VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTER
January 2013 |
Right this moment I am in Seattle participating in my second seminar for the Repair the World Jewish Service Learning fellowship. Taking the time to gather with 11 other professionals whose work is focused on service is such an incredible gift. Knowing that we are spending much of our time talking about Jewish service learning at this seminar, do me a favor and make sure you read the article below on Kavan nah. I put forth a couple questions that I believe might challenge the way you currently approach your work in your local agency. Please do spend some time responding on the forums - and while you are there, feel free to add your thoughts on some of the other topics that may not have gotten much attention in this season of heightened commitment. Speaking of feeling like you are frazzled and just treading water - do yourself a favor and don't skip over the 6 Simple Rituals To Reach Your Potential Every Day. Although we've reached the end of January and all the talk of resolutions has petered out, it's never too late to change the way you approach your life each day. Forget New Years Resolutions. Every single day we get a chance to resolve to be a better person - a better professional, a better parent, or even a better volunteer. Give it a try. One last note: make sure you check out the featured Repair article below regarding the Education Campaign. Your input is needed!
Manager of Civic Engagement & Repair the World Programming |
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'Kavannah' Counts 
This article, although slightly dated, explains that "what makes a Jewish service experience Jewish is the kavannah (intention) that is brought to the work, and that can develop in large part from performing the service with a group of others who are developing the same intention". Would you categorize any of your volunteer opportunities as "Jewish service experiences"? Is there room for kavannah in supporting your clients thru the work of volunteers? |
Engaging Millennial Volunteers
Below you will find two handouts which were part of a training developed and implemented by the Minnesota Association for Volunteer Administration (MAVA) for volunteer managers, Millennial individuals and other MAVA members interested in professional development in this area as part of MAVA's Advanced Leadership  of Volunteers initiative to help leaders of volunteers be current on the cutting edge of volunteerism.
How Can my Organization Engage Millennials as Volunteers?
Tips for Engaging Millennial Volunteers
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6 Simple Rituals To Reach Your Potential Every Day 
This article may seem off topic - but I would argue that it is a much-needed read for anyone who works within the fast-paced world of nonprofits. Many of us convince ourselves that we need more hours in our day to get everything done. What if we could achieve more focus and clarity by taking care of ourselves first?
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Stepping Away from the Rat Race to Create Community Impact for a Year
Do you use corporate volunteers? Here's an interesting article on a model of corporate volunteering that goes above and beyond standard practices.
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Potential New Volunteer Opportunity I found this description of a volunteer opportunity on LinkedIn via the VolunteerMatch group. It was posted as a suggestion for individuals to seek out on their own - but I would argue that you could build this into your own volunteer marketing plan. Utilizing volunteers to connect you with their own friends and contacts online is an extension of the age-old "word-of-mouth" referral. This would be a particularly great way to engage young volunteers. 
One volunteer opportunity that busy people may not recognize is that of "network builder". If you have a favorite cause, look up web sites of those causes, and find the blog page, if they have one. Read the blog for 30 minutes to an hour a month and then forward the link, with your comments to your own friends, family, co-workers, etc. via Linked in, Twitter, Facebook, word-of-mouth. This does not take much time. You don't need to even leave your home or office. Yet you can add to the visibility of the causes you care about, pass on their ideas and help introduce people you know to a cause you care about. Anyone can take this role. The more people who adopt it the more frequent will be the attention given to important causes who don't have advertising or reach to communicate their ideas on a regular basis. |
 
Speaking of Seattle - this is now the second time I have been lucky enough to meet with Seattle JFS Director of Volunteer Services Jane Deer-Hileman in their newly renovated offices. The first time I visite d I was given a tour of the facilities, including the food pantry, the bima
basket volunteer area, and the executive floor. This time around Jane and I met for lunch to catch up on what's new in
Seattle's volunteer department, future plans for the Volunteer Initiative, as well as a great exchange of ideas on how to improve the resources offered to all of you. If you have any thoughts on how I can improve the AJFCA/Repair the World Volunteer Initiative - you know how to be in touch!
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 Repair the World, a national nonprofit that works to inspire American Jews to volunteer, is embarking on a national challenge to recruit volunteers to contribute to the academic success of young people through participation as mentors, tutors, and college-access coaches. Repair wants to know about any such volunteer opportunities in YOUR agency and how they might be a resource to you. If you agree to participate, you will be sent a short survey so Repair can learn more about your programming.
As an incentive to participate, organizations will be eligible to become a campaign partner. Partners will have access to resources such as:
- publicity for your program to Repair's vast network
- community building with other programs doing similar education work
- capacity building program resources through a micro-grant and coaching sessions with qualified professionals in areas such as:
- Program Design and Evaluation
- Millennial Engagement
- Volunteer Management
- Jewish service-learning
- Marketing & Communication
To learn more about this opportunity, email campaigns@werepair.org.
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If this is your first time receiving this newsletter - check out our archives for more valuable resources. |
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