<p>It is wonderful that you’d want to volunteer your time. Some organizations recognize that, to be responsible and respect the volunteer’s time, somebody has to prepare and organize work for the volunteer, or else the volunteer becomes rather grumpy after a while that his time isn’t being put to good use.</p>
<p>It could be that they need someone on staff to think what you will do for them, provide you desk space or other resources. Perhaps someone on staff needs to be assigned to answer your questions as they arise, or train you a bit in the first days. Point is: They have to think before they bring you in. They also need to have an objective, and believe you’ll provide them help THEY require. That’s different than just letting you work there because you want to be helpful. At first that sounds mean, but it’s actually intelligent and considerate to plan and use volunteer help well, not thoughtlessly.</p>
<p>This could be worth discussing in a phone call or personal visit. Sounds like the emails aren’t happening. THere could also be a generational difference. Younger people sit on emails with much greater regularity than older people. My D thinks it’s rude not to reply within 24 hours, while people over 45 sometimes think they’re doing well if they open up their emails every few days or so. </p>
<p>I even wonder if their secretarial staff is so depleted they are overwhelmed, including dumping all the unsolicited messages.</p>
<p>If you wrote in unsolicited, even with such a good offer, they may just be overwhelmed with emails daily. I am getting to that point myself and when busy just scan the “From” list and open those names I love a lot (children) but backburner everyone else.</p>
<p>If, however, they had a system for volunteering and your email went within that system, then they are perhaps SO disorganized they need a volunteer to sort out their volunteers!</p>
<p>I agree with above posters that it’s time to change to another form, either phone or personal drop-in, depending on your time, their location and so on.</p>
<p>My young adult D simlply hates phones and loves e-mail. She’s a visual, not auditory, learner and loves to have the text in front of her to pay best attention. But in the business world there are times when phone or making appointemnts work better.</p>
<p>Good luck. I hope you can volunteer there or elsewhere. Usually volunteers are treated nicer than employees, simply because there’s no salary so they have to keep you feeling appreciated to keep coming back.</p>
<p>Can you call the organization to get the woman’s phone number (the one who gave you the business card with her email on it)? And say why you’re trying to reach her (without sounding irritated at her). Maybe if somebody hears you’re trying to get through to her to VOLUNTEER, they’ll shake her awake and say, “write him back already!!”</p>