About Volunteering

Volunteering is the cornerstone to the chapter’s vitality. We are an all volunteer organization. The member benefits/services we deliver has a direct correlation to the quantity and dedication of our volunteers. The organization is about us working together to help ourselves. All volunteers in PMI SV are bounded by this agreement (click here) while contributing to the chapter.

We encourage all members to participate by attending our many activities, however in order to build a true peer network within the organization you need to contribute. It is the chapter’s volunteers that are the Silicon Valley’s inner circle of project managers.

For those willing to take on a volunteer role there are many benefits:

• Personal development of leadership and other soft skills in a non-threatening environment
• Peer recognition through interaction and publicity of chapter activities
• Development of a peer network within the circle of volunteer cadre
• Satisfaction of contribution to success of the chapter and celebrating it at special volunteer events
• Participation special leadership meetings with chapter officers
• Earn additional credits toward certification renewal

We are always in need of additional volunteers for as little or much as they would care to contribute. However, we do restrict volunteer participation to chapter members, only.

Roles of Chapter Volunteers

The chapter has two main categories of volunteers: Officers and non-officers. The chapter is a California nonprofit corporation with and board of four elected and up to two appointed officers. In addition to providing the chapter leadership, they have legal responsibilities for the chapters well being. Our non-officer cadre of volunteers are appointed by the board of directors, to work on specific operational needs, for an open-ended term.

Earning Credits for Certification Renewal

As all PMI certified individuals are aware, every three years they need to submit 60-PDUs of credits in order to renew their certification. One opportunity is to earn credits is through Category 5: Volunteer Service to Professional or Community Programs. A maximum of 20-PDUs per cycle can be claimed for this type of activity. The chapter issues a certificate for the credits earned during the year, at year-end.

Continuing Certification Credits through Volunteer Activities

PMI allows the chapter to issue credits toward certification renewal under Category 5:

Volunteer Service to Professional or Community Organizations. The chapter does this through a year-end review of the service provided by all its PMI certified volunteers. Based on the outcome, it issues certificates to each PMI certified volunteer. Members then need to claim the credits through the normal PMI process. Below is the guidelines provided by PMI’s Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) Handbook. 

Months of Service	Elected Officer  (10-PDUs, max, per year)	Non-Officer Volunteer (5-PDUs, max, per year)
3	2-PDUs	1-PDU
6	5-PDUs	3-PDUs
12	10-PDUs	5-PDUs

Although it is possible to earn in excess of 20-PDUs during the three year certification cycle, 20-PDUs is the maximum that can be claimed in Category 5.

(Note: the above guidelines are taken from the CCR Handbook in October, 2006 and are subject to change by PMI. The chapter will issue credits based on the guidelines in place at the time of the volunteer review process.)

Volunteer Cadre: The organization within the Chapter

One way to develop a relationship with an individual is to work with them, if not shoulder-to-shoulder, at least on a team. To build a cohesive team the chapter officers bring the volunteer cadre together multiple times a year. Those individuals that show potential as possible future chapter leaders are invited to the leadership meetings for discussion of current and future chapter operations. All volunteers are invited to the volunteer recognition events. Below are a few of the activities and recognitions from the past:

President's Award: Volunteer of the Year - Each year the chapter's president recognizes a volunteer of the year.

Volunteer Recognition Dinners - Each winter the chapter holds its major recognition dinner for the previous year's volunteers.