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BOOKS AND RESOURCES

Explore the world of books, guidelines, online resources to enhance and improve your management of volunteers .

~December 2010~

Time to Become a Member:  Administrator of Volunteers as Trend Tracker

If you have been managing volunteer efforts for a long time today might be the day you sign up as a member of the World Futurists Society (WFS).  The WFS is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, scientific and educational association with membership open to anyone interested in trends shaping the future.  Dues for regular members is $59 per year. 

The WFS is a mainstay of my monthly readings.  For example, this month’s issue of Volunteer Today has a review of new motivational theories in a book that was reviewed first in The Futurist, the magazine for members of the WFS.  (link to recruiting)This slim magazine is packed with information on how things are now and how they are likely to change.  It bills itself as a “magazine of forecasts, trends, and ideas about the future.  For example, the Nov./Dec. issue has a 12-page section titled “Outlook 2011.”  The editors cull the most interesting projections from articles in the previous year’s issues and outline them in bullet form in sections such as “Lifestyles and Values,” “Education,” “Health and Medicine,” Work and Careers,” and more.  These are quick bits of information designed to keep the novice ahead of the curve when it comes to spotting future trends. 

The speed of change requires that the professional manager of volunteer programs be a step ahead of the volunteers, clients/members, and organizational paid staff.  Knowing the future can help an employee be indispensable to the organizations and to accomplishing its mission.  It allows for planning and changing before it is too late to save a program or organization. 

World Futurist Society Web site  www.wfs.org
World Future Society email info@wfs.org
World Futurist Society phone 800-989-8274