Background Screening of Volunteers

How does your organization screen and select safe volunteers to work with kids? If you rely on a background check, join Oregon Mentors staff to learn why volunteer screening goes way beyond the background check.

During this six-hour training based on SAFE: Screening Applicants for Effectiveness, there will be a review of your organization’s current screening practices and an in-depth dive into 21 tools you can use to screen out child predators.

The training and lunch will be provided in Redmond on February 28. RSVP right away, as space is limited. One person per organization, please.

Due to the nature of the discussion, we recommend that the staff member attending the training is at management-level.

RSVP at: https://oregonmentors.wufoo.com/forms/safe-training-rsvp/. For questions or comments, please contact us at info@oregonmentors.org or 503-517-8990.

Four Practical Strategies for Volunteer Training

As promised, here is an article about volunteer training. As discussed last Tuesday, training can make all the difference is whether someone persists as a volunteer.

The article is written by Tobi Johnson and is titled, “How to Design Volunteer Training That Helps Not Hurts Learning.” She used brain studies and learning theory to create some best practice strategies that help volunteers navigate a training program without being overwhelmed by it. The strategies are:

• Integrate Practice Into Training.

• Feed the Right Emotions.

• Reduce Cognitive Overload.

• Support Metacognitive Skill Building.

Click here for this “must read.”

The New Volunteer Work Force-Report

It is the time of the year when many people feel like giving their time to worthy causes. The problem can be that they don’t persist. Why is that? Many reasons are given but what is really going on?

An Australian report provides four reasons why volunteers actually leave. They are:

• Failing to Recognize Volunteers’ Contributions.

• Not Measuring the Value of Volunteers.

• Failing to Train and Invest in Volunteers and Staff.

• Failing to Provide Strong Leadership.

Read a synopsis of the report here.

Next Tuesday’s post will suggest some training strategies.

The Impact of Volunteering

Dana, a reader of our blog, asked for an article about the impact of volunteering. We researched the idea and found two items that addressed the impact and also had an application in writing grant proposals.

The first was published in 2011 by Points of Light and was titled, “Social Impact of Volunteerism.” It took a global view of the economic, social and personal volunteerism. It provides valuable insights and references, particularly for the background or need section of a grant proposal. Read it here.

The HandsOn Network provided the second item. It is a calculator that helps determine the dollar value of individual volunteer time. The calculator addresses the issue that not all volunteer activities have the same monetary worth. So, rather than using the general $22.14 per hour for volunteer assistance, it allows for identifying specific jobs and their compensation. Called “Economic Impact of Volunteer Calculator,” it is free, easy to use and provides a more accurate picture of volunteer worth, another factor when applying for grants. The calculator is here.

Changing a Mission Statement

Sarah Bronson has written an article titled, “Why does an Organization Change Mission Statements?.” She indicates that there are four major reasons for a revision. They are:

To broaden the mission.

To be more specific.

To address changing times.

To address a merger or split.

Read the entire article here.

In addition, it could be that the organization has drifted from its original mission. If you suspect that it has drifted, Richard Male in his article, “How to Recognize Mission Drift,” sets out 10 signs that may indicate mission drift. They are:

Putting dollars first and programs second.

The mission has become blurred.

Too much time spent chasing publicity and media.

High rate of staff/board member turnover.

Being in crisis mode.

Questioning if organization should be in business.

Concern over violation of ethical standards.

Loss of creativity and effectiveness.

Moving away from the mission statement.

Justifying stagnant growth.

Read the article here.

The Inside Scoop: Part 2 of 2

Contiued from the post of November 19, 2013.

Q. Those seem to be diverse activities. Can you give us an idea of what it is that you do?
A. Well, as I mentioned, the first organization was Volunteers in Action, in which I still do volunteer work. When I started with them several years ago, they were known as Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers. They announced a need for a handy man on Volunteer Connect. The jobs are usually small things that take just a few minutes. For example, I provided a ride to a doctor’s appointment.

Next, I volunteered at the Deschutes Children’s Foundation (DCF). They provide facilities for non-profit organizations in Bend, Redmond, and La Pine. Part of the arrangement is maintenance services for the occupants. My role is that of accomplishing what I consider the “honey-do list.” This involves simple tasks such as changing light bulbs.

Volunteer Connect announced a need for an e-newsletter editor and I thought I would give it a try. One of the neat things about the job is that I could work from home. The newsletter appears once a month and involves developing a theme, finding out what is new, and fitting it all into a format. The Volunteer Connect staff supplies information. So, the job doesn’t take much time.

Overall, I think a quote by Harriet Naylor sums it up:
“Volunteering can be an exciting, growing, enjoyable experience. It is truly gratifying to serve a cause, practice one's ideals, work with people, solve problems, see benefits, and know that one had a hand in them.”

A Volunteer’s Inside Scoop: Part 1 of 2

Ever wonder how to go about volunteering? What is it like? Why do it? These are all questions that frequently come up. So, we asked a volunteer to share some of his experiences and thoughts. The questions and responses are divided into two parts. The first is this week’s post and Part Two is next week.

Q. How did you find a volunteer activity?
A. I learned of Volunteer Connect, a clearing house for many volunteer activities here in Central Oregon. It was easy to access their website and I usually checked the listing about once a week. I have actually found three activities in which I currently participate. First was Volunteers in Action. It is a group that helps seniors and the disabled remain in their homes. The second was the Deschutes Children’s Foundation who operates four facilities used by non-profit agencies. The third, and most recent, was serving as the e-newsletter editor for Volunteer Connect itself.

I find that not only does the volunteering keep me busy, it offers a chance to meet new people, and of course, it is very satisfying to know that my efforts are appreciated. It is eminently rewarding to feel that I am giving something back to the community.

