SITE

By Patricia Kimball

According to Wikipedia (“the free encyclopedia”), sustainability is the capacity to endure. While most commonly associated with environmental concerns, we hear it often in the nonprofit world, as well.

The last question on most grant applications asks the applicant organization to explain how they will sustain their project once the funding for which they are applying ends. Let’s be honest, for many of us, this section of the grant application often receives less than its share of our attention. It is energizing to talk about how we are going to get a project off the ground, how we are going to bring our great initiative into being…but how we are going to create a project that has the capacity to endure? Ouch, that is tricky.
Ultimately, many people answer that question by referring to future fundraising efforts, including ongoing grant writing. We say, in short, that in order to sustain our project after grant funds end, we are going to find more grant funds. But this is a bit like begging the question, isn’t it?

I challenge you to think about sustainability a bit differently.
In the fall of 2008, I was fortunate to work with a group of people to host a conference entitled “The Mystery of Sustainability”. The genesis of this conference was our realization as non-profit leaders that in order to be truly effective in creating solutions to our most pressing problems, we need to think differently – more broadly – about how to sustain the impact of the projects we are launching versus simply sustaining project themselves. Sustainability, we said, is not only about enduring programs, it is about enduring change.

To begin to explore this question – how do we sustain social impact — I offer a few different strategies for you to think about:
1) Social Marketing. The goal of social marketing – in essence – is to change behavior to impact the social good. If you raise awareness among the broader community regarding the issue your project is intended to address and people collectively change their behavior in support of this issue, the social impact of your program has been sustained, regardless of whether your project continues to exist or not.
2) Advocacy. If you are running an after-school program, one way to continue that service indefinitely is to continue to find more grant funds. A non-renewable resource, yes? But, what if you challenge existing local, state or federal systems and ultimately through your advocacy you get money built into local or state budgets for after-school projects? Then, your service is around indefinitely. Not only have you raised capital to continue a service, you have created advocates for your service by raising awareness of its importance. It seems a lofty goal, but take even a small piece of this and ponder the possibilities….
3) Capacity Development. Education is the ultimate sustainability strategy, isn’t it? If you enhance the capacity of individuals or communities to address their challenges through training, support, technical assistance, leadership development, mobilizing….you create communities with the capacity to endure. True sustainability.

These are three examples and certainly there are many more.
Thinking about sustainability as it relates to your specific program gets easier when we step really far back from the program for which we are seeking funding. Really far back. Once you are so far away from your program you can only see it by squinting, ask yourself a few important questions:
What is the potential social impact of your program? What truly needs to be sustained in order for the social impact of your program to endure? What systems, laws, resource allocation, behaviors, individuals need to change? What is the root of the problem you are trying to solve? When will you know you have solved it? What will the world look like when this problem is gone? Who – ultimately – are the best torch bearers for your program?

See what you come up with for answers. Through the process of asking these questions, I think you will find the answer to developing projects that create social impact with the capacity to endure.
In the end, we owe sustaining the impact of our projects as much enthusiasm as we put forth in creating the projects in the first place.

Patricia Kimball is the founder of Ideactive Solutions.

By Elizabeth Cole

My nephew is going through the why phase. You know, the phase where you can’t go more than three minutes without some existential discussion?
“Auntie Liz, Why do ants live in the dirt?”
“Because they like to.”
“Why do they like to?”
“Well… It’s always the same temperature and it’s easy to dig in.”
“Why is it easy to dig?”
“Um… Well, because it’s softer than, say, concrete.”
“Why is it softer?”

For those of you who read this blog regularly, you may remember that I wrote last a piece last month introducing the concept of coaching. So why am I opening this post with an anecdote about domestic bliss, toddler style? Well, as it turns out, my nephew is preparing for a promising future as a volunteer manager.
Supervisors of volunteers who use a coaching model ask open-ended questions, helping their volunteers to discover answers and solutions on their own. As a “coach,” you will typically help your team members to solve problems, make better decisions, learn new skills, or otherwise progress in their role. Not every question should be treated as a coaching opportunity, but with a little coaching, your volunteers’ performance will improve dramatically.

