Greetings!
GRAVA is a membership organization devoted to strengthening the leadership of volunteer organizations and programs in the Richmond area. We hope that this newsletter and the many activities described in it will bring value to your membership and encourage your active participation. |
| Call To Action! |
Two things you can do RIGHT NOW to maximize your GRAVA membership:
- 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!
- Mark your calendars right now for GRAVA's 2014 Annual Conference on Thursday, July 10!
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2013-2014 Program Schedule - UPDATED!
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Based on membership input, the GRAVA board has recently voted to move our Lunch Bunch series to the morning, now Breakfast Bunches. This move was an effort to provide our membership with more convenient programming in their busy schedules. Please take a few minutes to provide us with your input by completing this brief survey.
Save these dates in your work calendar so you can get the most out of your GRAVA membership this year!
| November 7, 2013 | 8:30 - 10:30 a.m. | Breakfast Workshop | | December 2013 | No Meeting | Happy Holidays! | | January 9, 2014 | 8:30 - 10:30 a.m. | Breakfast Workshop | | February 6, 2014 | 8:30 - 10:30 a.m. | Breakfast Bunch | | March 6, 2014 | 8:30 - 10:30 a.m.
| Breakfast Workshop | | April 3, 2014 | 8:30 - 10:30 a.m.
| Breakfast Bunch | | May 1, 2014 | 8:30 - 10:30 a.m.
| Breakfast Workshop | | June 5, 2014 | 8:30 - 10:30 a.m.
| Breakfast Bunch | | July 10, 2014 | 8:00 - 4:00p.m. | Annual Conference | | August 2014 | No Meeting | Happy Summer! |
Interested in serving as an expert facilitator or know someone who would? Be sure to review our Request for Expert Facilitator or contact Sarah Steadman. |
| President's Message | |
 I am willing to bet that many GRAVA members get paid less than their fund development counterparts, maybe even significantly less. While pay is not the point, it is one symptom of an attitude that is the point - namely that donors of time are not valued to the same degree that donors of money are. As many of us know, this attitude often translates into other negative impacts besides lower salaries - smaller budgets, fewer resources, lower priorities, less credibility, less respect.
It's an attitude that persists despite some very compelling research emerging from the Reimagining Service initiative. According to this research, there's a distinct correlation between healthy, well-supported volunteer programs and well-managed, high-achieving organizations. Put another way, organizations that see volunteerism as a "core strategic function" and invest in the success of their programs have a higher capacity to deliver their services and achieve their missions. While this is not necessarily breaking news to any of us who work in the field of volunteer resource management, it's a significant message that could transform the way our work is perceived.
So how do we get this message out to the funders, decision-makers, CEO's, stakeholders, and others who need to hear it? This is the million-dollar question and here are some exciting strategies that GRAVA plans to implement over the next two years to help our membership get there:
- Learning the lessons emerging from the Reimaging Service research and sharing those lessons & principles with our membership through programming and peer-consulting sessions;
- Acknowledging the CVA Body of Knowledge as our profession's foundation for excellence and connecting all GRAVA curriculum content to CVA core competencies and ethical values;
- Working with RVA Engage to enhance organizational capacity by aligning the needs of volunteer "mobilizers" (corporations, universities, government agencies, and volunteer centers) with the needs of GRAVA member organizations (schools, nonprofits, and other organizations) that address critical community needs;
- Aligning closely with community partners like Nonprofit Learning Point and HandsOn Greater Richmond to provide a spectrum of complementary professional development opportunities that supports experienced practitioners as well as newcomers to the field;
- Joining resources with NVAVA, GWAVA, SVAVA, the VA Office of Volunteerism, and other organizations whose goals align with GRAVA to provide statewide training opportunities and engage nationally recognized experts in the field;
- Partnering with pioneering trend-setters like Capital One to achieve a paradigm shift among executive leaders and establish volunteer engagement as an organizational best practice;
- Striving to determine a set of impact measurements that quantify and qualify the strategic value of volunteers and help to strengthen the correlation between time donors & money donors;
- Capitalizing on the collective wisdom and expertise represented among our membership by encouraging active engagement as participants, contributors, reviewers, facilitators, presenters, mentors, and CVA candidates;
- Helping members to become effective advocates for the profession in the workplace, among colleagues, at board meetings, in budget discussions, in regional conversations, and wherever volunteer engagement can be promoted as an effective tool to solve community problems.
