There are a lot of us exhibiting some pretty negative emotions these days towards our federal government, and as April 15th approaches a lot of that sentiment will inevitably turn towards our buddies at the Internal Revenue Service.  And let’s face it, some of those feelings are warranted, no doubt.

But I’d like to talk about an IRS program that many people may not even know about.  It’s one of the most successful community volunteer initiatives ever, in terms of return on investment (for you…

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…

Get your taxes done for FREE!!

Now through April 15, 2010, United Way of King County will operate 17 free tax preparation sites throughout King County.  Tax assistance will be provided by over 550 volunteers who are trained and certified by the IRS.

Who is eligible for this service?

What services are available at tax sites?

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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…

(Photo from the Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness)

In addition to all of the great feedback on the site this week about our Hunger Challenge, here are a few other items that I wanted to let folks know about:

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I am a big fan of skill-based volunteering. While warm-body volunteering is great, I really like it when people take a skill that only they have and use it to help others. Even a seemingly unrelatable skill can be used to make a difference. Help-Portrait is a great example of this.

Help-Portrait was a simple 4-step project that banded photographers together for a good cause. Here’s how it went:

1. Find someone in need (shelters, hospitals, the streets, etc.)
2. Take

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Yet again, GOOD Magazine has made some really cool content.  Last time it was a Food Stamps infographic, today it’s an inspiring video about volunteerism.

The video shoots out some great stats about the history of volunteerism and some of the huge impact volunteerism has had on homelessness, early learning, and the environment.

If the video has gotten you pumped to volunteer, check out the opportunities in King County.  You can focus on holiday volunteering, volunteering on homelessness…

Suggested Reads and Resources for Volunteer Managers

Each week I scan through dozens of interesting blog posts and newsletters for content relevant to volunteer management.  There is a lot of new and innovative thinking out there on volunteer management and I’d like to take some time each week to share with you the resources and articles that I find most relevant or compelling.  So here’s my first round of suggested reads and resources:

I recently came across a new resource…

I recently attended City Club’s 2009 Jefferson Awards luncheon and left feeling totally  inspired (and somewhat humbled) by the remarkable service stories of this year’s award winners, Dallas Jessup, Janie Plath and Mariana Quanstrom.   I encourage you to check out their  stories!  

What  really excited me about the award event  was listening to 3 of Seattle’s community leaders – Alison Carl White of Seattle Works, Nancy Long of Executive Service Corps, and David Okimoto of  United Way of King County emphasize the critical role that managers of volunteers play in…

1. Feed the Volunteers: More often than not, volunteer orientations take place in the evening. Volunteers are coming from a long day at work, probably haven’t had dinner yet, and might need a little blood sugar boost. Place a snack at each person’s seat, or pass a bowl around that volunteers can choose from (Pretzels, chocolate and trail mix seem to be especially popular )
2. Hello My Name Is _______: Nametags alone won’t make orientation more

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