Over the last couple of months, Victoria has seen what happens when a group of volunteers is trampled over by the government. Essentially, the state government of Victoria has negotiated deals with the United Firefighters Union that have seen a significant number of changes to the way the Country Fire Authority (CFA) operate.

The proposed changes, including the requirement for increased involvement of paid firefighters at fires, and added red tape to deploy personnel to fight the fires, caused outrage amongst the CFA, and the broader community. Inevitably, the CFA protested against the changes, in attempts to have their voices – and their concerns -  heard.

There are a number of things we can learn about volunteer management from this incident.

1.       Never underestimate the passion 

People don’t volunteer for specific organisations because they’re bored, or not sure what to do with their lives. Even if these factors are present when they do put their hand up to volunteer, they usually align themselves with an organisation that connects with them for one reason or another.

They sign up to make a difference to that particular cause and have some level of emotional attachment to it. When the organisation is threatened in some way, someone will step up to protect it.

Care and compassion will come to the fore, and the protective mother lion is likely to raise her head.

2.       There is a force stronger than the board 

Although the board is the ultimate decision maker for any volunteer organisation, the collective force of the volunteer community can be much stronger, and can ultimately change the decisions.

If the board is doing something that threatens the abilities of volunteers performing their role, or that is seen to be of detriment to the cause or its beneficiaries, they will say something. Remembering, also, they are volunteers who come to an organisation with specific skills and experience. They combine to provide a diverse and powerful force to support the cause, and their combined skills and knowledge are powerful when standing up and voicing their worries.

They’re not only speaking for themselves, but they are also the voice of the communities and causes they support.

3.       Engage ALL the stakeholders 

Volunteers are not ‘outside’ any organisation. On too many occasions they can be seen as the group who perform the activities organisations don’t have the budget or human resources to do otherwise.

They are a vital component that not only fulfills a gap in resources but also brings a very high level of understanding and compassion for the beneficiaries of the organisation’s cause. They see firsthand, the benefits of their, and the organisation’s involvement, as well as the outcomes when they aren’t involved.

Thus, they bring a perspective to any decision that is easy to overlook. Their experiences and input can provide information that will allow for better problem solving, fundraising and fund-saving, and much more.

They can also provide insight into where potential changes may be of detriment to the beneficiaries, rather than benefit, even if they seem logical around a table.

Ultimately, volunteers play a considerable role in any organisations, and their views and experiences are just as valid, if not more so than that of the board. While they have significant experience and insight into the passion, what they have in passion and desire to make a difference easily outshines this. Never underestimate their care for the cause; they will fight for it.