Association for Volunteer Administration

The Association for Volunteer Administration (AVA) was created in 1961 as a nonprofit association for those that work with volunteers, in any setting. For more than 44 years, it was the largest professional association in the world for managers of volunteers. AVA hosted an annual conference in cities around the USA, a certification program for managers of volunteers, an online community and The Journal of Volunteer Administration (JOVA), as well as recognizing outstanding managers of volunteers with a special award each year. AVA was dissolved in 2006 amid allegations of financial mismanagement by employees, the dismissal of three employees, including the executive director, the accumulation of more than $250,000 in debt, and lack of adequate financial and administrative oversight by the board of directors.

The organization had existed since its formal charter in 1961 as “The American Association of Volunteer Services Coordinators” (AAVSC). It adopted its name, Association for Volunteer Administration, or AVA, in 1979. At the time of its dissolution, the mission of AVA was to “advance volunteerism and enhance quality of life locally and globally by engaging leaders of volunteers through professional development, networking, and quality products and services.” AVA members were engaged in the management of volunteers in nonprofit, governmental, school-based, and similar mission-based settings. As of January 1, 2006, AVA had approximately 2,100 paid members, with approximately 90% from the United States, 10% from Canada, and a few from other nations, and was governed by a 16-member board of directors.

AVA programs and services included the Certified Volunteer Manager (CVM) certification program, The Journal of Volunteer Administration (JOVA), member briefings and newsletters, the CyberVPM online discussion group on Yahoo! Groups, and Volunteer Management magazine. AVA also organized the annual International Conference on Volunteer Administration (ICVA), as both a training and networking event for those that work with volunteers.

AVA also created the Harriet Naylor Distinguished Member Service Award, which was given annually from 1981 through 2004. The award was named for a national director of the Office of Volunteer Development at what was then the USA Department of Health, Education and Welfare in the 1970s, who “used her visibility to be an advocate for volunteers and for leaders of volunteers. The award was presented to an active AVA member "who has made an outstanding contribution to the association. Recipients of the award are recognized for their support of AVA through leadership positions, special projects, research, publications, advocacy and other activities that have strengthened both the association and the profession of volunteer resources management." The list and requirements are archived at the Internet Archive.