It's up to ALL of us to advocate for the value of our work - by supporting each other, applying best practices, striving for excellence, demonstrating leadership, and getting results...If we don't do it, no one else will! I hope to see YOU at the next GRAVA meeting!
At your service,
Alison Jones-Nassar, CVA
President, GRAVA
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| October Workshop Highlights | |
Sixteen GRAVA members attended the October Lunch Bunch that focused on the topic of advocacy. The discussion, facilitated by GRAVA board members Alison Jones-Nassar, CVA and Stephanie Gossett explored the ways in which GRAVA members can apply advocacy skills in a variety of situations and promote the value of what we do every day. Here are some of the main presentation highlights:
- According to recent research, organizations that "make volunteerism a core strategic function" have an increased capacity to deliver services and achieve their missions. Despite these findings, volunteer programs typically have fewer resources & smaller budgets, and the managers of these programs are routinely paid less than fund developers;
- It is up to volunteer program managers to develop their advocacy skills and apply these skills in a variety of contexts every day so that, over time, funders, decision-makers, and CEO's will understand the strategic value of volunteer engagement;
- Advocacy is one of five core competencies identified by the CCVA and it is also a core ethical value;
- Advocacy is a planned and proactive process that requires "an investment of personal integrity, skills, and attitudes" and that, ultimately, should result in internal and external changes in perception;
- Required skills include knowledge, conviction, research, critical thinking, and communication;
- GRAVA routinely promotes and supports specific advocacy strategies such as participation in ongoing professional development opportunities, examination of personal ethics and values, cultivation of program champions, development of mission-critical volunteer opportunities, development of impact measures, participation in strategic discussions, and communication of program accomplishments among stakeholders;
- By acting as leaders, volunteer program managers can "make positive changes in the way people view volunteers!"
- To receive the slides, templates, handouts, and other excellent materials for this presentation, please send an e-mail to Alison Jones-Nassar!
- Many thanks to GRAVA member Kathy Perun, CVA and St. Joseph's Villa for hosting this workshop!
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| Celebrate IVM Day With GRAVA! |  Come and celebrate International Volunteer Managers' Day at the November 7th GRAVA workshop! Indulge in some well-deserved mediation and stress-relief time, enjoy tasty tea cakes, and receive a surprise gift to recognize and thank you for all that you do to support volunteers, organizations, and the community on a daily basis! Don't miss this special meeting and once-a-year opportunity to celebrate the important work that we do to make our community and world a better place! |
| Congrats to GRAVA's Emerging Nonprofit Leaders! | |
Congratulations to GRAVA members Stephanie Gossett and Leigh Busby for their recent acceptance into the 2013-2014 class of Emerging Nonprofit Leadership Program.
GRAVA is proud to list the following ENLP alumni among it members:
- Alison Jones-Nsassar
- Sarah Steadman
- Rebecca Eisenman Butler
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| Current Job Opening! |
Marywood Apartments, an independent living facility for adults 62 and older, is seeking a part time Service Coordinator. The Coordinator plans and implements social activities for residents and connects them with community resources. Marywood, off Gaskins Road, is part of a retirement community administered by the Catholic Diocese of Richmond. Besides independent living, it offers assisted living services.
Contact: Rita Small, Manager at (804) 740-5567
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| News from HandsOn Greater Richmond |
Projects support the work of 48 nonprofits, schools, and community partners. Many projects still have room from volunteers. Come alone or create a team of friends, family, or coworkers. Visit www.handsonrva.org/handsonday to view more. |
| Tip of the Month: Involve Volunteers |
 | | From The NonProfit Times, "9 Ways to Involve Volunteers" |
If you ask most nonprofit managers about what they value about volunteers, you will likely hear them talk about the free labor. Their ability to get things done on the cheap is valuable, but volunteers have a lot more to offer.
Check out these reasons why volunteers are so helpful to nonprofits:
- Because they don't receive compensation, the general public, clients, and funders view volunteers as "more credible" and "caring"
- Volunteers are both "insiders and outsiders" who can help people who work full time for an organization maintain perspective and not become so caught up in the day-to-day details that they miss the bigger picture.
- Volunteers extend a group's sphere of influence, bringing different types of people to your cause.
