United Way of King County Blog » Nikki Russell

Reimagining Service: New Developments Deserve Our Attention

Nikki Russell — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 20:12:08 +0000

Well…it turns out the “heated feelings” in volunteer management circles about Reimagining Service may be cooling down. My post on July 30 Reimagining Service: What’s All the Fuss, shared some frustrations I’ve been hearing in the field. But in a July 15 post on Jayne Craven’s Blog, she expressed “STUNNED surprise” at receiving an e-mail from the folks at Reimagining Service with a very different message than their initial report [Reimagining Service Report, 2009]. After more research, the focus on Corporate Human Resource Management as the “solution” shifted to support for creating “Service Enterprises” (defined as: a nonprofit or for-profit organization that fundamentally leverages volunteers and their skills to successfully deliver on the social mission of the organization). Giving strong volunteer organizations a fancy new name is nice, but what’s more encouraging is the following:

Recognizing that volunteer management and infrastructure require financial resources, the Reimagining Service Funding Action Team has created a resource guide with two objectives: 1) to help nonprofits make the case for funding to support volunteer management; and 2) to share information with funders on the value and need for providing this type of financial support to nonprofits… the Funding Action Team is also pursuing other strategies to direct more funding to volunteer management and infrastructure support.

That is music to volunteer management professional’s ears! The folks at Reimagining Service seem to be listening. The volunteer management profession may actually have a powerful new partner moving forward.

Check out the resources and research on the Reimagining Service site and let them know what you think, because feedback on the usefulness of the resources is welcome and encouraged. While I know you’ll all head straight to the Guide on Volunteer Management Funding (a common request I get from volunteer managers), make sure to also look at the Nonprofit Service Enterprise Diagnostic Tool and the Nonprofit Service Enterprise Research Summary, which informed the development of the diagnostic tool. Designed to help assess whether yours is a Nonprofit Service Enterprise, the tool is also intended to be a “first step” in helping funders, nonprofit leaders, board members and staff understand the basics of what’s needed to be a strong volunteer organization.

Can this approach help move our profession from relative obscurity to a key organizational strategy? I’m definitely hopeful, and I definitely think we shouldn’t let this opportunity pass us by. What do you think?

Reimagining Service: What is all the Fuss?

Nikki Russell — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 22:40:15 +0000

There are some “bad feelings” spreading through volunteer resource professional circles over the Reimagining Service initiative (see Susan Ellis’, Reimagining Service: Is Corporate HR Management What We See? and Jayne Craven’s Don’t let them equate volunteer management with HR management). The Reimagining Service initiative is described as a self-organized community of individuals from nonprofits, government and the private sector…inspired by the renewed call to service. Reimagining Service calls for an investment of critical resources and dollars to build the volunteer management infrastructure. Hallelujah! That is exactly what volunteer management professionals have been advocating for, well… ever! So what is all the fuss about? Why the bad feelings? Well…it’s the strategy that has gotten volunteer resource professionals all riled up. Reimagining Service is calling for the application of private sector human resource capabilities to the nonprofit sector. Their answer is to encourage corporations to provide “HR Bootcamps” and create an “HR pro bono movement” to bring resources and innovation to volunteer management practice. There is no mention of promoting the “best of volunteer management practice”. In fact, there is no mention of the profession of volunteer resource management. What concerns volunteer management professional is the assumption that private sector HR professionals will come to the rescue and “save the day” for nonprofits. Volunteer Resource Management professionals will argue that nonprofits don’t need “HR boot camps”, they need “volunteer management boot camps”, led by volunteer management professionals who know and understand the nonprofit sector. The problem is not that the nonprofit sector doesn’t have volunteer resource management skills and know-how. The problem is that the skills of volunteer resource professionals have long been under-valued and under-utilized by nonprofits. The solution? Promote and invest in the best volunteer management practice to attract, acquire, inspire and retain volunteer talent. The ideal scenario: talented volunteer resource professionals and private sector HR professionals working together to promote effective volunteer management practice in the nonprofit sector. The Question: How can the volunteer resource management profession make that happen?

