The Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors exists as a volunteer‐driven organization, and its success relies upon the effectiveness of its volunteers. It is through the strength and commitment of volunteers that the AFA remains responsive to its membership.
While volunteering for AFA is great for the Association and members, it is also great for you professionally. Serving as an AFA volunteer gives members great opportunities for professional development, networking, and learning!
5 Reasons You Should Volunteer for AFA
- Practice or gain transferable skills: with different experiences to choose from, volunteering for AFA exposes you to everything from event planning to creating curriculum to assessing AFA’s practices as an organization to supervision of others – that means you could enhance your professional toolbox while you serve the Association, and use these skills at current and future positions
- Networking and collegiality: research of the fraternity/sorority profession has concluded that a great way to build a support system and network with others is through professional volunteer opportunities, particularly within AFA. If you’re looking to gain a strong group of colleagues who you can learn from, go to for ideas, problem solve or collaborate with, this is a great way to do it!
- Create great experiences and initiatives for AFA members: AFA’s volunteers are intrinsically involved in creating the experiences and initiatives members of AFA encounter. By volunteering, you can make a great contribution to AFA’s entire membership through your creativity, perspective, and implementation of new and established projects.
- Exposure to what’s happening in the greater profession: AFA volunteers are often the first to be exposed to trends, news, updates, and transitions taking place within the profession as a result of the work they are doing and the connections they are making – this helps you stay ahead of the movements in the profession while understanding how colleagues may be responding to them as well.
- Development of leadership abilities: volunteering for AFA exposes you to others’ leadership styles, gives you opportunities to make decisions, and provides you with practical experience where you work in partnership with others, contribute to innovation, strategize, and build additional leadership-focused abilities.
Why Volunteers are Essential to AFA
Volunteers are the heart of AFA. AFA volunteers are an essential vehicle for identifying the opportunities and challenges facing the fraternity and sorority profession, and creating programs, initiatives, and resources that elevate the profession. Since the founding of AFA, volunteers have been essential to the operation of the Association because of the following:
- Volunteers bring strategy to life – everything AFA does is rooted in its strategic plan. Volunteers move that plan forward through the initiatives, experiences, and programming they facilitate.
- Volunteers carry out a significant portion of AFA’s operations. AFA is a membership organization of over 1,200 people with three full-time staff members. The Central Office Staff relies and partners with volunteers to make AFA’s operations happen.
- Volunteers create and facilitate professional development experiences and initiatives that elevate the profession.
- Volunteers engage members by helping them understand why they should be involved in the business of the Association and help them get excited about remaining active in the profession.
- Volunteers provide insight; often, volunteers are the first to be asked for their thoughts on what AFA does and moves forward as an Association.
Volunteers are crucial to the strength and success of AFA as an Association; they are what make AFA a great organization!
Volunteer Development Program
As part of its Volunteer Development Program, AFA will provide volunteers with the following training, development, and recognition opportunities:
- Onboarding and Training including participation in on-demand modules, a volunteer kick-off meeting, and training on specific responsibilities associated with their assigned role.
- Quarterly developmental opportunities based on volunteer needs and desired competencies.
- Full volunteer team virtual gatherings to update volunteers on the business of the Association and engage volunteers in getting to know one another.
- Ongoing feedback and guidance from your volunteer supervisor to aid in your development.
- Volunteer recognition initiatives throughout the year.
- Volunteer of the Year Award
AFA is invested in helping volunteers grow and develop their professional skills and network, and this Volunteer Development Program was built to do that!
Who’s eligible to serve as a volunteer for AFA? Any individual who has membership in AFA is eligible to serve as a volunteer – regardless of membership type! Learn more about AFA’s volunteer opportunities.
Please contact Viancca Williams, Assistant Executive Director, with any questions.
