Open Forum

Dear Colleagues,

I am trying to gauge how many institutions require their volunteer guides to pay either dues or membership fees to be part of their program. If so, what is the rationale used to explain to volunteers why the fees are charged. I am also interested in hearing opinions from those who think such fees or memberships should be gifted as part of the program rather than paid for.

Thank you in advance for your responses.

Mark

 

 

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Mark Osterman
Guiding Programs Manager
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
Miami, FL 33141
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Personal opinion. I don't believe in gift memberships. I think memberships are a tangible expression of financial support and should be at a level that anyone can pay. It is a recognition that it takes money to service memberships. Volunteering is something else. It comes from the heart and is a gift. I think all board members and volunteers should be members.

Patricia L. Miller

Executive Director
Illinois Heritage Association

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Patricia Miller
Executive Director
Illinois Heritage Association
Champaign IL

Original Message:
Sent: 10-23-2015 09:35 AM
From: Mark Osterman
Subject: Museum Volunteer Dues and Membership Fees

Dear Colleagues,

I am trying to gauge how many institutions require their volunteer guides to pay either dues or membership fees to be part of their program. If so, what is the rationale used to explain to volunteers why the fees are charged. I am also interested in hearing opinions from those who think such fees or memberships should be gifted as part of the program rather than paid for.

Thank you in advance for your responses.

Mark

 

 

------------------------------
Mark Osterman
Guiding Programs Manager
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
Miami, FL 33141
------------------------------

We do not require our volunteers to become members, but many choose to independently out of a feeling of dedication. At a recent conference I spoke with several people from institutions that required volunteers to become members at or before their application to the volunteer program to gauge a recruit's level of dedication from the start. Personally, I really value the time commitment that volunteers make, and would worry that adding a financial obligation might make some volunteers think less of the value we place on their time.  

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Chris Cook
Docent Trainer
The Historic New Orleans Collection

Original Message:
Sent: 10-23-2015 09:35 AM
From: Mark Osterman
Subject: Museum Volunteer Dues and Membership Fees

Dear Colleagues,

I am trying to gauge how many institutions require their volunteer guides to pay either dues or membership fees to be part of their program. If so, what is the rationale used to explain to volunteers why the fees are charged. I am also interested in hearing opinions from those who think such fees or memberships should be gifted as part of the program rather than paid for.

Thank you in advance for your responses.

Mark

 

 

------------------------------
Mark Osterman
Guiding Programs Manager
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
Miami, FL 33141
------------------------------

We do not require that our volunteers purchase a membership.

Once they volunteer with us at a certain level - 50 hours/year and for docents: 20 tours + 10 service hours- we give them an Individual Membership. Since it offers pretty much the same benefits we were already giving our volunteers, it was a small gesture by the organization that meant a lot to the volunteers. Many of the volunteers still choose to purchase an additional membership that will include their families. 

I think it represents an appreciation that the volunteers' dedication and gift of time has value, especially for those that aren't in a position to make monetary donations.  

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Nancy Schomburg
Manager, Volunteer Services
Grounds for Sculpture
Hamilton NJ

Original Message:
Sent: 10-23-2015 09:35 AM
From: Mark Osterman
Subject: Museum Volunteer Dues and Membership Fees

Dear Colleagues,

I am trying to gauge how many institutions require their volunteer guides to pay either dues or membership fees to be part of their program. If so, what is the rationale used to explain to volunteers why the fees are charged. I am also interested in hearing opinions from those who think such fees or memberships should be gifted as part of the program rather than paid for.

Thank you in advance for your responses.

Mark

 

 

------------------------------
Mark Osterman
Guiding Programs Manager
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
Miami, FL 33141
------------------------------

Volunteers at our institution provide many valuable services that aren't feasible for us to have paying positions for, but are still necessary.  We need people to give directions around the building.  We need people who can work on behind the scenes projects.  Some of our volunteers have been with us for longer than I've been alive!

I've got to be honest--if I were volunteering my time and providing a service for free and then someone started requiring me to pay just to volunteer, I might stop coming.  Not everyone would feel that way, but I think there are at least some people out there who would. Requiring volunteers to pay says that their time and contributions aren't valuable enough on their own.  I don't think that the people who support our organization should become revenue streams.

I think memberships should be gifted in return for people's time.  You're getting a service that, if you were paying someone hourly, might cost you $5,-$10,000 per year.  Yet you're getting it for free.  Giving someone a $50-$100 membership free of charge is a very small asking price for many hours of that person's time.