Next week: Part Two.

Four Practical Strategies for Volunteer Training

Do you feel that your training program could be better?

Tobi Johnson has penned an article titled, “How to Design Volunteer Training That Helps Not Hurts Learning.” Using brain studies and learning theory, Tobi created best practice strategies that help volunteers navigate a training program without being overwhelmed.

The strategies are:

• Integrate Practice Into Training.
• Feed the Right Emotions.
• Reduce Cognitive Overload.
• Support Metacognitive Skill Building.

Click here for this “must read.”

Fund Raising with Gamification

An interesting and promising approach to non-profit fund raising is discussed in an article by Mona Gonzalez. The author details the use of gamification.

For those who are new to the idea, here is a quick definition: Gamification involves the use of elements of a computer game such as achieving different levels, clues, rewards, etc. for marketing or other non-game purposes.

Adding gamification to a fund raising effort can unleash benefits that, just a few years before, were undreamed of. Consider, if you will, the success of the Rotary Clubs of Central Oregon Duck Race with a million dollars raised for local non-profits.

Several examples of the use of gamification are given in the article along with ideas such:

• Having a contest.

• The use of photographs.

• Creating a game.

• Use of quizzes.

• Making an invention.

The author also provides some special tips regarding the game’s clarity, use of social media, and considerations of the buzz resulting from gamification. Read the entire article here.

Here is a somewhat complete example of gamification in practice.

Ways to say Thank You to Volunteers

Letting volunteers know they are appreciated can keep them engaged and continuing to volunteer. Here are a few ways to show appreciation.

• Directly say to the volunteer, “Thanks for volunteering today.”
• Print a set of business cards for the volunteer.
• Greet them by name.
• Send out volunteer e-Cards.
• Commemorate milestones of service such as one month, one year, five years, etc.
• Mention the volunteer in a newsletter, Facebook, or Twitter.
• Publish an article about the person on the blog.

More suggestions? Let us know your favorite by using Comments.

Best Practices for Volunteer Orientation

Why doesn’t a volunteer persist? Shawn Kindrick of Volunteer Hub offers several activities that can help the volunteer stay.

• Start with a personal discussion where one discovers what the volunteer wants from their activity.

• Give the volunteer a handbook that discusses the organization’s procedures and policies.

• Provide a mentor.

• Offer feedback on their performance.

Read the complete discussion here.

Maximize Your Volunteers

Author Susan J. Ellis, in her book titled From the Top Down: The Executive Role in Volunteer Program Success, sets out nine aspects of volunteers that can help the organization grow. Several of the aspects are given below.

The volunteers can:

• Bring other spheres of influence.

• Focus on a single issue.

• Be more frank about the organization.

• Be powerful advocates with elected officials and the media.

• Allow a nonprofit to experiment with new ideas, programs, and service models.

Read more here.

Volunteer Connect at the Bend Fall Festival

We set up our booth at the Fall festival about 8:30 a.m. on October 5th. It was a chilly morning with the sun warming it up by 1 p.m.

About 300 people visited the booth, giving us a chance to hand out info on Volunteer Connect. In addition, 34 people signed up to receive the newsletter.

Volunteers that helped Betsy included Sue, Dana, David and Tom. Sue, Tom and Betsy are shown in the photo.

Bend Fall Festival

Bend Fall Festival

Be sure to stop by our booth at the Bend Fall Festival.

Volunteer Connect and the Bend Fall Fest

Volunteer Connect will have a table at the Bend Fall Fest on October 5th and 6th, in the "Conscious Living" section on Wall Street. This is a great time for us to get the word out about volunteer opportunities to the community.

Please let me know if you would like to volunteer for an hour (or more) sometime between 10 and 6 (or later) on Saturday or between 11 and 6 on Sunday. I would love your company! (The first hour on Saturday and the last hour on Sunday are for set up and take down).

Email me or call (541) 385-8977.

If you can't volunteer, please do stop by our table to visit, and please spread the word!

Thanks, Betsy

About Project Connect

Project Connect is a program of Volunteer Connect, Central Oregon’s premier volunteer center whose mission is to connect volunteers to meaningful volunteer experiences.

The specific objectives of Project Connect are threefold:
1. To help homeless and low-income guests improve their lives by accessing needed services.
2. To involve volunteers and organizations in improving the lives of low-income and homeless population by providing a supportive environment in which to serve.
3. To inform and educate the region on how our service organizations, agencies and volunteers can help reduce homelessness and motivate them to be involved in the solution.

Project Homeless Connect (PHC) began in San Francisco in 2004. Volunteers and agencies gathered on one day, in one place, to provide health and human services to homeless people. Since 2004, PHC has become a national event held in more than 100 cities. Portland and Eugene were the first in Oregon to adopt the PHC model, uniting hundreds of volunteers and agencies under one roof to provide health and human services to more than 4,000 community members in need.

In 2007, the Central Oregon Community implemented the first Central Oregon Project Homeless Connect. After a successful first event the name was changed to Project Connect in order to welcome anyone experiencing need for services. Subsequently, Volunteer Connect became the host and organizing agency for the event. Over 11,000 recipients have been served by 3,000 volunteers since that time, making it the largest Project in Oregon.

Project Connect is a one-day, one-stop event serving guests who are low-income, homeless or at risk of homelessness. The event is held at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds in Redmond. Guests include low-income and homeless people from Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.

This year, the event will be held on Saturday, September 28th.

More info can be found here.

To volunteer, click here.

Contact: info@projectconnectco.org or (541) 385-8977

Central Oregon Project Connect 2013: The Video