Volunteer Management – Challenges and Opportunities Facing Nonprofits

Nikki Russell — Mon, 24 May 2010 20:27:41 +0000

Last fall, United Way of King County launched a survey to better understand the challenges and opportunities nonprofits in King County face in engaging and managing volunteers. The response to the survey was astounding- over 600 people, representing a broad spectrum of the nonprofit sector in King County, completed the survey. Respondents filled a wide variety of roles in their organizations, with 27 percent being volunteer managers and 19 percent being CEOs.

I am excited to announce that United Way of King County has just released a report, “Volunteer Management: Challenges and Opportunities Facing Nonprofits.”, based on the results from this survey. The report, written by Rick Lynch, a leading expert in the field of volunteer management, addresses challenges of volunteer engagement, hopeful signs, and implications for organizations, leadership, and funders.

Overall, the study found that several key issues which have long troubled the field of volunteerism continue to challenge local nonprofits:

The critical role of the volunteer manager is undervalued and underutilized.
Nonprofit staff lack time and skills to manage volunteers effectively.
Volunteer retention rates are low.
Effective recruitment strategies for “hard to fill” opportunities are lacking.
Nonprofits do not effectively measure the impact of volunteer contributions.

The survey results also suggest some signs of improvement in volunteer engagement efforts:

The critical role of volunteers within local nonprofits is valued.
Nonprofits are seeking the professional skills of volunteers.

We hope this report will be used to guide nonprofits in investing time, money and other resources into their volunteer engagement efforts and stimulate funders to explore how service is – or could – be supported in their work.

I encourage you to take the time to read through the report and share it with your nonprofit peers. You can access the report here.

Let us know what you think.

Calling All Volunteer Managers! The VAN Annual Conference is June 8th. Join Us!

Nikki Russell — Thu, 20 May 2010 23:05:30 +0000

As volunteer managers, we spend a lot of time investing in others and our volunteer programs. The Volunteer Administrator’s Network Conference provides us with an opportunity “invest in ourselves” as professionals- to gather with like minded peers for a day of professional renewal and development. And we’ll spend time enhancing our volunteer management skills set too! If you’re a volunteer manager, please join us for the day. If you know a volunteer manager, tell them about the VAN Conference!

Here’s what’s on the agenda:

Advancing as a volunteer manager-next steps in your career
Using social media to inform and mobilize your volunteers
Deciphering generational differences to engage new volunteers
Auditing your volunteer program
Risk management and how to minimize your liability
Advocating for volunteer management within your organization

Please Join us on June 8, 2010 from 9:30a.m. to 4p.m.

Location: First Presbyterian Church of Bellevue

Cost: $60 for members; $90 for non-members; $85 for registration and membership renewal

To register: visit www.vannw.org

Please call 1-800-430-6494 for additional information.

What’s It Worth? Measuring the Impact of Volunteer Involvement

Nikki Russell — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 18:52:52 +0000

We’ve all heard the mantra “Volunteers are the heart of our organization”. I know I’ve heard it…a lot. But how vital are they really? And if they are the “heart” of our organizations, how do we talk about it. How do you talk to volunteers, the community and funders about the vital contributions your volunteers make to your organization? How do you measure volunteer accomplishments?

In a recent King County volunteer management capacity study, conducted by United Way of King County, the majority of survey respondents indicated that they either did not measure the impact of their volunteers, or they measured volunteer contributions in terms of volunteer hours contributed. But what does volunteer time tell us about the actual contributions or accomplishments of volunteers working with our organizations? Not very much.

I will confess that as a volunteer program administrator I often measured the contribution of volunteers in terms of hours contributed. Our agency newsletter would celebrate the number of volunteers involved and how many hours they contributed. And recognition was often tied to hours or years of service. I was often so caught up with the hectic day-to-day business of managing the volunteer program, I didn’t have much time to figure out how to do more than report hours. I did talk passionately about the “difference” volunteers made for our agency, but I really didn’t have much to back that up. What was the outcome/impact of their involvement???

I believe strongly that it is incumbent on us (volunteer program administrators and non-profit leadership) to give credit where credit is due. Volunteers do make a difference for our organizations, so let’s figure out how to measure that difference. And as the awareness of volunteers as a critical resource to the nonprofit sector increasingly takes center stage, it is imperative for organizations to be able to capture and describe just how much volunteers contribute to the achievement of mission and goals.

