My Nonprofit Reviews
docugal
Review for Women in Film & Video Inc, Washington, DC, USA
Women in Film and Video is a fantastic group for those with careers in broadcast, TV, film, A/V enterprises and general media. Group members are eager and willing to help you find the answers to your questions, and events are useful and interesting. I am most active with the Documentary Roundtable group, which brings in a speaker every month or two to talk about a specific aspect of documentary filmmaking - whether it be the actual filmmaking process, PR, film festivals, etc. I am glad to gain from the expertise of others who have been in the field longer than I have, and I am glad to help any who are just graduating from college.
More Feedback
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
the way I see the DC film community run. This organization actually creates a sense of community and brings us together, and it gives me a generally positive feeling for other film professionals in the area.
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
include more intimate events like the administrative dinner we had last month, where groups of 8-10 people got together to network and talk about ethics in filmmaking. The big events are great, but it's at the small events where we really connect.
What I've enjoyed the most about my experience with this nonprofit is...
the filmmaking community I've found in DC.
The kinds of staff and volunteers that I met were...
generally helpful and welcoming.
If this organization had 10 million bucks, it could...
provide grants for more filmmakers and get us all jobs! :)
Ways to make it better...
there were more opportunities for small, intimate gatherings.
How frequently have you been involved with the organization?
About every month
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2010
Review for Artomatic, Washington, DC, USA
I have been involved with Artomatic twice: once as a visitor, and once as an artist. As a visitor, the experience was fantastic. Floor after floor of art, nonstop programming, food and alcohol - and no charge to get in! As a participant, however, the event was disorganized and frustrating. Each participant is required to volunteer for three shifts, which seemed reasonable. The problem was that each time I volunteered, I was told new or different guidelines, and none of the guidelines were followed correctly anyway. My first time volunteering, I was to take out trash on the freight elevator, but there was no one there to help bag the trash on each floor (I was not supposed to leave the elevator) and the process was extremely inefficient. No one knew who was supposed to be doing what, and if you left your post, you were scolded by the extremely immature and - for lack of a better word - mean volunteer coordinator. The second two times I volunteered, I was a floor guide, but was again treated like a child by the volunteer coordinator, who clearly had set her own rules and would get angry at anyone trying to actually enjoy the experience. I was supposed to stay on the floor with my partner, one of us covering the entrance area to the floor and the other looking for people who might be stealing art. At the same time, I had to help the person selling drinks, the trash person, and people from other floors because they were given conflicting instructions and no one knew exactly how it was supposed to work. The volunteer coordinator never once came by to ask us if there was something we needed, and one time, my replacement didn't show up at all (I had to leave my partner's replacement there by himself). Next year I will go to Artomatic as a visitor, but I will never again participate. I urge Artomatic to find a new volunteer coordinator who has people skills and an understanding of how to manage groups, and I urge participants to get their volunteer shifts over with early so that they can enjoy the event the rest of the month.
More Feedback
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
set clear volunteer job duties before the event starts, send a volunteer coordinator to each floor every hour to check on volunteers and set up shifts so people come 20 minutes before they are supposed to start (in case they are late).
What I've enjoyed the most about my experience with this nonprofit is...
the amount and breadth of art, the fact that it is free, the ability of local artists to have a venue for their work, the way it brings the community together and the fact that it is held in an empty building in an area of town that needs foot traffic.
The kinds of staff and volunteers that I met were...
a mixed bag. The volunteers were fantastic and helpful; the higher-up staff were rude and inconsiderate.
If this organization had 10 million bucks, it could...
really organize and branch out to other cities.
Ways to make it better...
the volunteer coordinator had treated me with more compassion and the behind-the-scenes work had been more organized.
In my opinion, the biggest challenges facing this organization are...
organizing! They need to have clearer job duties and guidelines.
How frequently have you been involved with the organization?
About once a year
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2009