One proven approach to coaching is the GROW model. GROW is an acronym standing for Goal - Current Reality - Options - Will. The model is a simple yet powerful framework for structuring a coaching session.

1. Establish the Goal: First, with your volunteer, you must define and agree the goal or outcome to be achieved. You should help your volunteer define a goal that is specific, measurable and realistic. In doing this, it is useful to ask questions like:
“How will you know that you have achieved that goal?”
“How will you know the problem is solved?”

2. Examine Current Reality: Too often, people try to solve a problem without fully considering their starting point and miss some of the information needed to reach the most effective solution. Useful coaching questions include:
“What is happening now?”
“What is the effect the result of that?”

3. Explore the Options: Help your volunteer generate as many good options as possible. By all means, offer your own suggestions. But let your volunteer start and do most of the talking. Typical questions used to establish the options are:
“What else could you do?”
“What are the benefits and downsides of each option?”

4. Establish the Will: Your final step as coach is to get you volunteer to commit to specific action. In so doing, you will help the volunteer establish his or her will and motivation. Useful questions:
“So what will you do now, and when?”
“What could prevent you moving forward?”
“And how will you overcome it?”

A great way to practice using the model is to address your own challenges and issues. When you are stuck with something, you can use the technique to coach yourself. By practicing, you will learn how to ask the most helpful questions. Write down some stock questions as prompts for future coaching sessions.

Elizabeth Cole is a guest blogger and an AmeriCorps VISTA at the Maine Commission for Community Service.

By Margaret Mayo

1. What motivates me to volunteer? (Why did I join Peace Corps?)
I joined the Peace Corps because I had an inexorable desire to give back. The idea began to form in my mind when I reflected back on my childhood, where so many opportunities had been placed neatly in front of me. This made me realize that I wanted kids in other, less fortunate parts of the world to have some of the same opportunities. I wanted those kids (and the generations before and after them) to benefit directly from the skills I’ve gained throughout my educational career.
Other factors that motivated me to join the Peace Corps included the aspiration to experience new cultures, languages and ways of life, and the desire to break out of the bubble of suburban America. I was tired of living the same old life, even though it was a safe, healthy and productive one. I wanted to get out and experience the world in a manner that would also allow me to give back and do something for a community which I could call my own. Peace Corps seemed like the perfect way to do this, so I signed up and put my whole heart into the application. I was willing to go anywhere in the world and do anything Peace Corps needed me to do: no job would be too distasteful, no needy neighborhood too unimportant.
Now that I’m here, I’ve discovered a whole new set of motivations I didn’t even know I had before arriving in Ghana. I’ve only been teaching for a few weeks, but already I have a new sense of what I want to accomplish: I want to impart in my students a love of science. I’ll try to teach them everything I know about my subject—Integrated Science—and hope it will benefit them in their second, third and fourth years of high school and beyond. I wish to instill in them a thirst for knowledge, a curiosity that is based in science. I want to equip them with the skills to find out what they want to know so they can then go on to contribute to the betterment of their own country and community.
I also want to encourage my students to dream big, especially the girls. Female students in Ghana still don’t receive quite the same encouragement to stay in school and achieve their dreams as male students do, and I want to change that. I want to teach all my students not to be satisfied with just the information that is presented to them, but rather to go out and look for new information. I want them to challenge what they know and what they think they know, to always keep improving upon and striving to increase their store of knowledge. Like I said, I didn’t even know I wanted to do these things before I got here—but now that I do, I’m glad I’ll be spending two years in a place where I can put my best effort into achieving those goals.

