VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTER

Spring 2014

It was with great joy and excitement that I marked this newsletter "Spring". I don't know about you, but the fact that today is the first day of spring is a huge celebration for me - now I'm just waiting for the weather to follow suit.

Spring is a time for growth, and at AJFCA things are no different. We are constantly thinking of new ways to be of value to our members and some exciting new opportunities are included in this issue.

One resource I am happy to begin sharing are the results from the 2013 Volunteer Professional Compensation Survey. I must say that I am no data expert - and this survey was in no way scientific given the small, specific sample size.

It does, however, give us an idea of the pay range represented in our member agencies - and a significant start to create space for an open & balanced discussion of compensation. Please stay tuned for more insights and deeper analysis of the data following the conference.

We've also selected the 3rd cohort of Volunteer Professionals to attend the Annual Conference (click here for the list). This year we plan to distribute the information of this cohort and previous cohorts more widely so the entire network can benefit from the resources shared in Montreal.

In that same line of thinking, we are working to expand the resources offered to the

full network throughout the year - so that our community of professionals can remain in touch and learning from one another the entire year. Check out details below for the first of our quarterly Community of Practice calls - coming up a week from today!

Finally, we are moving forward following the success of the 2013 Young Adult Ambassador pilot and have selected 5 communities to participate in the 2014 Ambassador Program. I'll share more information about that group in our next newsletter - so stay tuned!

Jennie Gates Beckman

Director of Volunteer Strategy & Repair the World Programming

Volunteer Professional Community of Practice Calls

AJFCA is excited to announce that we will be providing quarterly Volunteer Professional Community of Practice calls for you all to share with one another and learn about topics of interest.

The format will be as follows:

A volunteer professional from one of our member agencies will volunteer to speak a bit about their experience with a given topic.
We will then open up the call for all to share their experiences with the topic. For example, this time around - we'd love those who have been through the CVA process to share their experience - those who feel like you would never have the time to earn a CVA, speak up about the challenges that prevent you from doing so. Anyone with an opinion about how to make time for professional development in general - plan to share your experience.
Beri Schwitzer has volunteered to lead this first call - she will also act as the moderator to help facilitate the open conversation.

Volunteer Professional Community of Practice Conference Call

Thursday, March 27th, 2014 - 3 pm EST

CVA: I don't have time for that!

Making Time for Professional Development

Moderator:

Beri Schwitzer, Director of Volunteer Services, JFS Dallas

Conversation about what the CVA (Certified in Volunteer Administration) credential process involves and why you should make the time for professional development.

Use this link to register for the call.

Please email Jennie if you have an idea for a topic you'd like covered, or you'd like to volunteer to lead a call. We are planning these calls based on your interests.

2013 Volunteer Professional Compensation Survey Results

AJFCA encouraged all volunteer managers in our member agencies to fill out the survey. The response was good, so thank you to all who participated.

If you'd like to see what questions were asked on the survey, check out this document.

The charts in the document below illustrate some of the vital information gleaned from this survey. Further exploration of the survey data is warranted and your input on what we share is welcomed. How can we use this information to help you? Please send all questions and feedback to Jennie.

Click here to view the document with an overview of the results.

Jennie is also happy to consult with individual volunteer professionals to answer more detailed questions confidentially without identifying data sources.

AJFCA Partners with Verified Volunteers

We are pleased to announce that AJFCA has entered into a new partnership with Verified Volunteers. Verified Volunteers is truly the only background check platform tailored to the specific needs of the service sector and the first online community to mobilize repeat, vetted volunteers. We believe this platform has the potential to dramatically transform volunteer screening for the better for AJFCA member agencies throughout the United States and Canada.

Click here for the letter sent to member agency CEOs on March 6th, 2014

Click here for a one-page overview on Verified Volunteers

Free Webinar to Learn More About Verified Volunteers' Model

The Volunteer Fast-Pass: A New Model for Background Screening:

Tuesday, April 8th at 2:30pm ET

Click here to register

Your organization relies on volunteers to help you advance your mission and make a difference in the communities you serve. But in this day and age, security is an ever-present issue. Current background screening options can be inefficient, ineffective, and costly. Organizations tell us they are alarmed at the amount of time and money they are spending on administering background checks. We hear rising concerns about quality and non-compliance. And we hear volunteer managers frustrated that potential volunteers bring them a background check from another organization that just screened them.

Why does screening have to be so hard?

It doesn't. Verified Volunteers can help simplify and streamline your volunteer screening process. Backed by Sterling Infosystems, the nation's largest background screening company, and closely partnered with AJFCA, Verified Volunteers can help you dramatically improve your screening program.

How to Guarantee You'll Be Less Productive

& Never Have Any Time for Yourself

This thought piece on managing a to-do list that just doesn't seem to get done is a real eye-opener.

Deborah Grayson Riegel walks you through how to tackle (or NOT tackle) those tasks that just seem to linger...

YOU ARE NOT ALONE:

Addressing Isolation in the Field of Volunteer Management

Connecting with colleagues in volunteer management is essential for the profession and for each of us as individuals. No one argues this point. But with all the tools and technology at our disposal in the modern world, are we as a field networking and collaborating effectively? Click here to continue reading in E-Volunteerism: A Journal to Inform and Challenge Leaders of Volunteers (At time of publishing - this article was free. At some point this article may become subscriber-only. If this happens - I apologize; but I want to respect the copyright of this online journal. If you have a budget for professional development - you may want to consider becoming a subscriber, which allows you full access to their archives).

VolunteerMatch.org Webinars:

Fantastic Free Resource

Check out these great webinar topics from the folks over at VolunteerMatch.org:

How Nonprofit Data and Volunteers Can Save the World

The New Volunteer Manager's Toolkit

Playing by the Rules: Creating an Effective Volunteer Handbook

Creating a Comprehensive and Engaging Volunteer Training Program

Follow this link for dates and details - this is just the listing for April!

Jewish Family & Child Service in Portland, Oregon just released their volunteer newsletter with a nice wrap-up of their participation in Good Deeds Day and information on current volunteer opportunities.

Want to be featured in Highlights from Our Agencies?

Add Jennie to your volunteer mailing list so she can see what you're up to!

Ready for An Adventure?

@RepairTheWorld Fellows are passionate go-getters, leaders, and entrepreneurs ages 21-26 who can commit 10.5 months to tackling critical issues by engaging communities in volunteer service. Placements in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Detroit starting September 2014! Training, stipend, housing, and other perks included.

Learn more and apply here:

Become a Fellow

Fellowship Experience FAQ

Fellowship Application FAQ

Don't know folks this young???

Forward this announcement to your staff, volunteers or board members who might have children or grandchildren in this age range.

Learn more about how these fellows are partnering with our member agencies at this year's annual conference in Montreal!

If this is your first time receiving this newsletter - check out our Volunteer Engagement homepage for more valuable resources, including an archive of past Volunteer E-Newsletters.