To hear all nine reason and read the full article, visit the The NonProfit Times
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| Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities | |
Volunteer Match: Free webinars
October 17: Successful Interview Strategies
November 6: Where Do We Go? Engage Volunteers in New Ways
November 7: Engaging Skilled & Pro Bono Volunteers
November 12: Social Media and Volunteer Engagement
December 3: Measuring Success
December 5: Developing a Strategic Plan for Volunteer Engagement
December 10: Build Staff Buy-in for Volunteer Engagement
Nonprofit Learning Point: Fall workshops
October 23: Staff Supervision
November 11 & 18: Recruiting a Diverse & Inclusive Board
December 4: The Leadership Challenge
December 10: Engaging the Faith Community
Everyone Ready: Online training
October 21: Tapping into Corporate Volunteer Programs
November 18: Effective Supervision - A Seminar for Busy Staff Who Partner with Volunteers
December: Middle Managers - Their Vital Role in Volunteer Success
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See you in November!
Rebecca Eisenman Butler
GRAVA (Greater Richmond Association for Volunteer Administration) |
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| RSVP Now For The November Bunch | |
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Mindful Compassion & Its Role in Volunteer Management
Explore how mindful awareness can help volunteers and those who supervise them - being compassionate while taking care of yourself, being skillful in providing what others truly need, and dealing with stress while volunteering.
The session will include brief meditations, introduction to mindfulness, and selected mindful practices.
DATE:
Thursday November 7
TIME:
8:30 a.m. - 13:30 a.m.
LOCATION:
TBD
COST:
Free to GRAVA members ONLY; $8 for non-members
RSVP:
Send an e-mail to Melissa.Gilmore@lung.org!
Breakfast included!
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| Did You Know?? | |
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Did you know that GRAVA offers scholarship funds to members to cover costs associated with a variety of learning opportunities including Nonprofit Learning Point classes, CVA, and professional development conferences?
With the new GRAVA year off to a bright start, the Scholarship Fund is replenished and available to support your professional development goals.
To find out more about how you can apply for a GRAVA scholarship or to receive an application, send an e-mail to Professional Development Chair Kim Frola! |
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Renew Your Membership!
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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.
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| Web Site Under Construction |  | |
Coming Soon:
December 2013!
GRAVA is excited to announce that work is underway on the development of a new website.
Please excuse our mess during this transitional period, and feel free to send your comments and suggestions to PR Chair Rebecca Eisenman!
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| CVA Registration is Open |  |
Early bird registration for the 2014 cycle opened on October 1, 2013! Are you ready to take your professional development to the next level? The CVA (Certified in Volunteer Administration) credential is the only international professional certification in the field of volunteer resources management. For more information please contact CCVA or request a list of GRAVA members who are CVAs. You can also listen to a one-hour webinar for an overview of the CVA certification program.
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Updated Member Directory
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One of the
many benefits of GRAVA membership is a member directory that allows active members to connect with one another for networking, problem-solving, or affiliative purposes. To receive your updated member directory, please send an e-mail to membership chair Melissa Gilmore!
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New P.O. Box
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PLEASE NOTE: GRAVA has a new mailing address!
Membership applications, dues, scholarship applications, and all mailed correspondence should be sent to our NEW address at
P.O. Box 684, Midlothian VA 23113. Mail sent to our old P.O. box will be automatically forwarded, but slight delays should be expected. If you would like to confirm that your recently mailed membership application and check have been received, please send an e-mail to our membership chair, Melissa Gilmore!
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GRAVA is on Facebook & Twitter!
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Collectively, GRAVA members have a lot of valuable knowledge and experience to share. And now we have our very own Facebook page & Twitter feed to capture all this collective wisdom! But it's up to YOU to contribute to the interactivity of these accounts. These social media tools are for posting photos and events, sharing tips, and exchanging information & comments. To be a part of GRAVA's social media committee, send an e-mail to the PR chair.
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2013/2014 GRAVA Board
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Secretary: Treasurer: Public Relations: Professional Development: Membership: Conference: President: Our doors are always open for your comments, suggestions, and feedback! |
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Reminders
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Forward this e-newsletter to a friend RIGHT NOW
and help GRAVA increase its member network!
Meeting spaces are needed! Reply to this message if your workplace can accommodate a breakfast workshop (35-40 people) or a lunch bunch (12 - 15 people).
Do you know of a dynamic speaker who could present a future GRAVA session? Contact the Programs Chair
with your recommendation.
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