2. How does volunteering affect me on a personal level?
One of the most profound effects that Peace Corps volunteer service has had on me is the new perspective I have gained on my own former life in America. Living outside the U.S., even for only seven months, has drastically changed how I view the way I used to live.
I’ve learned so much about African culture—not just Ghanaian culture, but about cultures all across Africa, and this makes me feel like I can see so much more of the “big picture” of life all over the planet. Before I left America, I had never realized that the way of life there could be thought of as a distinct culture. I’d always assumed that since we were known as a melting pot of people and cultures, it would be too difficult to characterize Americans in one specific manner. But now that I’ve been exposed to a totally different way of life, and to a steady source of journalism written by non-Westerners, I am beginning to see America through the eyes of someone else. One of the books I brought with me to Ghana was A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. In this book, the narrator leaves America to become a Canadian citizen and can’t leave behind his disdain for American politics. The first time I read this book I didn’t pick up on much of the criticism toward America, but now that I’ve been living outside the U.S. it makes much more sense. It seems that the simple fact that I’ve relocated has enabled me to get so much more out of that literary experience than I would have if I’d read this book again while in the States.
The other most profound gift that Peace Corps service has given me is a new handle on the concepts of patience and tolerance. Most of my life I’ve never agreed with the saying “patience is a virtue,” but here that statement is beyond true. Patience is by far the most well-worn of the virtues or skills I’ve picked up here in Ghana, and now I’ll expand a bit on what I mean.
When the new school year officially began on September 15th, 2009, only the second- and third-year students had arrived on campus. The first-year students were still awaiting placement by the Ghana Education Service, or GES—they didn’t yet know which senior high school they would be sent to. As I was assigned to teach integrated science to all the first-year students, I couldn’t start; I had to wait. I thought the delay would only last for two or three weeks, and was happy to occupy myself with other things during this time. I had hoped the students would be showing up in the first or second week of October, but when October 1st rolled around and the placement lists still hadn’t been released, I began to get discouraged. Finally they came out on October 7th, and my hope was renewed. At last, I thought, soon the students would be arriving and we could get down to business! There is a lot of material to cover in the first-year science syllabus and, knowing it would be a challenge to get through it all, I was eager to start. But a few days later, the headmaster posted a sign next to the placement list that said “Senior high school (form) one opening date: 26 October 2009.” Once again, I was dismayed. I had to wait two more weeks?? I resolved not to let this get to me. Then, some conversations I’d had with volunteers in their second years came back to me: “The first-year students don’t show up all at once; for a while there’ll only be a few.” So it was likely that I would have to wait still longer before I could start teaching real material. You can’t jump in and start covering the syllabus when there are only five kids in the classroom. So before the official opening day, I wrote three days’ worth of “backup” lesson plans regarding my expectations for the class, good study and homework habits, and HIV/AIDS (a subject all Peace Corps volunteers are required to address many times over). I hoped I wouldn’t get through all the backups before enough students showed up to start real classes, but I was prepared to do so if necessary.
Finally, October 26th arrived and I headed to one of the three first-year classrooms first thing that Monday morning. There were six students. Not just from that one class (the Business students) but from all three classes combined (Agriculture and General Arts as well). This wasn’t unlike what I had expected, so we began my backup lessons. I kept hoping that the next day, or maybe the next, there’d be a significant number of students and we could start for real—every day that passed was one fewer day that I could spend preparing these kids for the end-of-term exam, which was preparation for the standardized exam they would ultimately have to take. High school students in Ghana must pass WASSCE exams (which are administered to the majority of West Africa) in every core subject in order to graduate from high school. So one can see that it is critical to get the ball rolling as early as possible in order to cover the maximum amount of material.
As of November 17th I’d been teaching real, genuine syllabus material to my fifty-plus students for just over two weeks. Classes are going well, but I have to go slowly to make sure the students understand what I’m saying and to patch over the holes in material that they should already be familiar with. We won’t get to nearly everything I had hoped to cover in this term, but we’ll do the best we can before final exams start on December 10th.
In short, it can be frustrating when the end of October rolls around, with barely six weeks remaining in the academic term, and you’ve still only got 13 students (out of 136) in your entire first-year class. But being frustrated doesn’t do any good: you have to make the best of it, and that’s another big lesson I’ve learned here in Ghana. I’ve had to constantly revise my plans and look for new, better ways to do things and to get my to-do list accomplished; as a result, adaptability would be second on my list of most-practiced skills (after patience).
I am, however, glad that I will be able to help these kids build a foundation for a science education in a place where such things aren’t always a guarantee. The results of the WASSCE (West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination) tests from the graduating third-year students at my school this past May were by far the worst in integrated science, chemistry, and math. I have my work cut out for me, but it’s nice to know where I’m starting from and to have a tangible goal: to see those exam scores rise.

