Stephen and I went to a community clean up day prior to a local annual event, because it felt like a great opportunity to meet people and be helping hands. When you meet people you are inevitably asked “What do you do?” and for us cultural heritage workers we know that question can inevitably lead toward someone asking for volunteer help. Shortly into the event, I had folks walking up to me to learn more about my work and to inquire into how I'm looking to get involved in the community.
“Can you help with a grant?”
“Do you have time to read a redevelopment plan?”
“Is this building eligible for a historic designation?”
These asks vary in commitment levels and aren’t limited to the well meaning folks in our local communities. We’re asked to volunteer in a wide variety of capacities to support cultural heritage at the local, statewide, and national level. Around 2019, I realized that I needed to reassess my volunteering and as I slowly completed my commitments, I reflected on what I was looking for in volunteer roles. This newsletter isn’t the first time I’ve explored how to create process to determine when to volunteer, but in 2025 our cultural organizations are in a heightened need for help. The volume of volunteer inquiries/opportunities continues to grow for all of us. How we are showing up for our communities is important, but we also have to remember to seek balance.
Having boundaries requires having protocol to help you know when to say yes, no, or maybe later.
My assessment process puts volunteer opportunities in two larger buckets:
Personal
Benefit - ex: a litter pick up that happens on my street
Fulfillment - ex: you all know I love picking up litter, so I'll happily participate in an organized litter pick up in a town I may never go back to
Professional
Skill Building - ex: learning new or refining skills that I want to build, such as writing! Some of my writing has been compensated, but others pieces volunteer labor; writing about topics I'm passionate about to raise awareness is a good way to further hone my writing skills.
Networking - ex: building meaningful relationships with peers in the field, such as my tenure on the National Council on Public History's Nominating Committee
Marketing - ex: promoting my business in some capacity, maybe it is volunteering in exchange for a logo placement
One I've answered if a volunteer opportunity fits into one of my buckets, I then dive into more detailed questions such as the ones above. These questions are fundamental to simultaneously working against burnout, fostering intentional personal/professional growth, and supporting my communities.
What questions do you ask yourself/ organizations when you are trying to decide if a volunteer opportunity is right for you? Have your volunteer priorities shifted this year?
You can download my reflection exercise via this link.
We talk about Ann Pamela Cunningham frequently in discussions about the history of historic preservation, but what about Adina Emilia de Zavala?!? As we continue to rewrite the history of preservation (seriously, have you read Historic Real Estate: Market Morality and the Politics of Preservation in the Early United States?!?!) let's celebrate the many vs the few. I'd love to learn about a preservationist who has helped shaped your views and/or the movement more broadly.
RESOURCE ROUNDUP:
What I’ve been reading, listening to, and watching.
Upcoming Event: Cultivating Community for Cultural Workers Through Mutual Aid
Article: Community Care: How Museums Can Respond to ICE Threats and Intimidation of Targeted Communities
Opportunity: National Council on Public History's Nominating Committee is looking for self nominations for a variety of elected positions
Webinar: Embedding Community Conservators in Public Libraries: Conservation as a Public Service
Article: We Shall Overcome: The 60th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act
Important News: Federal Agencies Roll Out New NEPA Regulations
Article: Yosemite Employees Worked for Weeks With No Pay Before the Government Hired Them