ABSTRACT

Human service organizations in the US are heavily dependent on volunteers and donations. The COVID-19 pandemic compromised the ability of volunteer coordinators and fundraisers to obtain and retain such vital resources. This article details the experiences of those entrusted with the acquisition and retention of time and money for human service organizations during the pandemic. Volunteer coordinators faced obstacles in reestablishing a volunteer base, and keeping volunteers engaged and supported while navigating the health risks associated with COVID-19. Fundraisers had to rapidly adjust their solicitation methods amid greater demand for accountability, transparency, and impact from donors. These challenges required innovations and ad-hoc adjustments -both of which were difficult to initiate during the COVID-19 pandemic when operations were carried out virtually. Much has been made about how executive leadership or organizations responded to the pandemic. This article is unique by providing empirical evidence of how specific units within human service organizations adapted.

摘要

美国的人类服务组织严重依赖志愿者和捐款。COVID-19 大流行削弱了志愿者协调员和筹款人获取和保留此类重要资源的能力。本文详细介绍了在大流行期间受委托为人类服务组织获取和保留时间和金钱的人员的经历。志愿者协调员在重建志愿者基地、保持志愿者参与和支持以及应对与 COVID-19 相关的健康风险方面面临障碍。由于对捐助者的问责制、透明度和影响力的要求越来越高，筹款者必须迅速调整其募集方式。这些挑战需要创新和临时调整，而在 COVID-19 大流行期间，当操作以虚拟方式进行时，这两者都很难启动。关于行政领导或组织如何应对这一流行病已经有很多研究。本文的独特之处在于提供了人类服务组织中特定单位如何适应的经验证据。