About The Volunteer Center |
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| About | Mission & Vision | Nonprofit Status | Diversity Statement | Privacy Statement |
About Us
The Volunteer Center of Greater Kalamazoo has been the center for volunteerism in Kalamazoo since 1966. It is a member of Volunteer Centers of Michigan and the Volunteer Center National Network. Numerous programs and services are available to Kalamazoo County nonprofit organizations that are designed to help them establish or strengthen their volunteer programs. The Center was established in 1966 when the Service Club of Kalamazoo (later the Junior League) identified the need to have a central location for people to call who were interested in volunteering. The United Way of Greater Kalamazoo provided space in their building and the Center continues to share that space today. When the Center was first established, it was named the Voluntary Action Center and fondly nick-named the "VAC." In 1998 the organization's name was changed to the Volunteer Center of Greater Kalamazoo, to better reflect its mission and purpose.
"To improve our community by fostering effective volunteerism in order to strengthen nonprofit organizations."
"The Volunteer Center of Greater Kalamazoo will ensure that local nonprofit organizations have and effectively utilize all the well-matched volunteers necessary to fulfill their respective missions."
Each year thousands of area residents contact the Volunteer Center to find ways to serve their community. The center maintains and publishes a comprehensive, up-to-date list of nonprofit volunteer needs that local organizations and individuals can easily search to find volunteer opportunities that match their skills and interests. All Kalamazoo County nonprofit and charitable organizations, with 501-c tax identification status, are invited to submit their volunteer opportunities for inclusion in the Center's online listing service.
Additional services available to nonprofits include:
Volunteer Program Assessment
Volunteer Management Best Practices
Volunteer Management Training
Recruitment and Referral Services, and
Technology Solutions for Volunteer Data Management
With an eye toward the future, the Volunteer Center sponsors youth and teen volunteer programs that are designed to introduce young people to volunteerism and community service. Future leaders need to know about the social issues that face communities, and volunteering is a wonderful way to introduce them to the needs of others. The VolunTEENS program offers students between the ages of 12 and 18 the chance to learn about local nonprofit organizations by volunteering in age appropriate positions. The experience allows students to explore future career opportunities, gain required community service credit for college scholarships, and most importantly, learn that they can make a difference in their community by helping others. Participating nonprofit organizations benefit from student involvement in their programs through an increased volunteer workforce, an occasion to hear a fresh perspective about their work, and the opportunity to introduce young people to future potential careers in the nonprofit sector. The Volunteer Center staff believes that successful nonprofit organizations are empowered by people with the vision to lead, the energy to build, and the determination to succeed. To learn more please contact us.
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501(c)(3) Nonprofit Status
The Volunteer Center of Greater Kalamazoo has been granted 501(c)3 nonprofit status by the Internal Revenue Service. For a copy of the IRA determination letter, please contact the Volunteer Center at (269) 382-8350.
What is a nonprofit organization?
To be tax-exempt as an organization described in IRC Section 501(c)3 of the Code, an organization must be organized and operated exclusively for one or more of the purposes set forth in IRC Section 501(c)3 and none of the earnings of the organization may inure to any private shareholder or individual. In addition, it may not attempt to influence legislation as a substantial part of its activities and it may not participate at all in campaign activity for or against political candidates. The organizations described in IRC Section 501(c)3 are commonly referred to under the general heading of "charitable organizations." Organizations described in IRC Section 501(c)3, other than testing for public safety organizations, are eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions in accordance with IRC Section 170. The exempt purposes set forth in IRC Section 501(c)3 are charitable, religious, educational, scientific, literary, testing for public safety, fostering national or international amateur sports competition, and the prevention of cruelty to children or animals. The term charitable is used in its generally accepted legal sense and includes relief of the poor, the distressed, or the underprivileged; advancement of religion; advancement of education or science; erection or maintenance of public buildings, monuments, or works; lessening the burdens of government; lessening of neighborhood tensions; elimination of prejudice and discrimination; defense of human and civil rights secured by law; and combating community deterioration and juvenile delinquency. To read more visit the Internal Revenue Service website at: http://www.irs.gov/charities/charitable/article/0,,id=96099,00.html.
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Diversity Statement
The Volunteer Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer, complying with Federal and State laws prohibiting discrimination. It is the policy of the Center that no person on the basis of race, gender, gender identification, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, age, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, height and weight, or Vietnam-era status shall be discriminated against in employment. This applies to volunteers, agency Board and Committee members, and employees.
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Privacy Statement
The Volunteer Center of Greater Kalamazoo is committed to protecting your privacy. Because your privacy is important to us, we have adopted and implemented this Privacy Statement as part of our commitment to protect personally identifiable information about you from misuse.