So that brings us back to the question: “how do you measure impact?” For an answer to this question (I’m not about to cover the “how to” here), check out:

Melissa Eystad’s Measuring the Difference: A Guide to Outcome Evaluation for Volunteer Program Managers (1997) It’s available for free at: http://www.energizeinc.com/download/Measuring_the_Difference2003.pdf

In addition, consider attending the Advanced Volunteer Management training on April 26th

What’s It Worth?: Measuring the Impact of Your Volunteer Program

April 26^th, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm

Tuition: $50

“Volunteers are our most valuable asset.” But how are we conveying to the community, funders and our executive leadership what our volunteers really worth? In a recent bench mark study of volunteer management capacity in King County, United Way of King County’s Volunteer Center asked organizations to identify how they measure impact. Many measured impact by counting the number of volunteers and hours contributed. But what does this really tell us about impact of our volunteers on our programs? Can we justify the investment of time and resources required to engage volunteers effectively? In this workshop we will explore the value volunteers bring to nonprofit organizations and strategies to effectively measure the real worth and impact of volunteers in our organizations.

To view information about the trainings and to register, follow this link:

www.uwkc.org/nonprofit/training/calendar.asp

Hope to see you there!

Promote Volunteerism – Support Volunteer Managers! Check out the new AmeriCorps VISTA Opportunity!

Nikki Russell — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:55:24 +0000

It takes a Village (i.e. lots of committed and engaged volunteers)…to create community change. Ever wonder what it takes to engage volunteers? Seattle Works knows that effective volunteer engagement doesn’t happen without great Volunteer Managers and Leaders. So they have teamed up with Washington State’s Association of Volunteer Centers to help support VAN (Volunteer Administrator’s Network) – a professional association that provides support, resources, training and mentoring opportunities for Volunteer Managers and Leaders. That support for VAN comes in the form of an AmeriCorps VISTA position which will work with the VAN Board and membership to develop infrastructure and build capacity. This is a great opportunity to learn about and engage with volunteer management professionals as well as put organizational skills to work.

About VAN:

VAN is a vibrant professional network that advocates for the profession and empowers Volunteer managers.

VAN advocates for recognition of Volunteer Managers

as leaders in our organizations
as leaders in the community
for the assets and resources they bring
as community mobilizers
as professionals

VAN empowers volunteer managers by providing connections to

resources
skill-building opportunities
peer networking
mentorship

AmeriCorps VISTA Position Description

Title: AmeriCorps*VISTA Professional Development Coordinator

Status: Stipend Volunteer Position

Reports to: Director of Programs

Commitment: 12 months, 40 hrs per week beginning April 2010

Training: Attendance at four AmeriCorps*VISTA training sessions is required

Stipend: $10,380 Living allowance; 4,725 Education Award

Application Process: Please send your resume and a cover letter that explains your interest and fit for the position to jan@seattleworks.orgs; NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE.

Application Due Date: February 19, 2010

This position is offered through the AmeriCorps*VISTA program, which includes an AmeriCorps*VISTA annual living stipend and education award, plus health and vacation benefits. Compensation is outlined on the AmeriCorps website (www.americorps.gov).

SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES:

Create and implement internal administrative processes to support a robust volunteer led organization focused on expanding the capacity of the volunteer sector including:
Bookkeeping processes
Website maintenance
Membership renewals
Research resources that allow for effective professional networking and best practice sharing
Work in partnership with and support VAN board as they identify key needs and strategic direction for Volunteer Manager’s professional association
Facilitate the Conference Committee; plan and execute a successful annual conference
Research and write grants
Generally work to expand VAN’s offerings and network of support!

GENERAL EXPECTATIONS:

Nonprofit or Volunteer Management experience
Office experience
Strong organization and communication skills
Facilitation or leadership experience
Ability to perform in a comfortable atmosphere that requires individual initiative as well as group decision making
Grant writing experience preferred

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

U.S. citizen, national, or lawful permanent resident
At least 18 years of age
Ability to commit to working 12 months beginning in April 2010
Technology savvy
High School Diploma (college degree preferred)

STIPEND & BENEFITS:

A living allowance of $10,380 distributed in equal installments twice monthly.
Basic health insurance (VISTA member only, no dependents)
Loan forbearance for federal student loans
A $4,725 educational award upon completion of your service term (or $1,200 cash stipend)
Childcare assistance (available for those who qualify)
The opportunity to make a difference is a small, promising organization
Exposure to hundreds of nonprofits in Seattle
Access to Seattle Works programs and events!