3. What impact are volunteers making in Ghana?
Teaching and non-teaching Volunteers alike are making great strides in areas Americans probably take for granted, like education regarding HIV/AIDS, sanitation, and nutrition. Many adults and young people in Ghana have no idea how to properly use condoms because that information is not taught in schools or otherwise made widely available. Condoms here don’t usually come in neat drugstore boxes with printed instructions like they do in the U.S., although they are subsidized by the government and are available for 1 pesewa each (less than one U.S. cent). The lack of existing information means that the frequent condom demonstrations done by all types of PCVs (Peace Corps Volunteers) positively affect and educate a lot of people.
Challenges faced by education volunteers include the fact that many Ghanaian teachers in rural or deprived areas of the country show up for class late, don’t show up at all, or treat their students with disrespect. PCVs set a good example for both students and teachers by being in class at the proper time and trying hard to treat students fairly. One could say that PCVs tend to set an example by bringing their American work ethic to the table.
I personally look at my school here in Ghana and, though I try not to, cannot help but compare it to the schools I attended in the U.S. It’s hard not to point out shortcomings every time they arise, but I am constantly hit with new ideas for something that can be improved. Already my list includes painting over the graffiti adorning many classroom walls; having the school provide desks instead of forcing students to bring their own; making sure that all students, even the ones who can’t pay fees in full, receive textbooks; establishing a computer lab that won’t be ruined by the dusty dry season; making the cluttered, outdated chemistry lab into a usable and effective learning space; organizing and shelving books that have been sitting in boxes in the library for years; and painting the chalkboards with a long-lasting, nontoxic coating (as opposed to used battery acid, which is utilized currently).
Volunteers in the Omnibus sector (health/water/sanitation, environment and small enterprise development) are making great strides in educating rural citizens about proper sanitation and the need for hand washing, disease prevention and other important health guidelines. There is no infrastructure in place to take care of sewage disposal in the vast majority of Ghana; the exceptions are a few small areas within the larger cities. There is currently no way to provide running water to most homes in rural Ghana, either. Townspeople must do the best they can with KVIP (Kumasi ventilated improved pit) latrines and soak-away pits, but even this most basic level of sanitary facilities is often absent in deprived areas. Some rural citizens are still not aware of the mechanisms by which disease spreads, and flies and other insects are not often kept under control. In fact, many of my first-year senior high science students were unfamiliar with the basic concepts of bacteria, viruses and parasites.

Margaret Mayo is a Peace Corps Volunteer serving in Ghana and a guest blogger.

By Jamie Andrew

When I moved to Portland, I was fresh out of art school: wide-eyed, bushy-tailed, and full of ideas about my seemingly endless future. I landed an AmeriCorps position at the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine, where I grew from an art student (“What? You mean I can’t spend eight hours a day drawing in my studio? You mean I have to go back to work for five days in a row?”) to a full-fledged working professional: Educator and Volunteer Coordinator here at CMTM.

Portland is unlike any place I have ever lived: seagulls squawk outside my window every morning, every other car is a Subaru with a kayak strapped to the top, and in June the sun is up at four a.m., which somehow makes it possible for me to go for a jog at 5:30 (January, however, is a different story). I dearly love all of these things about life in our cozy little city, but there’s something I love even more: everyone who lives here.

Never before have I lived in a community that feels so tight-knit. I mean, where else can you walk three blocks and run into seven people that you know? And even more than simply being tight-knit (which can, admittedly, sometimes morph into gossip: “You saw them where?”), Portlanders care about each other. They care about what goes on in this little city. How do I know this? Easy: I’m a Volunteer Coordinator.

