August 2009 Newsletter Number 29

Transcription

1 Connecting Resources. People. Organizations. August 2009 Newsletter Number 29 Board Service: A Growing Trend in all Sectors By: Jill Blackburn Nonprofit board service is one of the growing areas of interest for the public, businesses and, of course., for nonprofits. Did you know that The Volunteer Center is at the head of the curve in linking these sectors through the Board Match Plus program? Through Board Match Plus, we offer information for people interested in board service, online matching for nonprofits and candidates to start a conversation, the signature event, The Board Match (January 12, 2010), and the Community Board Grant programmatching business executives with nonprofits for board service and leadership development-the ultimate in skilled volunteerism. Pacific Gas and Electric Company, lead sponsor of The Board Match, also participates in the Community Board Grant program. They believe engaging their top talent in nonprofit board service gives them a better understanding of community needs in addition to professional networking and development. Stephan Pippen, of Pacific Gas and Electric Company, states, "Because The Volunteer Center is so well connected to nonprofits, provide a wonderful nonprofit board training and always think strategically, they are an invaluable resource to PG&E with regards to our Officer board matching program." In This Issue Board Service Volunteering in America Week of Caring 2009 Spotlight: BACVC Spotlight: NVLC Spotlight: TVP Upcoming Dates Fun and Useful Fact: 25.4% of adults volunteered in California in 2008, contributing million hours of service. TVC Wishlist Conference table Digital camera Fan USB Jump drives Laminating machine New phone system Portable Projector Shredder Vacuum Cleaner Please contact us if you would like to donate to The Volunteer Center Wells Fargo also believes nonprofit board service is important

2 and provides nonprofit board service training for its employees through The Volunteer Center. "At Wells Fargo, our competitive advantage is our people. Our team members provide exceptional service to our customers and our communities. We encourage them to use their skills and talents to better their communities, and board service is a natural outlet. It strengthens the nonprofit organizations and is an effective way to provide professional development opportunities for our team members," says Kellie Vitaich, who oversees Volunteer Wells Fargo! in California. And it doesn't stop there! The Volunteer Center is always on the lookout for nonprofits that are interested in engaging talented leaders from the business community. We look for organizations of all different sizes, locations, and areas of service-because just like nonprofits each individual will have different and varying interests and needs for their board service. The Volunteer Center About Individuals Organizations Consulting & Training Events Donate Contact Us The Volunteer Center newsletter is brought to you by: For more information, please contact Jill Blackburn. Volunteering in America By: Matt Miller At a recent Corporate Service Council Representatives meeting, Bob Grimm, the director of the Office of Research and Policy Development at the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) shared some incredibly interesting information on the results of a national survey on volunteering and how nonprofits are reacting to the current state of the economy. The "Volunteering in America Report" contains a wealth of data compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics regarding the relation between volunteering trends and the current state our economy. The research includes valuable information on states that have experienced the largest amount of growth in volunteering since 2007, cities that have a high retention rate for volunteers and how the

3 current economic environment has been influencing the recruitment of volunteers. On top of the report, the Volunteering in America site offers a plethora of valuable information regarding volunteer rates for different cities and states, information on why certain demographics volunteer while others do not and resources to help organizations strengthen their own volunteer recruitment. To view the report - which contains data from over 100,000 individuals and 60,000 households, focus groups and studies conducted by leading academic and research institutions - please visit the Volunteering in America website! Week of Caring 2009 By: Jill Blackburn Give an hour. Give a day. Give a week. United Way's Week of Caring connects hundreds of corporate volunteer to community organizations across the Bay Area. It's a fun, free and easy way for teams of employees to work together and create lasting change in their own communities. Thousands of volunteers. Hundreds of nonprofits. Dozens of companies. One Bay Area. Find out how to get involved! BACVC Member Spotlight - Levi Strauss & Co. The Volunteer Center's Bay Area Corporate Volunteer Council (BACVC) engages businesses in supporting the nonprofit sector through employee volunteering and advises them on how to tie those efforts to their philanthropic goals, corporate social responsibility strategies and business success. At Levi Strauss & Co. we are challenged with the current business conditions like everyone. We are finding that

