Who We Are

What is AVA?

The Association for Volunteer Administration (AVA) is the international professional membership association for individuals working in the field of volunteer resources management.

Membership is open to salaried and non-salaried individuals in public, nonprofit and for-profit organizations. Members include directors of volunteers, volunteer coordinators, program administrators, agency executives, educators, community resource managers, researchers, consultants and trainers, students, fundraising professionals, leaders in religious communities, employee volunteer program managers and youth service corps staff.

History

Since its founding in 1960, the organization has shaped a profession in an arena where there was neither formal structure, communication, nor common identity. Begun by a group of volunteer coordinators in mental health settings, AVA has steadily widened its scope and membership. With a membership of over 2100 representing 16 countries, AVA is now connecting and supporting leaders of volunteers in a wide variety of organizations and communities.

What Does AVA Offer You?

Collaborating Partners

AVA is continually building strategic relationships with other organizations that share our commitment to excellence and competence in volunteer leadership. Current partners include:

Structure and Governance

AVA is governed by a 16 member international board of directors. Staffing consists of a full-time executive director, part-time director of member services, a part-time office manager and office volunteers. In addition, several key roles are held by Association members including the editing of the journal, management of the credentialling program and annual conference planning. Members are also very active in committees related to awards, ethics, educational endorsement, higher education, professional issues, and short-term task forces. In this way AVA remains very member-driven and provides many opportunities for leadership development.

Statement of Inclusiveness

To better serve its members and to be more inclusive in recruiting new members, the AVA Board of Directors formed a Pluralism Strategy Committee to help direct the organization in reaching out to volunteer managers from communities that were not active in AVA. In January 1998 the board adopted the following Statement of Inclusiveness to help guide the organization into the next century.

The Association for Volunteer Administration embraces a philosophy that recognizes and values inclusiveness and openness. It is committed in the broadest sense to diversity reflecting the demographics of the communities in which its members serve. This principle applies to the involvement of people as members, to leadership roles, and to the promotion of the profession.

AVA will promote professionalism and strengthen leadership in volunteerism and provide opportunities for all segments of our profession to work together to identify the needs of the profession.

AVA has a responsibility to educate and to learn from the international community about issues/problems that affect the profession as well as to seek their participation in finding solutions.

AVA works in partnership with local professional organizations in a spirit of cooperation, mutual trust and respect.

AVA defines diversity in broadest terms. AVA intends and desires to be inclusive of all individuals regardless of their race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, medical condition, physical or mental disability, socio-economic status, political affiliation or geographic location.

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