Last month, CMTM and the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad partnered to put on this event known as “The Polar Express.” Sound familiar? It’s a beloved book to many of us, a fantastical movie to others. Now imagine the story delivered by child actors, riding one of those antique train cars, with real Hot Chocolate Chefs hand-serving you cups of whipped-cream-topped hot chocolate as you make your way to the North Pole. Imagine this event running every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from Thanksgiving to Christmas. Pretty magical, no? Now imagine being the Volunteer Coordinator for the event, recruiting, managing, and supervising upwards of 150 volunteers. Magical, indeed.

Here’s the thing: everyone wanted to help out. My recruitment strategies might have facilitated things (“Did you ever read the Polar Express when you were a kid?”), but really, truly, people stepped up to the plate in a way that I could only have dreamed of. I had everyone from SMCC students to CEOs of local businesses scrubbing crusty pots of burnt cocoa, donning chef hats and packaging cookies. Even our Santa Clauses voluntarily wore fake beards and red velvet suits for hours at a time (and we all know how well polyester velvet breathes). And you know what? Pretty much everyone sang along to “Santa Baby” when it came on the radio, danced (or at least waved) when the train pulled up and left with big smiles behind their scarves and hats. For one month, I was elbow-deep in chocolate milk, train schedules, and more holiday cheer and generosity than I ever could have imagined. Was it a lot of work? Yes. Did everyone pitch in? Yes. Does Portland care? Yes.

So thank you, Portlanders who volunteer. You are the reason our city is a vibrant, creative, welcoming little place. I feel lucky to call myself a resident.

Jamie Andrew is the Visitor Guide / Volunteer Coordinator at the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine and a guest blogger.

By Angie Desrochers

This is the last day of my second year as an AmeriCorps VISTA and with it brings much reflection on community service and social change. Earlier today I was thinking about the amazing work that the VISTAs are doing around the state and I suddenly felt optimistic. I realized that there really are some very dedicated, passionate people in the world that are committed to making a change. I began to feel hopeful and for a minute let myself believe that there might come a time when we have no longer need AmeriCorps programs because we have been successful at eliminating poverty and creating sustainable communities. I am not so Polyanna-ish to think that that day will come to fruition in the near future, but for a moment I was able to envision it. For just a brief moment I stopped to conjure up visions of people being adequately housed and well fed; people properly educated so that they could fulfill their dreams. In this moment I deeply understood that volunteers do make a difference! Yes, in fact, I was quickly reminded me of some data I had seen indicating that in 2008 the United States had seen a substantial growth in the number and diversity of people volunteering!

Yet, I am admittedly a pessimist (or at least a realist) and quickly I was drawn back from my imaginary world of social equality by thoughts of sustainability. I know from experience that AmeriCorps VISTA projects focus on sustainability and capacity building, but how, as Americans, can we ensure that this growth continues? I immediately plunge into a deluge of negative thinking…obviously, we are all busy people. Most of us are hesitant to add an additional task to our already overburdened schedules and surely we cannot all stop our lives and selflessly devote an entire year to community service. Again I asked myself, “How can we sustain the growth in volunteerism and therefore improved families and communities?” Eureka! I have the answer!

The answer can be found in a slightly revised and expanded definition of volunteerism. It is rooted in traditional values and inspired by the words of Martin Luther King Jr. This definition proposes that volunteerism include such acts as smiling at a homeless person to show that we still have respect for them as a human being or shoveling an elderly neighbor’s drive way to ensure their safety. I believe that when we all incorporate this definition of volunteerism into our lives and commit to making these small changes we will surely begin to see real and sustainable changes in our communities. I believe it is important to take the time to understand how people become impoverished and disenfranchised and to stand in solidarity with them. It is from this level of acceptance that we will find the remedy to for our ailing world.

Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. (Amen) Say that I was a drum major for peace. (Yes) I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. (Yes) I won’t have any money to leave behind. I won’t have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind. (Amen) And that’s all I want to say.
If I can help somebody as I pass along,
If I can cheer somebody with a word or song,
If I can show somebody he’s traveling wrong,
Then my living will not be in vain.
—Martin Luther King Jr. Drum Major Instinct, Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia, on 4 February 1968

Angie Desrochers is an AmeriCorps Alumni and a guest blogger.

