ANTI-CRISIS MANAGEMENT OF VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS

Abstract

The article examines current issues of the functioning of volunteer organizations. The role of volunteer organizations in the formation of civil society is clarified. Well-known international and Ukrainian volunteer organiza-tions are named, a comparative analysis of their functioning is made. It is found that the management of volunteer or-ganizations in Ukraine has a number of unique features that distinguish it from traditional approaches to the management of commercial or state structures. The purpose of the article is to theoretically substantiate and develop practical ap-proaches to forming a system of anti-crisis management of volunteer organizations, taking into account their specifics, resource limitations, and dependence on the external environment. The article identifies key threats to the functioning of volunteer organizations, including financial instability, staff shortages and volunteer burnout, information risks, de-creased trust from society and donors, and organizational informality of management processes. It is substantiated that anti-crisis management in volunteer organizations is preventive in nature and should be aimed not only at overcoming the consequences of crises, but also at their early identification and minimization of risks. A model of anti-crisis manage-ment of a volunteer organization is proposed, which includes the following components: monitoring of the internal and external environment, anti-crisis planning, a flexible resource management system, effective communications with stake-holders, and mechanisms to support volunteer motivation. Particular attention is paid to the role of leadership, digital management tools, and partnership with government, business, and public structures. The practical significance of the results lies in the possibility of their use by leaders of volunteer organizations to increase the sustainability of activities, adapt to crisis conditions, and ensure the continuity of socially significant functions. Further scientific research in the field of anti-crisis management of volunteer organizations should be directed towards deepening the theoretical and methodological principles of managing the activities of non-profit structures in conditions of protracted crises and insta-bility of the external environment. In particular, the formation of comprehensive models of anti-crisis management adapted to different types of volunteer organizations by scale of activity, level of institutionalization and areas of social support is promising.