us know so we can adapt our version. Call if you want and we’ll talk about how we trained our staff to translate talking to volunteers about these rights into opportunities to elevate the idea of what we are doing, together, so that folks can’t wait to come back—with friends, time and wallets in tow.
This isn’t about bucks…it’s about change….but we’re bucking the system to get us there.
Rights ON.
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May 12th, 2010 at 8:45 am
Right on Robert! We do need a volunteer bill of rights as a constant reminder. Unfortunately, a lot of nonprofits do not follow them even though some of these are obvious. We, volunteers and nonprofits, need to do a better job of asking questions and making service meaningful.
Adelante,
Mando
May 12th, 2010 at 9:29 am
Twitter Comment
RT @robertegger: If times aren’t ripe, you have to ripen the times. A New Blog Post–A Volunteer Bill of Rights [link to post] #bang
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May 12th, 2010 at 10:01 am
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RT Interesting post from @robertegger Volunteer Bill of Rights [link to post]
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May 12th, 2010 at 10:02 am
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RT @elmundodemando @robertegger: A Volunteer Bill of Rights [link to post] #juntosapr #congresosm
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May 12th, 2010 at 10:03 am
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RT @robertegger: If the times arnt ripe, then U have 2 ripen the times. A New Blog PostA Volunteer Bill of Rights [link to post] #bang
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May 12th, 2010 at 10:04 am
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Ed I agree-This post is an eye opener RT Interesting post from @robertegger Volunteer Bill of Rights [link to post] /via @TysonFoods
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May 12th, 2010 at 10:05 am
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RT @robertegger: If the times aren’t ripe, then ripen the times. A New Blog Post–A Volunteer Bill of Rights [link to post] #bang
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May 12th, 2010 at 10:06 am
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Brilliance. RT @robertegger: If the times aren’t ripe, then you have to ripen the times. Volunteer Bill of Rights [link to post]
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May 12th, 2010 at 10:07 am
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RT @robertegger If the times aren’t ripe, then you have to ripen the times. A New Blog Post–A Volunteer Bill of Rights [link to post]
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May 12th, 2010 at 10:08 am
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Fwd: RT Interesting post from @robertegger Volunteer Bill of Rights [link to post] (via http://ff.im/kdwwP) http://ff.im/kdxaB
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May 12th, 2010 at 10:09 am
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Some of these rights ARE obvious but #nonprofits rarely follow them! RT @robertegger: A Volunteer Bill of Rights [link to post] #bang
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May 12th, 2010 at 10:17 am
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Fwd: RT Interesting post from @robertegger Volunteer Bill of Rights [link to post] (via http://ff.im/kdwwP) http://friendfeed.com/e/e8b73c8f-c5f1-4620-a09b-572d14f94a11
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May 12th, 2010 at 10:58 am
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RT @npmaven: RT @robertegger: If the times aren’t ripe, then you have to ripen the times. A Volunteer Bill of Rights [link to post]
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May 12th, 2010 at 11:00 am
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If the times aren’t ripe, then ripen the times. A New Blog Post–A Volunteer Bill of Rights [link to post] (via @robertegger)
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May 12th, 2010 at 11:01 am
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RT @robertegger: If the times aren’t ripe, then you have to ripen the times. A Volunteer Bill of Rights [link to post]
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May 12th, 2010 at 1:04 pm
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wow RT @npmaven: RT @robertegger: If the times aren’t ripe, then you have to ripen the times.A Volunteer Bill of Rights [link to post]
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May 12th, 2010 at 3:03 pm
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New Blog by @robertegger – a new Volunteer Bill of Rights to codify transparency @dcck and what it means for the sector [link to post]
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May 12th, 2010 at 3:33 pm
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RT @robertegger A New Blog Post–A Volunteer Bill of Rights [link to post] #bang
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May 12th, 2010 at 4:26 pm
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All nonprofits should have one! A Volunteer Bill of Rights [link to post]
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May 12th, 2010 at 5:03 pm
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RT @dcck: New Blog by @robertegger – great volunteer bill of rights and what it means for the sector [link to post]
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May 13th, 2010 at 11:53 am
This is beyond unnecessary. We don’t need to protect volunteers, we need to protect non-profits from people who want to give only in a way that makes them feel good, but isn’t impactful.
May 13th, 2010 at 2:21 pm
Robert: I knew you and the beautiful Claudia waaay back in your Childe Harold days in Dupont Circle. Seeing you on 60 minutes last week reminded me of all our youthful shenanigans, as well as your persistent, early dreams of feeding the homeless, and battling greed and indifference. I am SO very happy to see you’ve made such a positive, huge impact! But I’m not surprised. Cheers! Jina
May 13th, 2010 at 3:12 pm
James–I can appreciate your frustration, but the solution isn’t throwing up your hands and cursing folks for being self indulgent—we all are. The Bill of Rights we posted isn’t about protecting anybody, it’s about spurring innovation and setting the stage for the very kind of interaction/purposeful experience you demand. I urge you to read my blog one more time…in fact, I dog dare you. Then we can talk again. If you want, you can call and we can compare notes. My email is regger@dccentralkitchen.org and my # is 202 234-0707 x 101
May 13th, 2010 at 4:28 pm
JINAAAA…how super fun to hear from you. Seeing your name made me think of your smile, VERY fun times and that crazy loft on S Street. GLAD to know you’re out there. Next time I’m in NYC we’ll play.
