Habitat for Humanity & the NFP (Class 7)

Nov 4/2016

We had another guest speaker in this class, John Gerrard, CEO of Habitat for Humanity, Halton-Mississauga. John spoke to us about the issues of turnover within a charity, and what can be done to mitigate or eliminate it. Most of the turnover issues stem from younger volunteers (late teens to early twenties), that volunteer on occasion, and may only volunteer once or twice. The challenge is in retaining volunteers and ensuring that they continue to give their time. To that effect, one of the motivators for staying with Habitat for Humanity is that people can get hours towards trades and apprenticeships through their volunteering. In doing so, these people are able to volunteer their time, as well as develop some of the skills that will be useful in their career later in life. Habitat also hires recent graduates, which helps these students begin their career and get the experience that they need to excel in the future. Many of these students keep in touch, and continue to volunteer their time, or create additional networks for the organization. It was an excellent presentation, that may have convinced some students to begin their career in the NFP sector; as it’s an excellent way to make a difference for others, while still creating a bright future for yourself.