Supporting the Profession of Volunteer Management Through a Local Community of Practice

This study explores the types of support that are of most importance to volunteer managers along the Wasatch Front in Utah. Through the lens of collaborative leadership, networking, identity theory, and community of practice theory, the goal was to see how the creation of a community of practice could bring the profession closer together and stronger. Through participant observation of a newly created community of practice, the need for supporting the profession through a shared identity has emerged. The study demonstrates how a group of marginalized professionals can elevate the credibility and value of their profession through collaboration in a local community of practice.