Featured: Top Tips for Youth Volunteering

It seems as though there are more and more youth involved in service every year.  And why not? There are a ton of great reasons to get involved: here and here and here.  Whatever your reasons for volunteering, we want to help you make the most of your experience!  If all goes well, volunteering should be a win-win…you will get some rewards from it  and the organizations you are helping should get some valuable assistance.

While getting involved isn’t rocket science, there are things that you should keep in mind…

Passion and Interests

1. First, think about what you want to DO! What do you care about? What causes are your passionate about or interested in? What injustices or problems make you angry? How would you like to make the world better? The possibilities are almost endless: feeding the hungry, teaching kids sports, finding good homes for animals, preserving the natural spaces around us, growing organic food, making sure senior citizens have a good afternoon by playing board games or Wii, providing therapy to kids through horseback riding, escorting patients at a hospital, passing out gifts at Christmas, organizing files for a nonprofit office, performing in a play or helping kids with art projects.  We could go on for hours and hours.

There really is something for almost everyone…the trick is, figuring out what matters most to YOU.  Look at this year’s VolunTEENS Opportunities list to get an idea of things you can do in your community: More than 240 opportunities at more than 100 organizations!

It’s like a job, sort of…

2. Approach finding a volunteer job like you would approach finding a paying job.  Always be polite, prompt and professional.  A volunteer coordinator is on the lookout for people that can do the job AND be good representatives of their organization. At risk of sounding like a parent: always be on your best behavior!  If you do, you’ll not only take away a great experience and the respect of your supervisor(s), but you’ll have a great reference to use for a future job application! (Trust us, you’ll need this…)

Tick tock, tick tock

3. Realize that the process takes time.  They say that time is money….as it turns out, nonprofits have a limited supply of both.  If you decide you’d like to volunteer (or need to volunteer), we can’t  stress this enough: Do NOT wait until the last minute, and be patient! It may take a bit of time for the organization to get back to you (no one working at a nonprofit organization is sitting around with their feet up, waiting for you to call…we’re all swamped with a mile-long to-do list…that’s why we need your help!)

After they get in touch with you, there may be other steps involved, such as an application, phone interview, in-person interview, reference checks, orientation session or training. Every organization is different, so every process is different.  Just give yourself plenty of time to get started.  If you want to volunteer for the summer, apply a month or a month and a half before summer begins.  Interested in holiday volunteering? Give yourself 2-3 months.

If the process moves quickly, you can be pleasantly surprised, right?

Don’t over-commit

4. Remember that nonprofit organizations can be flexible with your schedule, but that doesn’t mean that you can just stroll in and out whenever you feel like it. Let them know ahead of time about your scheduling needs, ask what they expect from you and make sure that you show up when you are expected to.  If you have family vacations, sports camps, other camps, job, school and social obligations, that’s understandable.  Nonprofits get that too. Just be upfront with them and be reliable. You’ll gain a good reference and have a better experience.  We would recommend starting slow and not committing to a full schedule right away…until you have a good handle on the amount of time you have.

If you’ve never volunteered before, another option is to try out special events or one-time episodic opportunities, rather than signing up for an ongoing commitment. We have a regularly updated list here.

Two heads are better than one…sometimes

5. Sign up with a friend or family if you can.  This will not work for all volunteer jobs, as some of them just don’t take two people to accomplish!  But, if you check with the organization and you and your friend or family members all submit applications, it can be a great social activity while you are doing good! Just be sure to keep your attention on the task at hand and don’t fall behind on the job because you are distracted by your friends.

Have fun!

6. Above all, enjoy your experience.  It may not be 100% fun every minute, but try to take pleasure and pride in the fact that you’re doing something that is helping others, getting yourself out of your comfort zone and teaching you something!  A good sense of humor and flexibility will help you go far!

For some more advice and guidance, here is a fun way to think about getting involved.

As always, the Volunteer Center is here to help you! Contact us by phone, 269.382.8350 or via email with any questions you still have.

Be sure to visit our VolunTEENS page to get started and happy volunteering!

Everybody can be great because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love.
Martin Luther King Jr.

Volunteer Management Training Boot Camp

Friday, 10 June 2011 8:30 am

 Duration: 8 hours, 30 minutes
 timed
 709-A S Westnedge Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49007

Featured: Tips for Volunteering as a Group

At Volunteer Kalamazoo, we love hearing from groups that want to volunteer! Groups may decide to serve the community together for many reasons: team-building purposes, to get to know each other outside of the regular environment (work, class, church, etc), to learn about nonprofit organizations in the community, or to have fun!

Below are some tips for planning a Group Volunteer Project, but the first thing to remember when beginning to plan: start early!  Give the group plenty of time to figure out details, but remember that nonprofit organizations will also need time to plan.  Do not expect to schedule a group project in one or two weeks.