By Corrie Hunkler

A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought they could. ~ Unknown

Thinking back on it, my first (of many) volunteer job was mentoring. It was when I attended high school in my small, isolated fishing community I knew as home. People make their living from the earth, and on the coast of Downeast Maine this can be tough. Wind chill, rough seas, and winter weather are the obstacles fishermen have to deal with when bringing in their living. In the summer our rural area comes alive with the colors of the lobster buoys speckling the sea and the hum of lobster boats working their way through the fog in the early morning. During the winter months, traps are stacked on the wharfs and most boats are brought ashore to rest for the cold. It’s during these times that people tend to go without, people struggle to make ends meet in the long stretch of winter Maine is known for, waiting for the thaw of spring.

I started mentoring during the winter of my Junior year. Basketball was winding down and I found myself restless for something to do, trying to avoid the trouble that people tended to get into when the weather was cold and work wasn’t there. I would bundle up and troop down to the grammar school where my little mentee Emily* was waiting, her feet bouncing and arms waving so happy to get to leave her desk and move. Emily was something else that seemed forgotten in the winter. Most days she looked like all 7 years of her were in charge of getting dressed, brushing her hair and making sure she got outside to catch the bus on time.

I don’t think I had any profound effect on this child’s life. And I know I didn’t have any control over what happened at home (besides admitting my concerns to the guidance counselor), but it was nice to know on those chilly Wednesday afternoons, when maybe no one else was thinking of her. I was there, reading, playing and getting Emily to smile for a little while. Hopefully, that is something she can still hold onto wherever she is.

January is national mentoring month, and it is amazing how easily one person can get involved and help a child like Emily. Studies and research have proven time and again the importance one person who cares can have in a child’s life. If you feel like you have a full plate already, talk to your boss. Most business are happy to give paid time for their staff to be involved with a mentoring program such as Big Brothers Big Sisters or for more opportunities look on VolunteerMaine.org or the Maine Statewide Mentoring Directory.

*Name changed

Corrie Hunkler is an Americorps VISTA in Machias Maine and a guest blogger.

By Penny Kern

One of the most difficult things I remember from my volunteer manager days was making time in my calendar to do my job. Sounds funny but it was always a problem. I think it’s true for most of the volunteer managers I’m still in touch with, though. It’s so easy to let things like recruiting, training and placing new volunteers slip through the cracks. It doesn’t end there, either. It’s all the preparation to begin recruiting – the action plan, the position description, the vacancy. I KNOW – believe me – I understand totally. However, if this is part of your job, it’s an important part.
Today, people have hundreds of opportunities to use their skills and knowledge as a volunteer. They don’t HAVE to wait for you to find a way to give back to their community. They are also very picky and if given the choice of doing something they don’t want to do or move on to another organization- they are more likely to move on.

