Volunteer service to people cannot be done by just anyone, outside of any rules. More often than not, volunteer groups with service responsibilities interact with agencies and directly with the beneficiaries. Soloists are not trusted, which is overwhelmingly the right thing to do.

To become a volunteer means to join a group, to become a member. Of course there are some areas of exceptions (work with home care, pro bono volunteering), but still, it is obvious that only in a group there is mutual support, safety, continuity and sharing experience, leisure, communication and friendship among like-minded people, experience of group interaction, distribution of responsibilities and much more, which is so often sought by potential volunteers. Many have a desire to do something good, but there are also fears. It is the group that gives volunteers the opportunity to start their ministry, get a foot in the door, and gain experience.

The leadership of volunteer organizations faces a difficult task: to interact not only with volunteers, but also with groups, maybe with groups first. It is necessary to understand it beforehand and to build the volunteer organization so that the needs and interests of groups will be satisfied in it. It is clear that the group cannot exist as an amorphous mass, it is built around the leader (coordinator, curator, leader) and it is better that this leader has formal powers.

It is not an easy contradictory situation. On the one hand, the group and its inner life in volunteering are an important value in their own right. On the other hand, the principle “do no harm” can be observed only if personal responsibility for the activity of the group is taken. Hence, an important practical conclusion for me is that volunteer groups are built around coordinators and are defined by their charisma and their understanding of service. The fact is that volunteers are not responsible for anything in the current system; they can simply walk away or refuse to do something at a crucial moment. At the same time, volunteer service, like any work, requires personalized responsibility for specific activities, for the interaction of volunteers with management and with their charges, for the organization of work. This responsibility should be entrusted to the coordinator (supervisor, leader), who in turn is not just the boss, but the person who guarantees the viability and fruitful work of the group, of course, within the conditions and resources that the volunteer organization provides.

Since volunteer service is based on personal motivation, only those who can work with or befriend a coordinator remain in specific groups. It is always up to the coordinator to determine someone’s membership in the group. The individual volunteer may be very talented and want good things, but if his actions interfere with the group ministry, he may be removed from the group, for he is not responsible for the mentees. This is not good, but it is naturally a possible cost of responsible ministry. Responsible ministry can only be done with people who have voluntarily submitted themselves to a facilitator.

The most important tasks of a coordinator in relation to the group are: to understand the characteristics of the participants, their motivation and desires, to conduct periodic teambuilding work, to build an internal structure and distribute responsibilities, to build a system of common decision-making, to build a system of preservation and transfer of experience, to help newcomers to get to know the group and find their place, to help volunteers to understand and effectively show their responsibility for the group, to help the entire group to understand and effectively show their responsibility for the group.