------------------------------
Geoffrey Woodcox
Assistant Curator of Collections
State Historical Society of North Dakota
Bismarck ND

Original Message:
Sent: 10-23-2015 09:35 AM
From: Mark Osterman
Subject: Museum Volunteer Dues and Membership Fees

Dear Colleagues,

I am trying to gauge how many institutions require their volunteer guides to pay either dues or membership fees to be part of their program. If so, what is the rationale used to explain to volunteers why the fees are charged. I am also interested in hearing opinions from those who think such fees or memberships should be gifted as part of the program rather than paid for.

Thank you in advance for your responses.

Mark

------------------------------
Mark Osterman
Guiding Programs Manager
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
Miami, FL 33141
------------------------------

I do not believe that volunteers should be required to be members in order to volunteer. Putting a financial barrier between your volunteer and their service is a great way to kill diversity and inclusion. Quick story: when I graduated, it was the height of the recession. I was unemployed, but highly skilled, and seeking to serve, be around other people, etc. So I volunteered at a number of organizations, happily, in a number of roles. Could I have afforded $50 for membership? Nope, because Sallie Mae has to get her due. Did I provide more than $50 service to my orgs? You bet I did.

Should service be excluded because someone is on a limited income? I feel that that's not going to grow the corps of volunteers (and possible future colleagues). I feel the same way about requiring staff to be members. Many are, and many do, on their own volition. I just don't think that your ability to financially contribute is an accurate measure of dedication to the organization or mission.

Own opinions, etc. etc.  

------------------------------
Tracey Berg-Fulton
Collections Database Associate
Carnegie Museum of Art
Pittsburgh PA

Original Message:
Sent: 10-30-2015 09:17 AM
From: Geoffrey Woodcox
Subject: Museum Volunteer Dues and Membership Fees

Volunteers at our institution provide many valuable services that aren't feasible for us to have paying positions for, but are still necessary.  We need people to give directions around the building.  We need people who can work on behind the scenes projects.  Some of our volunteers have been with us for longer than I've been alive!

I've got to be honest--if I were volunteering my time and providing a service for free and then someone started requiring me to pay just to volunteer, I might stop coming.  Not everyone would feel that way, but I think there are at least some people out there who would. Requiring volunteers to pay says that their time and contributions aren't valuable enough on their own.  I don't think that the people who support our organization should become revenue streams.

I think memberships should be gifted in return for people's time.  You're getting a service that, if you were paying someone hourly, might cost you $5,-$10,000 per year.  Yet you're getting it for free.  Giving someone a $50-$100 membership free of charge is a very small asking price for many hours of that person's time.

------------------------------
Geoffrey Woodcox
Assistant Curator of Collections
State Historical Society of North Dakota
Bismarck ND

Original Message:
Sent: 10-23-2015 09:35 AM
From: Mark Osterman
Subject: Museum Volunteer Dues and Membership Fees

Dear Colleagues,

I am trying to gauge how many institutions require their volunteer guides to pay either dues or membership fees to be part of their program. If so, what is the rationale used to explain to volunteers why the fees are charged. I am also interested in hearing opinions from those who think such fees or memberships should be gifted as part of the program rather than paid for.

Thank you in advance for your responses.

Mark

------------------------------
Mark Osterman
Guiding Programs Manager
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
Miami, FL 33141
------------------------------

We have recently started giving our volunteers a complimentary Couple level membership.  Since most are retirees, we saw no need for a Family level membership.  As others have stated, this is a small thing to offer for the time these volunteers put in.  And in some cases our volunteers DO decide to become paying members, as they see that we have a need to grow our membership base.

------------------------------
David Beard
Director
Museum of the Gulf Coast
Port Arthur TX

Original Message:
Sent: 10-30-2015 11:48 AM
From: Tracey Berg-Fulton
Subject: Museum Volunteer Dues and Membership Fees

I do not believe that volunteers should be required to be members in order to volunteer. Putting a financial barrier between your volunteer and their service is a great way to kill diversity and inclusion. Quick story: when I graduated, it was the height of the recession. I was unemployed, but highly skilled, and seeking to serve, be around other people, etc. So I volunteered at a number of organizations, happily, in a number of roles. Could I have afforded $50 for membership? Nope, because Sallie Mae has to get her due. Did I provide more than $50 service to my orgs? You bet I did.

Should service be excluded because someone is on a limited income? I feel that that's not going to grow the corps of volunteers (and possible future colleagues). I feel the same way about requiring staff to be members. Many are, and many do, on their own volition. I just don't think that your ability to financially contribute is an accurate measure of dedication to the organization or mission.

Own opinions, etc. etc.  

------------------------------
Tracey Berg-Fulton
Collections Database Associate
Carnegie Museum of Art
Pittsburgh PA

Hi Mark, 

I agree with our colleagues that feel volunteers should not be required to pay dues or purchase memberships. A few months ago I asked this board about staff required memberships. You might want to see some of the responses, since they are similar to yours.

