“I suggested the topic, so when it was selected, I figured I might as well go forward with it.”  That’s how Felicia Cohen, Weekend GG and new member of the Volunteers Connect steering committee, ended up being one of the panel presenters, along with moderator Shelagh Barrington (Weekend GG) at the Spring 2013 Volunteers Connect meeting this past week at the AGO.

The mini-conference, which brings together volunteers and volunteer management staff from GTA cultural institutions to share best practices, usually has presenters talking about the specifics of their own institutions, such as the ROM, the Varley Gallery or TIFF.  Felicia decided to take a different tack and present research about trends in volunteerism .  “I believed it would be of interest because we are faced with so many changes today within the volunteer community and we must determine how to embrace those changes.”

Felicia touched on changing demographics (younger and wanting more input in return for their time), terminology (such as “corporate social responsibility”, “micro-volunteerism” and “virtual volunteer”), and technology (including the very volunteer management software, iPad tours and social media our own AGO is currently harnessing).

The response was enthusiastic, with attendees discussing the pros and cons of each new development and the specific impact for cultural institutions.  It was noteworthy that the delegates from new participant Mississauga Arts Council were both very young and well social media-connected, bearing out Felicia’s findings.

The morning program concluded with another panel on recruitment, retention and recognition, presented by Luminato and moderated by Harbourfront.  While the specifics vary depending on the size of the institution and whether its work is year round or seasonal, many agreed that basic respect , full engagement with the mission of the institution, and constant renewal of the staff/volunteer relationship were more effective retention measures than just tickets and other freebies.

In all, Felicia and her fellow committee members Michele Abrams and Judith Fox (both Infoguides) were pleased with the turnout and discussion – and are already planning for the next conference in November.