Giving Back, Driving Progress: The Impact of Volunteering with PMI
At PMI, volunteers play a pivotal role in advancing the project management profession. From mentoring youth to driving sustainability initiatives and shaping global strategies, learn how our volunteers make a lasting impact.
Volunteering is about more than giving back—it’s about creating the change you want to see in the world. And at PMI, that change is powered by one thing: community. When you volunteer with us, you’re stepping into a global network of project professionals who share ideas, collaborate with purpose, and strengthen their communities. Your time and talent fuel the progress that moves our profession forward.
Here are just a few of the ways volunteers are making a difference.
Board Volunteer Advisory Committee (BVAC)
The Board Volunteer Advisory Committee (BVAC) acts on behalf of the PMI Board of Directors to annually evaluate and recommend volunteers for Board approval to serve on the BVAC, Ethics Review Committee (ERC), Global Accreditation Center for Project Management Education Programs (GAC), Nominating Committee (NomCom), and the appointed members of the PMI Educational Foundation (PMIEF) Board of Directors.
What I love most about volunteering is the sense of belonging. PMI volunteers are a unique community — people who genuinely care about making a difference. Seeing our collective efforts take shape is incredibly rewarding. It reminds me of why I started volunteering in the first place: to contribute to something bigger than myself and to help others succeed.
PMI Chapters
PMI Chapters are the hub of local project management communities. Led by volunteers, chapters provide members with networking opportunities, resources for career development, access to events, and support for PMI certifications. Each chapter fosters an environment to share insights, best practices, and innovations in project management, helping members stay engaged and up to date with industry trends.
PMI Morrocco Chapter
Volunteering with PMI has been a transformative experience. It has allowed me to strengthen my leadership and strategic management skills while collaborating with talented chapter leaders from diverse backgrounds. This experience has also enhanced my ability to navigate cultural diversity, lead with empathy, and foster inclusive team-skills that have enriched both my professional and personal growth. Continuous learning opportunities, from chapter governance to events such as Leadership Institute Meetings (LIM), have kept my skills sharp and relevant.
PMI Netherlands Chapter
Volunteering with PMI has been a professional adventure mixed with challenge, discovery, and teamwork, much like a great hike or climb. You start out wanting to contribute and end up learning new skills, meeting inspiring people, and seeing just how far collaboration can take you. What I love most is the energy that sparks when passionate people come together to make something meaningful. Volunteering keeps me curious, creative, and connected; it reminds me why I love what I do and how much impact we can create together. Like any good trail, it’s sometimes steep, often surprising, and always rewarding. And every step makes the journey worthwhile.
PMOGA Sub-Saharan Africa Hub
PMOGA Sub-Saharan Africa Hub has been a catalyst for raising awareness of the impact of PMOs across Africa, where the profession is still evolving. Through its workshops and mentoring initiatives, the Hub empowers professionals, encourages organizations to adopt structured practices from the PMO Practice Guide, and inspires communities to embrace the transformative power of teamwork and planning.
Being part of the PMOGA community has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my professional life. It has allowed me to learn, exchange knowledge, and grow alongside passionate leaders who are redefining the future of project management globally. Through PMOGA, creating awareness, leveraging its impact and learning about PMOs has become easier and even more meaningful. PMOs play a vital role in driving strategy execution, aligning teams, and ensuring organizational resilience.
PMBOK® Guide – Eighth Edition Committee
The PMBOK® Guide – Eighth Edition revision was a collaborative effort led by a diverse, globally represented team of volunteers. For more than 18 months, the team worked together to craft the content for the new edition, using an iterative approach between development and review groups to refine and enhance the material. Multiple rounds of public exposure ensured that the voice of the project management community remained at the forefront. Through this collective effort, the team produced a final product that meets the evolving needs of the community, with a strong emphasis on project success and value delivery.
Two things keep bringing me back to volunteering. First, is the impact that comes with PMI’s influence in the project world. I have felt a true sense of purpose whenever I’ve contributed, whether it was launching the first-of-its-kind PMI-ACP in 2010, or mentoring a single person in a local chapter. Second is the global community. PMI has introduced me to the most amazing people and enjoyable teams across countries and continents. The work is always worth it.
Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors, composed of 12 dedicated volunteers elected by PMI members, collaborates closely with the CEO and Executive Leadership Team to guide our purpose and strategy, while embodying our cultural values and helping to advance the project management profession.
“Fifty-six years ago, PMI began when five volunteers recognized a need for strengthening the project management profession, and since then, volunteers have been the backbone of our community, coming together to form local chapters, supporting PMI, driving our purpose, advocating for the project profession and giving back to the community. As I reflect, I feel we all, as volunteers, are also driven by the same desire our founders had.
My own volunteering path began, following decades as a project professional, with a desire to give back to the profession, increase the awareness of the true power of project management and inspire, nurture, and mentor others to do so too.
At one point, I was told to volunteer with PMI, I did, and in the same year, I was ‘encouraged’ to attend a PMI Leadership Institute Meeting (LIM). At the LIM I heard and saw firsthand the shared passion, dedication, enthusiasm and desire of other fellow project professionals, networking, sharing knowledge, advocating for the profession and giving back to the community. All volunteers. I was inspired.
Since then and throughout my volunteer journey to date, I have undertaken and seen firsthand the benefits of volunteering and serving others. Whether you’re contributing content or facilitating a chapter event or mentoring others, new skills are acquired that extend well beyond your routine professional tasks or what you do day to day at work.
You could lead initiatives, manage teams, hold positions locally or globally and engage in activities, some of which you may not have had the opportunity to do in your professional day-to-day work. Volunteering also advances your personal growth, it develops your leadership skills, and it expands your professional network globally. The personal fulfillment of volunteering is also found in giving back, the desire to contribute, inspire, nurture, mentor others, and in the PMI shared sense of purpose. There is great fulfillment in realizing that every effort as a volunteer that you support impacts the profession, the betterment of someone else, and of the world we live in.
The PMI global Board of Directors also sees the contributions of our volunteers – those who contribute content and insights, those who amplify our strategy worldwide, those who lead social impact activities, those who lead and manage our chapters, those who support our events, those that are ambassadors, champions, project leads and those who engage in other volunteering activities. Witnessing this dedication of our volunteers and seeing the impact of your work remains inspiring for us all.
It is truly through our collective service that we can together, give back, advance our profession and elevate our world. On behalf of the PMI Global Board of Directors, we extend our deepest gratitude to all volunteers for your service and the work that you do. THANK YOU.” - Ike Nwankwo, PMP, Board Chair, PMI Board of Directors
Get involved
Ready to get involved? PMI offers a wide array of volunteer roles designed to fit diverse locations, interests, time commitments, and work styles. Whether you're looking to share your expertise, connect with like-minded professionals, or develop new skills, there's an opportunity for you.
Tags: Volunteering | Leadership | Artificial Intelligence | Sustainability
Make an impact. Grow your career. Volunteer with PMI.
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About the Author
Autumn Granza
Digital Content Strategist
Autumn is a digital content strategist who blends creativity with strategic thinking. With expertise in crafting and optimizing content to inspire diverse audiences, she enjoys creating media that drives engagement and makes a lasting brand impact. Autumn leads PMI's award-winning podcast, Projectified®, where applies her storytelling skills. Holding a B.A. in journalism from Marywood University and a master's in global studies and international relations from Northeastern University, she brings a unique perspective to her work. Based near Scranton, PA, Autumn extends her creativity beyond her professional endeavors as a photographer and enjoys exploring nature, visiting coffee shops, traveling, and being a self-proclaimed professional day tripper.
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