1. GRAVA's 2013-2014 member cycle started on September 1! Join or renew your membership right now by downloading an application and sending it along with payment to GRAVA member chair Melissa Gilmore! If you become a member before September 30, you'll be entered to win a $25 Amazon gift card!
2. Mark your calendars right now for GRAVA's Become a Member in September evening mixer, scheduled forThursday September 26 from 5:30 - 7:30 at the VMFA! For additional information, see below or send an e-mail to Melissa Gilmore! 

• We all know that the value of volunteer support goes far beyond "getting the work done." Volunteers bring diversity of skills, expertise, and perspective to the organization. They also strengthen the credibility of the work, raise awareness, and increase the availability of resources.
• The least we can do to reciprocate for the many gifts that volunteers bring is to take their roles seriously and be prepared for their service!
• Well-written position descriptions clarify the expectations for the volunteer and for the organization, even for relatively simple volunteer tasks.
• Additional elements of a well-written position description include: qualifications, training requirements, role responsibilities, expected outcomes, schedule commitments, and benefits.
• Consider the position description as a contractual agreement between you, your organization, and your volunteer. Invest time in thinking it through and getting it right!
• Use action verbs to facilitate coaching, guidance, supervision, and management of corrective issues. 
• Clear and thoughtful position descriptions set the stage for a well-managed and meaningful volunteer experience that can convert your volunteers into lifelong supporters!
• To receive the slides, templates, handouts, and other excellent materials for this presentation, please send an e-mail to Melissa Gilmore! 
• Many thanks to GRAVA member Kate Bausman and the Fan Free Clinic for hosting this workshop! 

Don't forget that GRAVA's 2013-2014 programming year runs from September 1, 2013 - August 31, 2014! To maximize your member benefits, request an updated application now from me at Melissa.Gilmore@lung.org, then submit it along with your $30 payment BEFORE September 30 for a chance to win a $25.00 Amazon gift card! 

It is our goal this year to have 100 GRAVA members, so please reach out to your networks, invite them to a meeting, and let them know why you value your GRAVA membership. We have already had 22 people either join as new members or renew as returning members, which is great! Remember if you are renewing, you still need to fill out an application. This helps to ensure that our membership database and directory are up to date.   

Lastly, but certainly not least, make sure to mark your calendars for our 2nd Annual Become a Member in September Mixer scheduled for Thursday, September 26 from 5:30-7:00 at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.  

• We will gather in the Clairborne Robertson Room on the 3rd floor of the Museum, next to Amuse Restaurant to network and get to know each other better. 
• You will have an opportunity to join GRAVA that evening as well.  
• If you bring a guest who joins GRAVA that night, you will be entered into a special drawing for two tickets to the Hollywood Costume Exhibit!  
• The event is $5.00 per person for refreshments and a cash bar will be available too.  
• We hope you will make plans to attend this really fun evening with your GRAVA colleagues!  
• If you have any questions, please contact me at Melissa.Gilmore@lung.org! See you there!

Constant calls and emails from youth and families wanting to volunteer?  Not quite sure how to engage youth and families effectively as volunteers?  Need assistance understanding how your agency can engage youth and families as volunteers given limited resources? Youth and Families are ready for you. Are you ready for them?

HandsOn Greater Richmond is joining forces with generationOn - a national youth service organization - to bring tremendous resources and best-practices in youth engagement and volunteer management to our community. Please join us for Ready-Set-Go! Boot Camp, a FREE training this November (date TBD).

Boot Camp is an intensive professional development opportunity for nonprofit and community-based staff who manage volunteers on a regular basis-focused specifically on expanding practices to engage youth and families. With benefits including training, a dedicated volunteer leader placed within your organization to lead projects, peer support network, micro-grants, volunteer recruitment and enhanced community partnerships, the Ready-Set-Go! Boot Camp will:

• INSPIRE participants to realize the value of engaging youth and families in volunteerism.
• EQUIP participants with tools, best practices, resources, connections to your community and the know-how to effective bring youth and families into your agency/organization.
• MOBILIZE your staff and community peers, with the ongoing support of HandsOn Greater Richmond and generationOn, to be your partner in successfully engaging youth and family volunteers in an ongoing capacity.

For more information, or to express interest, please contact Erin Osiol, Program Manager at HandsOn at eosiol@handsonrva.org.

No one wants to volunteer time uselessly. One way to respect this principle is by periodically assessing how well volunteers are performing assigned work, both to applaud valuable effort and to improve or correct problems.

Call the process something other than an "evaluation," which conjures up memories of student report cards (or pay raise conferences) and emphasizes the past. Instead, use more neutral phrases, such as Mutual Assessment, Progress Plan, or the Where-Are-We? Check-in. 

• Think of volunteer performance assessment as recognition.  
• Apply the process to all volunteers fairly and equitably.  
• Be sure that the evaluation process is two-way.  
• Start from the Position Description.  
• Engage the volunteer in considering how to resolve any possible concerns.  
• Be Prepared to Take Action.  
• Look ahead, not back. 

To read the full article or get more of Susan's wisdom, visit the Energize Inc. web site, check out the e-newsletter archive, or visit the bookstore! 

In response to great demand and to better serve our clients, customers, followers, and colleagues, JFFixler Group is pleased to now offer free 55-minute webinars. Connect with our team, gain cutting edge tools, and join a national community of practice by participating in these popular webinars. Pre-registration is required, and can be done in a few easy steps by clicking on the registration links below each registration description. Space is limited so register early!

High-Impact Volunteer Engagement

Wednesday, October 9, 11am Pacific/2pm Eastern

Now, more than ever before, volunteer engagement leaders have an opportunity to be champions of talent management. This webinar will explore how volunteerism is changing, delving into the social, economic, and generational trends that affect how organizations attract and sustain volunteer engagement. Learn how successful organizations are shifting from a traditional culture of volunteer management to a new culture of volunteer engagement. Explore how to move toward more collaborative working relationships that utilize the skills and interests of high-impact volunteers to build organizational capacity.

Click here to register for this free webinar.

Vanguards of Excellence: Case Studies from the Field

Wednesday, February 12, 11am Pacific/2pm Eastern

With the landscape of volunteerism changing, what better way to learn about new, effective methods than to hear stories of success from across the continent? How are other organizations using skilled volunteers in new ways? Engaging family volunteers? Initiating successful volunteer-led initiatives? This webinar will highlight selected leading practices in volunteer engagement and feature one case study of a successful innovation for each practice. Case studies will be drawn from different types of organizations, including healthcare, human services, cultural organizations, and others. This is a unique opportunity to get inspired by successful innovations, learn from others' lessons and advice, and even share some of your own successful innovations during the discussion period at the end.

Click here to register for this free webinar.

Sign up for the Innovative Volunteer Strategies E-newsletter to receive more in-depth research and reflections four times each year.