What Information is Collected and How it is Used
When you register for a User ID and Password to use our site you must complete an online process that asks you to provide us with a variety of personal information, including without limitation your name, postal address, email address, phone number, personal URL, age, gender, ethnicity, and profession. We store this information in a database. If you choose to opt in to receive email messages from us, we use your email address and the stated preferences in your individual profile to send you email messages about volunteer opportunities that may be of interest to you and to inform you about new features or services offered by our web site. We use the stated preferences in your individual profile to tailor your experience at our site. For example, we may provide you with customized content based on the stated preferences in your individual profile.
We may use the information that we collect from you as follows:
1) to use the information in connection with providing you and volunteer organizations services through the Web Site; 2) to protect the Web Site against unauthorized access by verifying the identity of users using the Web Site; 3) to improve our Web Site's content; and 4) to use your IP address (the number assigned to your computer while it is logged on to the Internet) to diagnose problems with the server or to administer the Web Site. Our site places a small text file called a "cookie" on your computer's hard drive for record keeping purposes. Cookies enable us to identify you when you revisit our web site so that you do not need to re-enter your password. Cookies also allow us to track how long it has been since you last visited our site. Although most web browsers automatically accept cookies, most computers allow you to change your browser setting to prevent acceptance of cookies. We also aggregate information we collect from you and other users to help us improve the design of our web site so that we may better meet the needs of visitors to our web site and to report on the status of volunteerism in various communities. The aggregate information cannot be used to personally identify you. We may disclose information we collect from you if required to do so by law or in the good-faith belief that disclosure is necessary (a) to obey the law or comply with legal process served on us or our affiliates; (b) to protect and defend our rights or property or the rights or property of other users of our web site; or (c) to act in an emergency to protect the personal safety of users of our web site or the public. If we merge or are combined with any other organization, or if we transfer all or substantially all of our assets or operations to another organization, we may disclose information we collect from you to the other organization so that the other organization can continue to provide services to you. Except as provided in this Privacy Statement, we will not disclose information we collect from you to any third party, including other nonprofit organizations, unless you specifically request that we share your information with a third party. If you do not want us to use your information as described above, you may choose not to provide us with your information by not registering with us or by modifying your information by contacting the Volunteer Center. (Phone: 269-382-8350 or E-mail: vckzoo@volunteerkalamazoo.org). If you choose not to provide us with your information, you will not enjoy all of the services offered through our web site.
Collection of Information from Children
We respect the sensitive nature of children's privacy online. We are a general audience web site and do not direct any of our content specifically at children. You must be at least 13 years old to register to use our web site. If we learn that a user is under 13 years of age, we will promptly delete any personally identifiable information we have collected about that user. If you are under the age of 13, please do not send us any information about yourself.
Access to Information
Only the Volunteer Center of Greater Kalamazoo, its employees, officers and agents who are responsible for administering our web site have access to personally identifiable information collected about you. Neither group will share personally identifiable information about you with anyone else without your permission.
How to Opt-Out of Receiving Communications from Us
When you register to use our site, you are given the opportunity to opt in or opt out of receiving communications from us. If you opt in but later decide to opt out of receiving communications from us, you may do so by contacting the Volunteer Center. (Phone: 269-382-8350 or E-mail: vckzoo@volunteerkalamazoo.org).
Data Security Commitment
To prevent unauthorized access, maintain data accuracy, and help ensure the correct use of information, we have put in place appropriate and reasonable physical, electronic, and administrative procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online. In addition we use firewalls to help prevent outside parties from accessing our database server through the Internet, and physical access to the database server is restricted to authorized individuals.
How to Change Your Information
If you would like to review or modify the information we have collected from you, you may do so by contacting the Volunteer Center. (Phone: 269-382-8350 or E-mail: vckzoo@volunteerkalamazoo.org).
External Links
For your convenience, we provide links to web sites operated by third parties. We do not monitor the privacy practices of these linked web sites and do not exercise authority over such web sites. We therefore assume no responsibility for the privacy and data collection policies and procedures of linked web sites, nor for the content or reliability of such web sites. If you choose to access a third party web site linked to our site, you do so at your own risk.
Changes to Privacy Statement
We may change this Privacy Statement at any time without prior notice. If changes are made, they will be posted on our website so that you will always know what type of personally identifiable information we collect and how it is used. If you continue to use our web site following the posting of changes to this Privacy Statement, you agree to be bound by the changes to the Privacy Statement.
Contacting Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Statement, our privacy practices or your interaction with this web site, or you suspect we have handled the information you provided in a manner that does not comply with this privacy policy, please contact us.