May 14th, 2010 at 11:11 am
What James missed in his comment is that volunteers — especially the rising tide of Baby Boomers — can have a big impact on a nonprofit, bringing to it skills that the nonprofit might not otherwise afford. In fact, http://ventureneer.com/vblog/affordable-high-quality-professionals-available-non-profits-if-you-know-where-look [organizations] have been set up just so nonprofits can better benefit from skilled volunteers. Is it a bad thing if the volunteers also feel good about what they do?
Your assessment of the value of volunteer comments and observations is right on.
May 14th, 2010 at 9:01 pm
[...] Robert Egger´s Piece of Mind » A Volunteer Bill of Rights Robert Egger, the head of acclaimed DC Central Kitchen, announces his organization has designed a Volunteer Bill of Rights. They include that volunteers: "Be told what impact your work made in the community." (tags: philanthropy) [...]
May 17th, 2010 at 11:32 am
[...] volunteers by foundationbirmingham Robert Egger of DC Central Kitchen recently published a Volunteer Bill of Rights that could easily also be a Bill of Rights for all supporters of nonprofits, including your [...]
May 17th, 2010 at 10:25 pm
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This is really good news for orgs like UCOM that mean to be great at what we do: A Volunteer Bill of Rights [link to post]
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May 17th, 2010 at 11:01 pm
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A Volunteer Bill of Rights [link to post]
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May 18th, 2010 at 2:44 pm
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A Volunteer Bill of Rights: [link to post]
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May 20th, 2010 at 5:02 pm
[...] volunteers, Robert Egger, founder and president of the DC Central Kitchen, wrote about their new Volunteer Bill of Rights. Some highlights [...]
June 9th, 2010 at 2:31 pm
Awesome! From a student’s perspective – I feel that my peers and I need to demand more accountability and transparency from the organizations we are most passionate about! Right on!! Check out Volunteer’s Bill of Rights from student’s perspective @ passdapasta.tumblr.com
June 10th, 2010 at 5:28 pm
[...] volunteers, Robert Egger, founder and president of the DC Central Kitchen, wrote about their new Volunteer Bill of Rights. Some highlights [...]
January 12th, 2011 at 12:43 am
[...] of the many items I bookmarked to write on when I returned from my holiday break was an entry Robert Eggers did on the Volunteer Bill of Rights he helped institute at DC Central Kitchen. He said he took his [...]
February 1st, 2011 at 7:22 pm
Hello Rob,
There are several aspects of this post that I agree with and support. I especially like the comment about how it is a great thing to serve food to the needy, however these meals do need to be healthy. I can understand why some soup kitchens serve food that is less than good for you, as sometimes I’m sure it is cheaper. This is a problem that kitchens would have to look into and find ways to overcome. As for the volunteer bill of rights you have created, all aspects of it are unarguably good points. Something that made me wonder, however, is what exactly are the EXACT details you would tell a volunteer, upon their request, as to what they are contributing to society. I feel that the “good” everyone knows they are doing when volunteering goes without saying; what else could be told to the volunteers to further describe to them the positive impact they have made to society due to their selflessness? Are we talking specific details such as statistics?
February 16th, 2011 at 1:06 am
a bill of rights would be great to unify these organizations. Some are run much differently than others, but if it can be made into a positive experience for the volunteers, the more likely they will come back/encourage others to come. that was things will grow, more people get help, and it will be a better program because of it.
February 22nd, 2011 at 1:52 am
This Bill of Rights will lead anyone who is interested in participating in a non-profit organization, food kitchen, etc. to choose a DCCK business location. It clearly defines the guidelines for what the Kitchen believes in and stands for, regarding its service as well as the role that every volunteer plays. Also, anyone who participates with a DCCK location will know their impact on the community, since it is in the Bill of Rights- “Be told what impact your work made in the community.”
March 10th, 2011 at 9:18 pm
I agree: nonprofit volunteers should “be told what impact [their] work made in the community.” Doing charitable work is great, but being able to see the numbers and figures that explicitly tell a volunteer how their service has affects a community will really drive home the feeling of accomplishment. This is a HUGE motivation factor, not to mention a good way to encourage volunteers to “keep doing what you’re doing!”
A Volunteer Bill of Rights is definitely a good idea. It does not matter how basic some of the rights may sound, they still need to be said. Good job Robert!
March 16th, 2011 at 10:56 pm
[...] places to volunteer in their community. This would not only increase volunteerism, but would help drive innovation in the nonprofit sector, the same way that food critics and Yelp reviews drive improvements in the restaurant [...]