To think the requirements for this volunteer position are ridiculous?

[PPMMppmm]

I've got some spare time on my hands and have been perusing volunteer jobs and came across this one.

https://www.volunteermatch.org/search/opp3585933.jsp

AIBU to think they have got ludicrous expectations of someone voluntarily giving up their time?

Not unusual really.

Is it not? It reads almost like a full time job description.

It does seem like a lot of requirements for an unpaid position but it’s been a long time since I did any volunteering so times will have moved on.

O/T, I notice they stated that the volunteer must be over 25. I know employers aren’t allowed to make age requirements for paid jobs (except in a few very specific circumstances) but I don’t know if the same is true for voluntary roles.

I know what you mean, but for someone with those skills who is looking to volunteer, it could be perfect. Why not make your contribution more valuable by using skills you already have? Medics go out and volunteer overseas, solicitors give up their time for Will Aid month, all to give back with skills they have learned professionally.

It's niche, of course, and they may not find anyone, but with the extra views they'll get by being featured on AIBU, maybe the right person will see it and volunteer.

Wow!!!

Im SE and do this kind of work and I charge £60ph. That’s thousands of pounds worth of work from a very skilled professional. Who do they imagine will take that on?!

Agree they are insane to think anyone suitably qualified would volunteer to do that role when most similar paid role are well over 30k

They are just trying to get someone who doesn’t have enough experience to get a job to work for them for free. It isn’t surprising but it is unethical and exploitative - an unpaid internship for an undefined period of time. If you can be arsed, write to the board.

I agree that the requirements for sone volunteer jobs seem very unrealistic!

I spotted one recently (on a well known jobseekers website) which was looking for someone with a degree in instructional design and 5 years experience in an ID role. They stated that initially they would look at CVs and portfolios. Successful applicants would then be invited to present a completed project (of the charity’s choosing/specifications), then, if successful at that stage would be invited to a “panel interview “. It made me lol as many actual paid ID jobs are easier to get!

This isn’t unusual. They want a professional grant fundraiser who is happy to do it for free for this particular cause. They’ll get takers.

Skilled volunteering is the backbone of the sector. There are small charities that are fully staffed by volunteers - everything from fundraising to digital to HR. A huge part of the U.K. justice system is staffed by volunteers (magistrates). St John’s Ambulance has over 20,000 volunteers who are rigorously medically trained and give up huge amounts of their time. I could go on, but you get what I’m saying.

There is also an overlap with many of the skills

I think the most unreasonable element is that they are required to be over 25.

Could be ideal for someone who has been out of the job market for a wee while, getting some recent and relevant experience for their CV.

I'm sure if it doesn't work for them, they'll try something different. Nothing ventured and all that

Massive piss take but if someone falls for it that's up to them.

That’s mad! I understand that they want to find some one right for the volunteer role but this sounds like a gruelling job interview.

I once spent over a month going through a volunteer recruitment process for a local charity. There was so much faffing around, people not getting back to me, when the main person doing the recruiting did get back to me they were quite rude - as if they were doing me some sort of favour. They took themselves very seriously. Wanted a couple of references, a back ground check(this I understand), another interview to meet with other people, filled out a load of paperwork. The process was painful, just for a 1 day admin volunteering role. In the end I pulled out.

People can volunteer to do whatever role they wish.
Trustees govern charities. They are volunteers.
Any role can be voluntary if someone wants to do it.
"Volunteer" is just the pay grade.

It probably would have been a paid full time job 20 years ago. I worked in a sector where a lot of jobs got outsourced to the voluntary sector, thanks to national politics becoming very hostile to the idea of paying people to work in the public sector. 2006 was a big year for it. I often see other volunteer roles that have all the same hallmarks, even with some quite high level requirements. I think when you start asking people to do full time or repeated training for weeks on end then you really do need to put things on a regular paid basis.

I have several friends (retired, no kids at home, years of experience in the charity sector) who do things like this in their spare time and enjoy it.
I have to say I'm always shocked when I read these full on volunteering opportunities, but if I were a charity manager, you'd have nothing to lose by testing the water in that way.
An aside... I've worked in volunteer recruitment for a long time and am always surprised by how 'entitled' some volunteers are... expecting we will welcome them with open arms regardless of their qualifications, skills or attitude. I have a file of abusive emails I've received when I've said no thanks to someone's offer of help, when they haven't had the experience we need.

This isn't aimed at an amateur, or an unskilled person looking to do something constructive for a few hours a week.

This is for a professional, who wants to do a certain amount of their work unpaid, for charity

This will most likely be someone working part time near retirement, or even post retirement

Or possibly someone already working in this field, but wanting to build up their portfolio

Yes, there will be takers, but doesn't sound like a good match for you, OP - but don't worry, there will be other voluntary opportunities

Gosh we would pay someone around 100k to do that job...

My first thought it that it could be 1 day a week

I think the most unreasonable thing about it is the over 25 requirement - and I'm pretty sure that's not legal either.

I don't think it's right or ethical, but some people at the start of their careers might do this kind of work for free to build experience etc. But the age requirement deliberately excludes them.

So they are looking for an experienced professional to do the work for them, essentially for no personal gain, which feels in a way even more demanding.

How does this thread square with the hundreds of threads about charity where posters fall over each other to criticise "inflated" charity salaries and have the opinion that charity should never spend money on anything which isn't directly related to their cause?

MN can't have it both ways!

As a fundraiser, i have a huge issue with other charities devaluing the fundraising position by making it seem as it any volunteer can do it. There is a big movement at the moment about not having volunteers do the job of something that should be paid.

It's for an African women's charity based in Kenya on further reading

Often these smaller charities rely on unpaid volunteers as little or no paid staff. The funding applications might secure funding for the volunteer charity workers.

A considerable amount of funders won't fund the costs of someone applying for the grants.

Having said that, volunteers can withdraw their labour at any time which might make this volunteer post a risk for continuity purposes. It may be there is considerable under-employment of graduates in the Country.