Why Member Development Matters
Investing in members will bring long-term rewards
What is member development?
Member development training and activities promote personal growth, deeper knowledge and skill development, and new perspectives. Training topics include diversity, leadership, and citizenship, among others.
What are the benefits of member development?
- Retention–-Meeting the individual and professional goals of each member increases member satisfaction and leads to greater member retention
- Improving member effectiveness–Well-trained members provide high quality, high impact service and increase the value of the AmeriCorps or VISTA program to the organization, site, or sponsor
- Improving organizational quality–Highly competent members significantly improve the quality of services provided by sponsor organizations
- Developing skills–Examples include effective communication, conflict resolution, diversity and inclusion, leadership, CPR/first aid, outdoor education, volunteer development, resource mobilization, and partnerships development
- Increasing knowledge–Members learn more about the community they're serving and what national service entails
- Broadening attitudes and perspectives–Training leads to an increased sense of empowerment, civic values, a service ethic, and a broader understanding of how individuals and communities are interconnected
- Augmenting site and sponsor training–Member development programs can reduce the burden of training for sites and sponsors
- Lifelong engagement–Providing members with the skills and confidence necessary for successful service leads to a lifetime commitment to service and civic engagement
When should I do member development?
Member development is a process that begins at orientation and continues through the end of the service year. Depending on where you are in the cycle, you can find resources for orientation and early-service, ongoing trainings, and end-of-service activities on this site.
Go on to Member Development Topics
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