Here are some other great tips taken from Ehow.com:

How to Plan a Group Volunteer Project

1. Talk to your group to find out what type of project they would like to do. Group volunteering project ideas include packing food boxes at a food bank, preparing and serving a meal, painting, neighborhood clean up, hosting or providing entertainment for a children’s party at a family shelter and walking dogs at an animal  shelter.
2. Gather logistical details. Ask volunteer group members about the dates they are available, the number of hours available for the project and special needs or limitations.
3. Begin your search for a project. Volunteer Kalamazoo can help you with a couple of options:  Group Volunteer Opportunities.  If your group is large or has a specific date or activity in mind, contact us at 269.492.3723 or via email, to get assistance with connecting your group to an appropriate organization.
4. Talk with a representative from the agency for which you choose to volunteer. Ask a lot of questions about the project to make sure it is a good fit for your group. Ask about the reason for the project, number of people needed, specific tasks, skills required, recommended clothing, provided materials and tools and if refreshments will be available.
5. Prepare a written communication for your volunteer team with important information such as the event date, start time, end time, agency name, full address of the project site, directions to the site, description of the agency and project, suggested clothing, supplies to bring and any other helpful details.
6. Confirm all of the volunteering project details several days in advance. Call the nonprofit organization to verify the project. Contact all of the volunteers in your group to confirm that they will attend. Some projects require a minimum number of volunteers. If you have cancellations, you may need to adjust the game plan, recruit more volunteers or change the project scope.
7. Plan to arrive at the project site at least 20 minutes early to ensure that everything is set up. Be at the entrance to greet volunteers and direct them to their task. Ask the agency if a representative can give a brief talk about the agency and how your project will help. Also plan to get feedback from the volunteers after the project. Have fun.

Other things to remember:

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For Nonprofits

BoardConnect Home

Because board members are also valued volunteers of every nonprofit organization, BoardConnect Southwest Michigan offers several services for building strong nonprofit boards.

Board Training

Board training is a critical element in your organization’s ability to fulfill its mission and serve the community successfully. BoardConnect can help by providing training for your board of directors at a time and location that is convenient for you.

Training includes:

• Consultation with the facilitator to prepare for the session
• Identification of your board’s unique challenges
• A two or three-hour customized training module, delivered to your board at a convenient time and location
• Training slides, handouts and resources covering current trends in board governance

Cost: varies depending on length of session.

Choose from the following training modules, or a combination of these :

• Achieving Excellence as a Nonprofit Board
• Building Your Board
• Committees that Work
• How to Get Your Board to Raise Money

To learn more and schedule a training, call 269.492.3721 or email for more information.

Board Recruitment

Find Board Members

Step One: One or more representatives from your organization attends BoardConnect’s Building Your Board workshop, which covers important aspects of recruiting new members for a nonprofit’s board of directors, including:

• Recruitment planning, identifying and cultivating candidates and electing new members

• Access to boardnetUSA, a free national online board matching database

Step Two: BoardConnect registers your organization on boardnetUSA. You complete a profile, post board openings and search for trained, motivated community members to serve on your board.

Step Three: For an additional fee, BoardConnect staff can support your recruitment efforts with the following:

• Assessment of current/desired board composition, recruitment methods and overall performance
• Recommendations of potential candidates on boardnetUSA
• Direct facilitation of communication between candidates and nonprofits via email and phone calls

Board Tools

The Board Room

Your practical set of tools to use in conducting nonprofit board business—including a collection of downloaded templates, forms, and samples that align with BoardConnect trainings and current best practices. Documents are updated annually, or when significant changes are made to laws and regulations governing nonprofit organizations.

Board360™

An electronic board assessment tool helps nonprofits evaluate and strengthen their boards.  This tool is administered electronically, by our partner Nonprofit Enterprise at Work (NEW) in Ann Arbor.

• Gain an understanding of the board’s consensus on key governance issues
• Identify strengths and weaknesses that can influence your organization’s success
• Receive a customized report from a governance expert outlining results and action steps

For Businesses

BoardConnect Home

Partnerships with Business
BoardConnect engages with local businesses and associations to prepare their employees and members for board service, helping meet community service goals and offer valuable resources to our community nonprofits.

BoardConnect training . . .

• Offers an affordable benefit to employers seeking to educate their employees on community life outside the workplace

• Illuminates the goodwill and community spirit of a business that promotes service among employees

• Provides a convenient way for a business to host training sessions, spending minimal time on logistics
and making a big impact in their local community

BoardConnect matching . . .
• Aligns the business with the nonprofit community through an employee’s board service

• Offers relief for human resources staff who are asked to refer employees to nonprofits as potential board members

• Tracks matching progress of employees, demonstrating outcomes that support the business’ investment in the community

Call 269.492.3721 or email for more information about hosting a workshop for your employees.

For Individuals

BoardConnect Home

BoardConnect® introduces individuals to the benefits of serving their communities, teaches them board responsibilities and how to effectively use their skills and experience for the benefit of nonprofits. Through BoardConnect training, individuals learn how to access a pool of nonprofit organizations in need of their help.