The Reality of Change in Volunteer-Driven Organization

Success Story

The Minnesota Festival and Events Association (MFEA) is a statewide 501 (c)(3) organization representing community festivals, special events, and allied business vendors. Like many volunteer-driven organizations, MFEA has been buffeted by the strong winds of change. Dissatisfaction with and eventual retirement of the only Executive Director the organization had ever had plus internal board member conflicts, declining membership, and overall declining organizational vitality brought the organization to the brink of extinction.

Completion of a three year strategic planning process, led by the University of Minnesota Extension Service, has helped the organization to remain viable. Organizational values have been reaffirmed, new leadership has emerged, and re-energized board members have guided the development of a new website, implemented 2 annual conferences, and provided a variety of association member services.

This is not a "rags-to-riches" story, however. The organization still faces major on-going challenges. The challenges are common to volunteer organizations: burnout of key leaders, conflicting time commitments, competition for members from other organizations, and continuing challenges to remain financially viable.

The presentation will use MFEA as a case study to highlight issues facing a volunteer-driven nonprofit organization, examining:

• the potential for strategic planning processes to guide organizational change and the limits
• the "life cycle" of volunteer leadership in a membership organization
• the continuing challenges of confronting organizational change after initial efforts have succeeded.

The presentation will underscore the messy reality of organizational change and the role that a University Extension Service can play as well as the limits to that role.