Schedule and communicate with your volunteers – for FREE!

Nikki Russell — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 22:53:29 +0000

There is a relatively new arrival in web-based software available to people who are managing scheduling and communications with volunteers (this is available to anyone- school teachers, non-profits, coaches, you name it) It’s called VolunteerSpot.com. It’s not a sophisticated volunteer management tool- there are no features for tracking interests, skills and availability for instance. It won’t track hours and spit out pretty reports on volunteer involvement. And it doesn’t really track contact information, except e-mail. But it’s a great tool for getting people to sign up for shifts or for “what to bring”.

As a volunteer manager who has handled numerous multi-day, multi-shift events, scheduling was always the most time consuming and tedious part of managing event volunteers. I kind of wish I’d had access to a free online scheduling utility like VolunteerSpot.com. If your grappling with volunteer scheduling in your organizations, you might want to check this tool out.

There are also other scheduling tools available- some free and many low-cost:

ChurchDirector.com’s free basic account allows for a single team, up to a maximum of 10 total users (team members); upgrades start at $5.95/month.

Famundo.com offers unlimited free online calendars to all community organizations; file storage for sharing documents is included.

MyCharityManager.com is a feature-rich free web tool that lets you track volunteers, events, and donations all in one place.

MyVolunteer.com starts at $4.95/month, and they’re currently offering a time-limited special where you can get 3 months service free.

WhenToHelp.com the Lite version is limited to 250 volunteers and 100 shifts per week, but that should give plenty of leeway for many small non-profits.

Volunteer Management Training in January

Nikki Russell — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 22:19:30 +0000

Start off the New Year with a renewed commitment to effectively engaging volunteers in your organization!

Attend United Way of King County’s Volunteer Management Basic Training!

Effective Volunteer Program Management 101: A Course for Volunteer Management Professionals

The next session is: January 12 and January 26

Tuition – $170.00

All sessions are from 9:00am to 4:30 pm.

(training participants must attend both sessions)

This 14.5-hour series is offered to meet the special needs of Volunteer Program Managers with less than two years experience. More experienced coordinators seeking “refresher” training are also welcome. The seminar overviews the components of a successful volunteer program, identifies resources for future development and provides great networking opportunities. The session is offered as two full-day sessions. Topics will include:

The Essential Elements of Effective Volunteer Management
Creating Great Job Descriptions
Recruitment and marketing your program
Strategies for matching jobs and volunteers
Volunteer orientation and training
Effective Supervision
Powerful Recognition
Essential Evaluation
Networking with other coordinators

To view information about the trainings and to register, follow this link:

www.uwkc.org/nonprofit/training/calendar.asp

Celebrate International Volunteer Day 2009 on December 5th!

Nikki Russell — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:56:17 +0000

Volunteers, this is your moment. Did you know December 5^th is International Volunteer Day (IVD)? It is, and it has been since 1985. IVD was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly through Resolution A/RES/40/212 and is an opportunity for volunteer organizations and individual volunteers to showcase their volunteer contributions, whether local, national or international. Of course IVD can and should be a year round celebration. If you consider the committed work of volunteers of all ages around the globe, carrying out every imaginable kind of activity, IVD should be a day that never ends. So celebrate on December 5^th and all year long.

Interested in learning more about IVD? Visit http://www.worldvolunteerweb.org/

In addition to celebrating IVD, The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) is inviting everyone volunteering to address environmental issues to join the ‘Volunteering for our Planet’ campaign. The campaign aims to gather the number of volunteering hours and report this at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (7-18 December) in Copenhagen.

Visit Volunteering for our Planet. Register your volunteer work and commit your volunteering hours.

Remember, every action makes a difference. Every hour counts.

You can download promotional tools for IVD and Volunteering for our Planet.

Plan your IVD activities, and share your IVD ideas, events and resources.