Really fed up with volunteering

[Needathickskin]

I’ve posted about this elsewhere but feel this is reaching a head. I volunteer my time as a grant writer for several local charities and community organisations. I do not charge for this service and spend a considerable amount of time crafting applications to win funding that makes a real impact locally.
I do this because I’m quite good at it, realise the impact that money can have - it’s my way of ‘giving back’ and getting a quantitative fix.

But I’ve really reached the end of my patience; barely even a thank you for my efforts, let alone any appreciation of the time it’s taken. One comment in particular did for me: the Chair of a community group complaining that they had only won 10k from a limited pot of funding, and annoyed they hadn’t won more. Their project was never going to win more funding (they have no genuine ‘need’ and have done amazingly to get the 10k).
Im really fed up with the entitled and short sighted attitude. These people are stupid and lazy - this particular Chair couldn’t be bothered to read through the application form and had no input. But the constant moaning and hand out mentality is just off putting!
I am having to turn my professional head off and just think *uck it; your loss.

Why not withdraw your services from the charities/groups that are ungrateful - and tell them exactly why you are withdrawing?

Leave. I work for a charity and I know that volunteers are often taken for granted.

Good fundraisers are really valuable and I can't believe that they are not delighted to have someone who bring in money and does not ask to be paid for their services...

Instead find another charity that will appreciate your contribution.

I'd be putting my concerns in writing to these organisations and advising them that you're taking your skill set elsewhere. Wish them well with future grant applications.

Offer your services elsewhere, I'm sure people will snap your hand off!! I can think of a small organisation in my town who would probably benefit from the kind of help you give.

I've never done this, but I am experienced in research, report writing, analysis and critical assessment - would these be useful skills for his kind of work? I'm wondering if I could do what you do for the local group!

A little appreciation goes a long way. Say you're reallocating your time to some other good causes and 'rest' the ones you're not getting a good relationship with. Chairs change and the group may be better to work with again a few years down the line.

Don't do it for charities you don't like or think deserve it? You could just say you are scaling back.

just leave/stop doing it. Volunteering Is a two way thing you aren't gaining anything and it's becoming a chore there is no need to be miserable in your spare time.

Haven't you wrote a thread about this awhile ago? If yes and you still feel undervalued than ofcourse leave or volunteer for someone else that would appreciate you more

The work you are doing is very detailed and requires a lot of effort.

I won't lie, there's no way I'd do that for free full stop.

But with zero appreciation, I'd just stop.

@Startingagainandagain
I am leaving; the issue is more whether I tell them exactly why - or just think *uck it, and pass them a handover guide so they can carry on somehow. I mean them no harm -
they are good enough at doing that to themselves!
I’m not a drama queen, I’m not one for flouncing out - but the short sightedness and sense of entitlement is baffling. I’m very much of the view that you throw someone a ball and ideally they run with it - but here they’ve been given so much to move them forward into a way better and far more sustainable position and are still complaining .

I think you should tell them why. Preferably not in four letter words! They should be made aware of the repercussions of their attitude. You can do a handover guide as well if you feel inclined to.

Could you do an invoice for them, for your time? Not to charge them of course but to let them know your real value.

Are the people you are dealing with also volunteers? This is a common problem with volunteers working together- they don't see you as having done something for them but for the cause, and as fellow volunteers they think there's no need for thanks because you're all just volunteering together.

It's really poor, obviously, but that may well be the reason. I've managed volunteers (as a volunteer) before and one thing I remember being trained on was the importance of expressing thanks.

Sounds very frustrating.

I see you are leaving, just say you are stepping back to concentrate on other things. be assertive but vague.

Having recently worked for a charity - the people that run them can be funny buggers. In the end having worked shed loads of hours over and above my paid quota and getting a load of raffle prizes - they decided I wasn't a good fit for them. Their loss!! And this was a group who complained that their trustees did sweet FA!!
So your leaving them will be their loss - go where you are appreciated!! When they don't get funding next time - they will realise their expensive mistake.
The kind of work you do is immeasurable when there are so many charities fighting for a share of an ever dwindling pot and the right words make a huge difference to how much money is allocated.
Even some food banks struggle because there is only so much that Fare Share can dish out and several have closed because they have nothing to give people.

@Needathickskin

You done more than enough for these ungrateful entitled charties,

Why give them the satisfaction and entitlements of your work ethic and integrity and knowledge emotional intelligence to benefit the them too,
by giving them a handover guide booklet aswell?

let them know your worth and how valuable your expertise has been to their charties , by lack of handover guide booklet on this type of expertise and you dispearing into the sunset like in the movies.

Vamoosh Houndi great escapism artist trick

Entiled Brats Know it alls, 🤔 in reality know fxck all...

OP, perhaps it's just time for you to do something else? That may involve volunteering in some other way, or not. It sounds like you have given a lot already.

As someone running a small charity - my god, they should be going out of their way to thank you and keeping you in tea and biscuits if you’re doing this for free. I end up doing all our grant writing (because very few skilled people can give up their time for free, understandably) and it is so bloody difficult and time-consuming. Please take your expertise elsewhere!

This!!! I work in fundraising and bid writing is very hard work and technical
I wouldn’t be doing it for free and certainly not for charities who don’t appreciate it
if you were volunteering for my org I’d kill you with kindness!
i would actually tell them why you’re stopping volunteering for them

Leave. Vote with your feet.

Massive squishes @Needathickskin ive just stood down as chair of a large community organisation I’ve volunteered with for nearly 10 years as I don’t feel appreciated or valued in any way and the culture has become one I don’t want to be part of.

I volunteer to bring joy to my life whilst helping others and for the social aspect. When the volunteering of a lot of my time and energy becomes draining then it’s not something that should be continued.

there are plenty of other organisations that need folks like you - some of them even happily pay for your services. I started a business training charity and not for profits in various skill sets and I feel much more valued and appreciated by those I deal with.

I volunteered for a small arts charity for a few years and while I enjoyed working with the people who used the charity the funds raised were used as a personal piggy bank by the two men who ran it. They wanted me to write a grant application and to lie on it because they needed new laptops and digital cameras. I refused and stopped volunteering with them. It was badly organised and you'd often be asked very last minute to turn up to help like at 11pm the night before then when you couldn't they'd be so disappointed in you.

I did try a few different charities after that but saw a lot of the same things elsewhere. Sad to say but many charities may do some good work but are largely a license to print money for those who run them, the good work is a by product and hardly any of the funds raised go to the purpose of the charity in my experience. I don't volunteer anymore.

“Hello. I just wanted to let you know my free services will no longer be available for your charity. While I am saddened not to be supporting a great cause, I understand you were so dissatisfied with the service I provided and so I wouldn’t wish to waste either of our time in maintaining this working relationship. I wish you every success with writing your own grant applications in the future”.

You are giving the gift of your time.

There are many charities who would be very grateful and who treat their volunteers well.

Gift to them instead.

@EmmaEmerald &@Nicole1111 @rubyslippers

Mumsnet posts have all hit the nail on the head...