Personally, I don't think it is really a matter of the amount of money. It's about the value of the work our volunteers give. Forcing money from people who want to donate their time to us shows that we don't value their time. In my experience many volunteers choose to donate money or become members of their own free will. As for gift memberships, that depends on the size of your organization and whether or not you can afford to give up that potential income.

If your volunteers are not becoming members, you should find out why. Volunteers are a wealth of information about your Museum, it's visitors, exhibits, programs, etc. They may be dedicated to the Museum itself, but not where the money is currently being used. It never hurts to communicate.

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Amy Kelch
Museum Professional / Chameleon
Sharlot Hall Museum
Prescott AZ

Original Message:
Sent: 10-23-2015 09:35 AM
From: Mark Osterman
Subject: Museum Volunteer Dues and Membership Fees

Dear Colleagues,

I am trying to gauge how many institutions require their volunteer guides to pay either dues or membership fees to be part of their program. If so, what is the rationale used to explain to volunteers why the fees are charged. I am also interested in hearing opinions from those who think such fees or memberships should be gifted as part of the program rather than paid for.

Thank you in advance for your responses.

Mark

 

 

------------------------------
Mark Osterman
Guiding Programs Manager
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
Miami, FL 33141
------------------------------

As a former educator/volunteer coordinator and now current museum volunteer, I echo the feelings of several others - volunteers should not be required to be members. However, I agree that all Board members should be members and at a higher level as part of their financial committment. In my professional life, we actually provided our volunteers the benefits of the entry-level of membership and then gave higher memberships to volunteers who had hit benchmarks such as years of service or number of hours. It was very well received.

In my post-professional life, I actually was a member at my institution first and then became a volunteer. I now give between 40-70 hours each month. I believe my contributions both as a member and volunteer are very important but in different ways. My hours are tracked and used for other purposes too such as for grants as in-kind contributions. My membership is used as a representation of community engagement and can also be quoted for grants. We have several student volunteers (non-intern) and I doubt some would or could continue if required to pay. I see the membership requirement as a hurdle that feels a little insulting. 

------------------------------
Amy Shook-Perez
Collections Volunteer
Onondaga Historical Association

Original Message:
Sent: 10-23-2015 09:35 AM
From: Mark Osterman
Subject: Museum Volunteer Dues and Membership Fees

Dear Colleagues,

I am trying to gauge how many institutions require their volunteer guides to pay either dues or membership fees to be part of their program. If so, what is the rationale used to explain to volunteers why the fees are charged. I am also interested in hearing opinions from those who think such fees or memberships should be gifted as part of the program rather than paid for.

Thank you in advance for your responses.

Mark

 

 

------------------------------
Mark Osterman
Guiding Programs Manager
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
Miami, FL 33141
------------------------------

I am a docent at two museums and have interned at a third. The first required I become a member. Instead, they awarded a free class (this museum also has a school) for each year of service with a minimum of 24 tours. Only recently has a new membership director decided that membership is not required. The other museum will give membership after docent "graduation". I interned at another museum and was given a lifetime membership. The new membership director revoked it without notice because they no longer offered that level of membership. I complained. (I explained that, by revoking it, it created a bad vibe, and I would be less likely to continue to contribute and fundraise for them.) It was reinstated.

I am also involved in another organization as a volunteer. They give free lift tickets (it's a ski area) after so many hours of service. That actually encourages people to put in the time. This would be analogous to offering benefits after so many hours of service in a museum.

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Jennifer Saffran
docent
Worcester Art Museum
Worcester MA

Original Message:
Sent: 11-06-2015 04:08 PM
From: Amy Shook-Perez
Subject: Museum Volunteer Dues and Membership Fees

As a former educator/volunteer coordinator and now current museum volunteer, I echo the feelings of several others - volunteers should not be required to be members. However, I agree that all Board members should be members and at a higher level as part of their financial committment. In my professional life, we actually provided our volunteers the benefits of the entry-level of membership and then gave higher memberships to volunteers who had hit benchmarks such as years of service or number of hours. It was very well received.

In my post-professional life, I actually was a member at my institution first and then became a volunteer. I now give between 40-70 hours each month. I believe my contributions both as a member and volunteer are very important but in different ways. My hours are tracked and used for other purposes too such as for grants as in-kind contributions. My membership is used as a representation of community engagement and can also be quoted for grants. We have several student volunteers (non-intern) and I doubt some would or could continue if required to pay. I see the membership requirement as a hurdle that feels a little insulting. 

------------------------------
Amy Shook-Perez
Collections Volunteer
Onondaga Historical Association