Profile: Donna Collett

My occupation: Director, de novo Marketing

My responsibilities: Marketing/Commercial consulting in the Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology sectors

What inspired me to get involved in skilled volunteering: I was a Commercial Director at a Biotechnology company for many years, working in the area of cancer and while I enjoyed my role, I felt that I wanted to lend my skills to a not-for profit organization & help make a difference in the community. I heard about ‘goodcompany’ quite a while ago on the Qantas business channel and decide to search the website.

Which organisations have I fulfilled volunteer projects for: Easy Care Gardening

Example of a fulfilled volunteer project with a good outcome: Easy Care Gardening needed a marketing plan and I’m pleased to say that with the help of ECG staff, Lesley and Bruce, we’ve achieved that. As an organization, ECG had come from small beginnings 20 years ago, to a service that now supports over 1000 clients with 300 volunteers. They needed a plan that was going to determine the projected client & volunteer numbers, how to attract & retain volunteers and how to fund it. Managing the growth in demand for the service, (due to the increase in the ageing population) is one of the key challenges facing ECG. I put together some data which showed the volunteer numbers that will be required over the next 5 years to keep up with the demand for the service. I think that has helped frame all the initiatives required in the plan to ensure that those volunteer numbers are achieved.

What the community group gained: Lots of data & analysis to help understand more about their volunteer base and what might motivate people to volunteer for ECG. I think probably the main thing I provided was a framework for the organization’s needs in terms of identifying, attracting and retaining volunteers. I suggested a range of ideas to support the key strategies and they can be used over the next few years. All the tactics were on a small budget or pro bono, and will help build the service for scale.

What I got out of volunteering my time and skills: I wasn’t sure how much I’d be able to help – but I quickly realized how much some of those business skills you have acquired in everyday corporate life can be translated into any area. I had to be more creative and resourceful because there was no budget to do the analysis or work – but it was very satisfying to know that the insights offered were relevant to ECG and could be put into practice to help the organization’s needs. It was a nice example for my kids too – as they do some community work through Guides.

The main difference between the NFP and private sectors: Budget & resources!!

Tips for Community Groups working with skilled volunteers: Give plenty of information and insight into what you’re looking for. Provide feedback along the way when the volunteer wants to check they’re on the right track. Be flexible with time as sometimes its challenging working full-time in a corporate environment and doing a major project in volunteering.

Tips for Volunteers working with community groups in skilled volunteering: Listen well and understand the group’s objectives & timelines. Take the group through your initial ideas and make sure you’re on track. Think big and be creative/resourceful about how you find out the information you need and fund initiatives.