This helped clarify for me why I've had such ambivalence about volunteering lately. I used to be very involved in multiple organizations and burnt out like many others. I've been wanting to get back involved. The fear of burning out again is certainly holding me back, but another part of it is wanting more authentic connection and trust in the work.
One problem I kept encountering were organizations that pride themselves on being grassroots when what they meant is that local volunteers pass out materials and work on campaigns designed by a few people at the national center. The relationship felt transactional and standardized. They told us what to do and we did them. There was little room for feedback or for adjusting to local needs or interests. We provide labor. They help us feel good and give us community hours for school/work.
Of course, I've been thinking about this in a charity model way. I want more than to just fill in a volunteer slot every so often but haven't thought about how to really be involved in an organization beyond filling in that slot or donating.
So glad you brought this up. This is such an important insight! I've found there really is a spectrum of how much/how little porosity organizations offer..it might most often cut cleanly across lines of "non-profit"/"self-organized project" but sometimes it doesn't! I've also found that my own desires shift over time...sometimes I'm down to just be more of a helpful consistent cog and other times I'd like to help shape the thing along with my contributions. I've felt burnout in both scenarios. really appreciate how thoughtful you are being about your own emotional experience through it all.
Oof, the restaurant closing analogy got me. As a former librarian, I hear that line of reasoning a lot about how they’re great for “the community.” Really appreciate this!
I love your work because rather than just complain about cultural trends, it continues to educate about what might lie behind them.
Inviting people to understand what holds collectives together beyond just "utilising" them while they're helpful is crucial, and as you say, something that many people have not had modelled to them.
Also: "If you multiply enough “I’m just here to make friends” participants at scale, it doesn’t exactly build a healthy, sustainable organization. It builds a dining room to hang out in while the work to make it all happen buzzes in the kitchen."
We have often talked about how often our collective functions as a space for people in between romantic relationships, especially after breakups. Naturally, the ache for broader community hits hard.
Would you say an effective growth strategy would be simply providing intentionally terrible couples therapy as an option? 😂
I love this, so thought- provoking. Thank you. I actually use my library loads so had a tiny moment of feeling smug haha… but I’ve definitely been guilty of the same approach to other organisations and small businesses. Do I love that a florist opened in my town last year? Yes. Have I stepped inside the shop, let alone bought flowers? No. It’s the whole restaurant thing. I also definitely do the whole ‘well I support them, but their services aren’t for me’ thing. Off to read the Dean Spade article you linked to!
This helped clarify for me why I've had such ambivalence about volunteering lately. I used to be very involved in multiple organizations and burnt out like many others. I've been wanting to get back involved. The fear of burning out again is certainly holding me back, but another part of it is wanting more authentic connection and trust in the work.
One problem I kept encountering were organizations that pride themselves on being grassroots when what they meant is that local volunteers pass out materials and work on campaigns designed by a few people at the national center. The relationship felt transactional and standardized. They told us what to do and we did them. There was little room for feedback or for adjusting to local needs or interests. We provide labor. They help us feel good and give us community hours for school/work.
Of course, I've been thinking about this in a charity model way. I want more than to just fill in a volunteer slot every so often but haven't thought about how to really be involved in an organization beyond filling in that slot or donating.
So glad you brought this up. This is such an important insight! I've found there really is a spectrum of how much/how little porosity organizations offer..it might most often cut cleanly across lines of "non-profit"/"self-organized project" but sometimes it doesn't! I've also found that my own desires shift over time...sometimes I'm down to just be more of a helpful consistent cog and other times I'd like to help shape the thing along with my contributions. I've felt burnout in both scenarios. really appreciate how thoughtful you are being about your own emotional experience through it all.
Oof, the restaurant closing analogy got me. As a former librarian, I hear that line of reasoning a lot about how they’re great for “the community.” Really appreciate this!
right - and obviously that sort of love is important, but worth checking against actual relationship!
I love your work because rather than just complain about cultural trends, it continues to educate about what might lie behind them.
Inviting people to understand what holds collectives together beyond just "utilising" them while they're helpful is crucial, and as you say, something that many people have not had modelled to them.
Also: "If you multiply enough “I’m just here to make friends” participants at scale, it doesn’t exactly build a healthy, sustainable organization. It builds a dining room to hang out in while the work to make it all happen buzzes in the kitchen."
We have often talked about how often our collective functions as a space for people in between romantic relationships, especially after breakups. Naturally, the ache for broader community hits hard.
Would you say an effective growth strategy would be simply providing intentionally terrible couples therapy as an option? 😂
HA could be!
I love this, so thought- provoking. Thank you. I actually use my library loads so had a tiny moment of feeling smug haha… but I’ve definitely been guilty of the same approach to other organisations and small businesses. Do I love that a florist opened in my town last year? Yes. Have I stepped inside the shop, let alone bought flowers? No. It’s the whole restaurant thing. I also definitely do the whole ‘well I support them, but their services aren’t for me’ thing. Off to read the Dean Spade article you linked to!
It totally cuts across other spaces in our lives too, that’s a great point! And glad to hear you use that good ol library ☻