Is it important to have a steady stream of volunteers for your program? Then, it’s important to “sell” your organization all the time. Finding out what the volunteers are looking for and convincing them that they should look at your organization to give their time and energy is important. Side note: Volunteers for an organization are also more likely to donate to that organization also.
Look at your daily schedule and consider how you can allocate time to recruit. What opportunities are there? How much time can you devote each day/week to:
• Follow up on phone calls or emails from prospective volunteers.
Return those calls or emails within 24 hours because these are the people who know your organization and are motivated to call. Keep a log of who you call, when and what you discuss. For me, I needed to log what I promised to do. If I didn’t write it down, I’d forgotten my promise before I hung up the phone. I became a good multi-tasker but it did cause problems if I forgot to write things down.
• Cold calling
You might be able to find a volunteer to do this for you. I personally never liked doing this but it does work. If you have a list of people – guest books, membership lists, church groups, other service organization lists, etc – it helps. A volunteer who’s very good at selling can pick up the phone and lay the groundwork for you. This cold call could include information about the mission and the most recent success along with a phone number of the volunteer manager. This opens the door for you to call later and make “the deal.”
• What about existing volunteers/volunteer groups – how to keep them engaged.
This task is the continuous “selling” because you have to constantly keep the selling of the organization going. This could be a monthly newsletter, an email, quarterly dinners, phone calls, and the all important thank you cards. This is important not only for the volunteers but for donors also. I can tell you that this one is very important.
• Schedule time to be creative and challenge yourself to “think outside the box.”
This is VERY important and it’s not a luxury. Pick a block of time, close your office door and put up a sign “Do not disturb: Genius at Work.” Look at new ways of motivating a potential volunteer. Check out the demographics and your plan of work. Changes, trends, and what is going on in the community and your organization should be examined on a regular basis so you catch any hints of how you must address recruiting new volunteers. Look at where your volunteers are and what they are doing and plan for new volunteers. Where should they come from or who should they be and, more importantly, what are they going to do that will further the mission. Recruiting people and not giving them anything to do is worse than not recruiting at all.
• Going out into the community to talk to groups and create effective written material
Presentations are a great way to reach large numbers of people and increase the odds of success. Grab their attention, tell a story and capture the right side of the brain with emotion and quickly feed the left side with facts. Having a handout with useful information is also helpful. Pictures can enhance a flyer or written material. And how about things that recognize your volunteers like certificates, volunteer of the month, etc? These are written materials that strengthen your volunteer program. This isn’t written but I heard the greatest idea that I did use often. When a volunteer did something over and above, I included a short recognition on my voice mail message. I got more comments on that and it was such fun to record. I highly recommend this a way to recognize and achievement or special effort.
• PLAN
Look at your calendar and budget your time based on your program’s needs. In my former job, people didn’t want me around during the Christmas/New Year holiday. So, this became my planning time. But, if you’re busy that time of year, you may have another down time period you could use. Schedule a time to do a good job at recruiting, training and placing volunteers.
• Your “thirty-second pitch”
I had the opportunity to go to a Points of Light workshop in Washington, DC one year early in my volunteer manager career. One of the things I brought back and have used since then is my 30-second pitch. They told us to imagine standing in a grocery store line and the very person you were trying to recruit all week is standing in line in front of you ready to check out. You have until they leave the check-out line to convince them to be a volunteer. I’ve often heard it referred to as your “elevator speech” also. The pitch needs to be SHORT and to the point while being clear and convincing. Remember – the same speech will not work for all people so you may want to have more than one. Then, give them a call later on to gauge how interested they are and answer any questions.

Don’t get discouraged if the phone calls don’t get returned or things don’t work out like you planned. There are days like that no matter how hard we try. Just remember – if you don’t ask, the answer is always no.

Penny Kern is a retired volunteer manager and a featured blogger.

By Pete Phair

Dear Santa,

I know you’re busy dealing with returns of toys, ill fitting clothes and inappropriate gifts right now, but I hoped that I might get an early start on my wish list for next year… Please see what you can do and I will do what I can to be a good boy…

• World Peace- I thought I’d start out big- give me world peace and I won’t ask for anything else- not even a new DS! I promise. Well… maybe only a couple of other things…
• Volunteers- I don’t need many, just 150 or so and I promise to treat them with kindness, respect and undying gratitude. ‘Cause that’s how volunteers should be treated.
• Volunteer Recruiters- wouldn’t it be great if every volunteer begat a volunteer? And they would beget a volunteer, and so on and so on… Most are great at it and maybe just asking them to recruit others is enough, but just in case, can I get recruiters wrapped up in a nice decorative bow?
• Volunteer Trainers- Someday, I hope all my volunteers will be so comfortable with our programs and training protocols, they will beg to train the trainers! Could I get some of that next xmas?
• Volunteer Support- Is there room in your bag for more books by Susan Ellis, more presentations by Martin Cowling and more professional development opportunities from local heroes like Anne Schink and Larry Ullian?
• Volunteer Retention- Please help me make the volunteer experience for all volunteers so spectacular, they can’t wait to do it again.
• A New Snowboard- Ok sorry, I couldn’t resist. And please, make it not hurt when I fall…
• Volunteer Back-up Plans- Like those backup generators in hospitals, when a volunteer has to bail, can I have one ready to step in?
• Twenty-Ten or Two Thousand Ten- If no one else will, could you please choose? Your choice will be in place for the next millennium so choose wisely (that’s what you do anyway- right?)

