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I want to quit a long-term volunteer position *UPDATE* *UPDATE 2*

N

nanette1985

Diamond Member
I've been webmaster of a support site for parents of certain disabled children for a good 10 years. There are some desperate families there, I've gotten to know a lot of them online and watched their children die.

The site founder is fanatical about their cause. Which is a good thing - except that the last couple of years the site has grown a lot. And the job of taking care of the site is mine alone. It's too much for me now.

The site founder has also become more of a spokesperson than a supportive caring fellow parent, and I'm getting ordered around a lot these days, and I don't like it.

I'm also the internet fund raiser, but I don't keep any of the money raised, and I'm expected to pay for all the tech expenses myself, as a donation. It's getting expensive. Besides my time (way too much), all the domain names, site hosting & design, security services, advertising accounts, verification, charity registration, etc are in my name, bills paid by me. The only thing that goes to the site founder is income.

Site founder has no concept that web sites take work and $$ to keep going.

I've considered asking someone to take over, or a few people to share the job, but after much thought I wouldn't want anyone to have to deal with the mess that this has become.

Any other volunteer web folks ever run into this? Thoughts anyone?

UPDATE - Called the guy, said I was quitting - offered to help with transition. He said "good riddance", I don't do what he wants. Now, what to do with the site? 😡

UPDATE 2 - Agreed with another support site to transfer everything to them. THANK YOU for the suggestion.
 
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I was going to say get someone else to shoulder the burden along with you but it sounds like you have considered that already...
 
How about "fuck you! I'm outta here!" Your getting used. You accept donations, but are expected to pay tech expenses on top of your time?! You're being used, and I suspect the leader very well knows this.
 
It's probably best to try get someone else (or multiple someone elses) to take over part of your work. Then after a while, fob off some more of the responsibility onto them. Then, if you still feel you don't want to contribute anymore, just quit. That way things still keep going.

As for cost, it is definitely not okay for the site founder to expect the webmaster to pay for all the expenses of keeping a website going. Tell them that you didn't expect to make such a financial commitment when you started, and it's unfair for this to keep going.
 
Being on the same boat, I have no problem with passing over the invoices for reimbursement or even getting a company card for future expenses
 
You know what needs to be done. Sounds like you're just looking for a way to let the dude down gently. Tell him it's taking up too much of your time and that you need to focus on other things.
 
Give the guy two weeks notice or less. Alternatively, an ultimatum where you leave or you get paid.

Tell him you're leaving and that he'll need to figure out a way to pay all the things you listed.
 
Over the years, you should have kept him/her in the know about your expenses and time spend, just as an FYI every few months or so, this way he/she would appreciate your work more and won't boss you around.
 
lxskllr said:
How about "fuck you! I'm outta here!" Your getting used. You accept donations, but are expected to pay tech expenses on top of your time?! You're being used, and I suspect the leader very well knows this.
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Yep, if this situation is true you are being taken for a ride. He is getting you to pay for the bills while he gets the money. Fuck that!
 
Another option: Don't update the website. Don't pay for anything. When he starts going, "WTF WHY IS IT NOT WORKING?" Then say, "Pay up, bitch."
 
Ask him to a meeting. Tell him what you've said here. If he's not supportive and willing to help cover the costs and find other's to help with managing the site, then let him know you plan on leaving.
 
It sounds like you are being used. It is impossible for them to not know this so they are willingly using you, i would have no issues telling them im done with little or no notice. If you want to be nice give them 2 weeks notice. Either way make sure the billing for everything is switched over to someone who is not you before you quit.
 
Let me guess this person, Head person, knows little about computers/software?

Probably the same type of person that says web-sites, internet/networking, etc... are easy to keep up and do then request to cut IT budget and wonders why so many complain when their out dated systems don't work.

But yea just tell him/her things have come up and you don't have the time to offer to help anymore. Transfer the sites/domains to them and be done.
 
kitchiku said:
Talk to the founder about your situation, if he won't help then quit.
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Yea thats my thought as well. Just voice your concerns first. If this is just about the way things are being done, then I would ask for a sit down and lay out the scope of the land. But if this about you wanting to be paid for time, then that is a different story. But if you truly enjoy helping, then I wouldn't just quit. You are not just doing this for him, but for the families as well.
 
You should take the website down and replace it with a page that says "we are sorry, the page you are trying to view is not available due to billing issues". In the mean time let the site founder know how much it costs to run everything. When his income stream stops since the site is down, he'll be alot more willing to help you.

Or a shadier option is to create a new foundation with a very very similiar name. Change the name on the website, which no one will probably notice, and run the foundation yourself. Pay yourself a salary, pay for your webhosting costs and spend the rest on helping the people the foundation is suppose to help.
 
Hand it over to a local IT consulting firm? They bill by the hour. That way you aren't sticking someone else in the same position you are currently in, and they sure as hell aren't going to to do it for free so there will be an accounting of what gets spent, how.

Obviously that only works for the operational side of things, and not the recruiting, fundraising aspects, etc.
 
Hats off to you for the amount of dedication you have shown on that project.

From what i recall money was tight for you so spending more on this sort of thing is even more commendable.

You probably shouldn't had paid for any of these things on your own but that is already in the past. Shut down the site till your expenses are paid for. It should not be on your conscious that the guy is an idiot.
 
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