One of the clearest vestiges of the old reality in most nonprofit organizations is the volunteer program. It was designed with the best of intentions for the volunteers of yesterday and was a perfect fit for their needs back then.

I remember going to special classes about how to set up and run a volunteer program—how to design the job descriptions, clarify expectations and time limits for the assignment, have a sign-in book with a friendly greeter, a place for the volunteers to chat, have coffee, and have their social needs fulfilled. By all means the program needed to be supervised by a volunteer coordinator who knew how to take care of these invaluable people who were giving their time. There were volunteer recognition programs to be put in place, including events and certificates. It was a tight little system designed for the ideal volunteer of the old reality: a woman or retired person who had plenty of extra time on his or her hands.

One of the main taboos of this system was asking these loyal volunteers to give money. That was a giant "no-no". After all, they were already giving their time and talent. It would be rude to ask them for money. Furthermore, in the old reality, the majority of volunteers were women, who, according to the stereotype, didn't have control over the purse strings anyway. Other than board members, volunteers were never expected to be donors.

Fast-forward to the new reality. Think of the places you and your family volunteer right now: Chairing that committee at your religious organization, serving on a committee at your kids' school, helping out for the elections at the local neighborhood association, tutoring at the literacy program.

Notice you have quite a little list. You are not alone. In America, 56% of adults volunteer. This is an increase of nearly 14% in two years. Add to that all the elementary school and youth volunteer programs. Volunteering is no longer just for the wealthy or retired. Today, the majority of us volunteer. It has become part of our culture.

Now look at how much time you give to each of those places you volunteer. It adds up quickly. Three hours a month, six hours a week? I find it remarkable that, in the midst of people's extraordinarily busy lives, giving time—the most precious commodity today—is becoming even more popular. It says a great deal about the meaning and purpose volunteer experiences provide. It also says a great deal about the deeper, more lasting connections people are seeking. More and more of us are turning to volunteer work to round out our lives.

Now, go back through your list and rate each of your volunteer experiences in terms of how satisfying it was for you. Tell the truth. The fishing field trip with the inner-city kids might get a "10." Some of the other committee assignments, the ones where you spend much of your time listening to others drone on, may rate only a "3."

Think about what could be done to make you a happier volunteer. What annoys you most about each volunteer project or assignment? How could they fix it to make it work better for you? How could they customize it?

In the old reality, the organization called the shots. They said: "We need tutors three days a week; we need candy stripers at 2 p.m." The organization's needs drove the program. That worked pretty well when the primary sources of volunteers were affluent women and retired senior citizens.

In the new reality, "volunteer" takes on a whole new meaning. The edges of "volunteer" blur with the edges of "donor." In the new reality, the organizations that thrive will be those that treat volunteers as lifelong, major donors. And they will treat donors as volunteers.

Volunteer = Donor

The new reality calls for a greatly expanded definition of what it means to be a volunteer for a nonprofit organization. In the new reality, the words "donor" and "volunteer" will be interchangeable. The definition of volunteering will shift from being organization-centered to being volunteer-centered. Rather than recruiting volunteers for pre-set slots, organizations will be asking this new, loosely-defined breed of volunteers how they would like to become involved.

Nothing will look quite the same. "Volunteering" will begin to resemble a series of unrelated projects, dictated by the donor's interest and schedule. From the organization's perspective, it will look like isolated, almost random intersections where donors tell you what they want to do and then do it.

From the donor's perspective, it will feel like a satisfying relationship with you. In their world, when they are at a social gathering and people ask them what they have been doing lately, their little project with your organization will figure prominently in their conversation. That is because it will work well for them. Their volunteer work will have been customized to their schedule, their interest, and their unique situation.

Rethinking Your Definition of Volunteer

Here is an example. A friend, age 50, recently retired and began looking to get involved with a nonprofit.

"I want to be involved with kids but I don't want to tutor or be a mentor", he tells me. "I wouldn't want a kid to get that dependent on me having to show up at a set time every week. I have another idea. From time to time, I'd like to take kids on outings, out to games, out to dinner, to see special shows.

"I'd keep doing it faithfully. I'd set it up with the organization every time. I just wouldn't want to be confined to every Thursday night. I even know which organization I'd like to do this for." It was a religious youth organization he had never been involved with before. "But, I can't just go in there and offer to do that", he reasoned. "They'd think I was crazy."

What new-reality organization would be silly enough to pass up this man? No question he will put his money where he puts his time. Yet, the odds are that organization—the one he already feels connected to—does not have a job description on the shelf that quite fits this man's desired job. Let's hope he hooks up with a creative volunteer coordinator or senior staff person.

In the new reality, volunteer programs will be operated hand-in-hand with fundraising programs. They will be in the same offices, or right next door. The donor/volunteer will have a contact person, a Donor Services Representative, the nonprofit equivalent of your personal shopper and customer service representative rolled into one. That person will help customize your volunteer experience and interface with the people inside the organization to be sure your kookie idea for a project will work for them.

Everyone interfacing with you, as the volunteer, will treat you as a respected member of the family with the potential to become a major donor. No wild idea will be summarily discarded for lack of a job description.