And lastly Santa, as you pass from house to house next Christmas, can I ask you to please spread a word of encouragement for families everywhere to thank the volunteers they know about, join the volunteers they observe and teach their friends & family members about all the benefits of serving a larger community. There truly is no better way to celebrate the holidays!

Happy belated holidays to you and yours Santa. Ho ho ho.

Pete Phair is the Outreach Coordinator at WinterKinds and a featured blogger.

By Trudy Hamilton

Welcome to 2010! The holidays are over, and we have a brand new year just stretching out in front of us! Imagine the possibilities, seize the moment! A tradition many of us participate in at this time of the year happens to be making New Year’s Resolutions. Usually, my only New Year’s Resolution is refusing to participate in that tradition.

That said, I took some time this season to think about Resolutions. You cannot turn on your television, open a magazine or newspaper, without hearing about them! Resolutions from celebrities, along with people willing to tell you what your resolutions should be, and how to meet that mountain of goals you are setting up! Community newspapers filled with cute elementary students who have sent in their Resolutions as a class project, complete with original spelling and grammar! Of course, Resolutions must be of monumental, life-changing focus, mustn’t they? Maybe not. While pondering, I thought to see what the definition of a resolution is, in this context. I discovered that a resolution is, quite simply, a decision to do something or behave in a certain manner. This was my A-ha! moment, at last!

What, you might be thinking, do resolutions have to with volunteer management? My thought is make just one resolution…make a decision to do something. It could be setting aside an hour a week for professional development…or an hour a month. It could be taking advantage of the terrific tuition offers for Project Invest and completing one of the courses. It could be thinking about what you would like your volunteer program to look like at the end of the year, and what it would take to get it there. It could simply be taking the time to update your records, policies, or procedures. It could be evaluating what you are currently doing, and deciding to take something off your plate. Of course, it could also be simply making the decision not to do anything, as well.

The point is, a Resolution can be a small step in the right direction…and a journey of a thousand miles begins with one small step. Don’t over-promise, over-commit, or over-stress with your Resolution, if you make one. Simply enjoy the path it leads you on.

Trudy Hamilton is the Manager of Volunteer Resources at SeniorsPlus and a guest blogger.

By Lauren Kelly

I used to work for a television station in Tulsa and each year, the station would broadcast, produce, and direct the city’s annual Martin Luther King Day Parade (last year they even streamed it live from the station’s website.) They were extremely proud to provide that service to the community and I was proud to work for a station that was so committed to providing that service. For the past 10 years, in fact, I was dedicated to watching the parade from my office as I worked. I always enjoyed watching the performers and groups that came out to honor Dr. King by participating in the parade. Even though I was an active volunteer in the community, I wasn’t able to get out and volunteer at the many local service projects that were going on that day because I had to work. But this year will be completely different.

As an AmeriCorps VISTA for the Maine Commission for Community Service, I’ve had the pleasure of assisting with the 2010 Martin Luther King Day of Service Project Awards. It’s been such a wonderful experience being involved in something so special. This year, we received 30 applications—a record number! Applications came in from all over state and I was impressed and inspired to learn about all of the great projects planned that focus on Dr. King’s legacy of service, nonviolence, social justice, tolerance, and diversity. I was so excited because I knew that this year, unlike past years; I would not be sitting in my office watching a parade—I would be able to be out in the community volunteering!

So, what will I be doing? This year, on Martin Luther King Day (January 18th), I will join the mentors and teens from the University of Maine’s yoUMAtter program and local AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps VISTA members to help the Augusta Food Bank break down bulk foods, restock shelves, clean and reorganize the pantry, and fill food baskets. And I feel lucky that I have the opportunity to participate.

The reality is that many of you will have to work on Martin Luther King Day. But I hope that, if you have the “day off”, that you will decide to make it a “day on” and volunteer! For a list of service projects in your area, check out www.serve.gov. For a listing of the 2010 Martin Luther King Day of Service Project Award recipients click here.

Lauren Kelly is an AmeriCorps VISTA with the Maine Commission for Community Service and a guest blogger.