4 giving our time and money is more important to our communities than ever. In 2009, we decided to focus our efforts in San Francisco around three community areas that have been impacted by the weak economy. Those areas are food, shelter and clothing. During our annual Community Day in May we increased our grants from $74,000 in 2008 to $162,000 in We had over 800 employees volunteer in San Francisco at 26 nonprofit organizations. This summer we have been working on an annual back to school shopping spree program with the Hamilton Family Center. We were challenged this year to find another retail partner since Mervyn's has coordinated this volunteer event with us in past years. We contacted Target and they have agreed to partner with us. Levi's will organize 50 volunteers to arrive at a Target store where everyone will be matched up with a Hamilton Family child to go back to school shopping. Each volunteer will be given a $100 gift certificate to help find clothing for the children's back to school needs. These are examples of Levi's giving back to the community with volunteer time and money. It is important to continue to make a difference in our communities during these difficult times. To learn more about the Bay Area Corporate Volunteer Council, please click here! NVLC Member Spotlight Lyon Martin Health Services The Volunteer Center's Nonprofit Volunteer Leaders Council (NVLC) provides a platform for Bay Area nonprofit professionals to access the resources they need for volunteer program development and management, facilitates a forum for these professionals to tap into a peer network for support, and provides a venue for cross-sector interaction with its sister-council the Bay Area Corporate Volunteer Council.

5 Lyon-Martin Health Services is the only free-standing community clinic in California with a specific emphasis on lesbian/bisexual women and transgender health care. Founded in 1979 by a group of medical providers and health activists, Lyon-Martin bridges the gap in sensitive health services available to low-income, uninsured women (primarily lesbians and bisexual women) and transgender people, who have often tended to go longer without routine care because of the difficulty in finding culturally sensitive health providers. In 2008, we saw about 2,500 people, who made 7,198 visits to Lyon-Martin. We had over one thousand new patients enter into care with us and performed almost 900 HIV tests. We also provided over 300 clinical chest and breast exams at community events. At a time when unemployment and loss of insurance benefits is on the rise, we continue to provide instrumental services for our communities. Lyon-Martin Health Services is a nonprofit health clinic in San Francisco where we provide primary and preventive healthcare services to more than 2,000 patients annually. Currently, 39% of our patients are people of color; 14% are transgender and 41% self-identify as queer; 84% live below 200% of the federal poverty level and 14% are homeless. We couldn't do all of this without dedicated, well-trained volunteers. At Lyon-Martin, our volunteers are an integral part of our team helping our vibrant clinic stay on top of patient care and everyday tasks. On any given day, we have 2 to 10 volunteers helping in the clinic. Throughout the year, we rely on volunteers to help plan and execute events. Our volunteers come from all walks of life, but what they have in common is a generous heart and a desire to help women and transgender people in need. We hope you will join our team to serve our community. To learn more about the Nonprofit Volunteer Leaders Council, please click here! TVP Volunteer Spotlight - Jeffrey K. By: Matt Miller The Volunteer Center's Transitional Volunteer Program (TVP) provides vocational

6 training to people with mental health disabilities. TVP places clients in volunteer jobs as a means of transitioning to a life of work - more than 120 placements per year. Jeffrey K. has made an invaluable contribution to The Volunteer Center through hundreds of hours of volunteer work. For the past three years, nearly every Wednesday without fail, Jeffrey lends his janitorial expertise to The Volunteer Center before providing a valuable presence and contribution in the Transitional Volunteer Program's Support Group. Everyone in the office looks forward to the days when Jeffrey volunteers because of his dedication, positive attitude and cheerful demeanor. Not only does his work provide amazing support to our office, but he has also volunteered with Project Read twice a week for many years as well. Jeffrey is a shining example of a volunteer with the attitude and dedication that every organization looks for in its volunteers. Thank you, Jeffrey, for many wonderful years of support and we can't wait to see you again next Wednesday! To find out more information about hosting a TVP volunteer at your nonprofit, please contact Matt Miller, Vocational Counselor, at Ext 245 or by mmiller@thevolunteercenter.net. FYI - Upcoming Dates! Nonprofit application for The Board Match is Open! The Volunteer Center is recruiting a Marketing Intern for The Board Match event! CompassPoint Nonprofit Day August 27, 2009 United Way of the Bay Area's Week of Caring 2009 September 13-19, 2009

7 Bay Area Volunteer Leaders Forum September 25, 2009 San Francisco, CA Forward Marketing by This was sent to by Update Profile/ Address Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe Privacy Policy California Street San Francisco CA 94109