Developing volunteer management as a profession

Over the last 10 years, volunteers have reported improved levels of satisfaction with the way their work is organised. This has coincided with developments in the theory and practice of volunteer management. Further initiatives are taking place but need to be set in a wider context. This paper reviews the need for appropriate forms of management and argues that the development of volunteering as a profession offers the best way forward. A professional body would guard the diversity of volunteer involvement and management by putting volunteer managers in control of the way their roles will be developed.