Will “All for Good” be Good for All?

Those seeking to share volunteer opportunities with others have a multitude of options when it comes to the use of technology. Over the past several years, I’ve seen service opportunities posted via VolunteerMatch, Volunteer Solutions, 1-800-Volunteer, Idealist, Network for Good and even Craig’s List. Nonprofit organizations have invested in software and web site development using these tools and others. They have come to rely on technology not only to recruit potential volunteers, but also to track these volunteers, the hours they have served, and those who benefit from their service. Volunteer Centers, especially, utilize this technology to track referrals and outcomes related to service provided by volunteers through the community nonprofits they support. They can more effectively coordinate volunteer assignments/placements and scheduling based on a volunteer’s availability, skills and interests. Technology has rapidly changed how nonprofits develop and maintain relationships with volunteers.

I’ve watched the competition grow among the for-profit and non-profit entities that came up with many of these tools. Selecting volunteer recruitment/management software has become a daunting task for nonprofit staff. Cost, level of customization, and user-friendliness must all be weighed. And, there has been pressure within networks of like-organizations to adopt common systems. On more than one occasion I’ve hoped to lock these software/web developers in a room to come up with some cost effective way these systems could talk to one another via a common platform to normalize data.

Inspired by President Obama’s call to service this past year, citizens stormed to sites like MLKday.gov and the former USA Freedom Corps in record numbers. But not all could find suitable opportunities to volunteer. So…a group of folks from Google, Craigslist Foundation, and YouTube got together with nonprofit and government representatives to develop a solution. Formally introduced at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service last month, All for Good is a web application that aggregates volunteer opportunities from many different places. Data comes from partners like those mentioned above. Traffic is driven to the site from sites like Google, YouTube, and MTV. Users can share opportunities within their social networks via Facebook and Twitter. Widgets can be added to individual websites. And, utilizing open source technology, others can develop third party applications to use the data in new ways. Individuals and groups are already doing so. At the conference, I heard someone reference an iphone application built on the All for Good platform that is GPS based. How cool is that?

This technology doesn’t replace existing systems used by so many nonprofits! There doesn’t appear to be a commercial agenda! All for Good is simply the latest in the evolution of tools to promote volunteerism and service.

Note: This post is authored by guest blogger Amanda Schafer. Amanda Schafer is the Director of Evaluation for Michigan Nonprofit Association. Affiliated with the organization since 2002, Amanda previously served as the Director of Research and Evaluation for the ConnectMichigan Alliance, as well as the Associate Director of the Michigan Campus Compact.

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Member Perspective: The Power of Nonprofits

I’ve attended hundreds of recognition dinners, receptions, galas and events. A few weeks ago, I was lucky to be part of two particular events that reminded me that volunteers and employees who dedicate their careers to the nonprofit sector are the ones that power the nonprofit sector. I was invited to attend the annual dinner of the Neighborhood Service Organization (NSO) where volunteers, donors and other constituents were thanked for their service to the organization. In the true nature of servant leadership, the CEO, Sheilah Clay thanked her donors, her board, volunteers and other supporters of the work of this large human services agency focusing on the needs of individuals and families impacted by mental illness and related challenges. In fine traditions, these champions of the organization were given glass plaques for their service and support.

But Sheilah saved the best and greatest number of tributes for one of her greatest assets—a long time employee. Ronald Riggs received the President’s Award for his work mentoring others in counseling the homeless for more than 19 years. First Ronald received a plaque. Then he received a certificate from the Mayor of Detroit, then another certificate from the City Council, then a statement from the Governor. But the one gift that seemed to impact both Sheilah and Reggie the most was Sheilah’s own words describing Reggie’s impact on NSO’s clients and families. With tears in her eyes she described servant leadership, while she demonstrated servant leadership.

It was powerful to watch Sheilah hold up her staff, volunteers and her clients as leaders in the work of her mission and contributors of the economic impact of nonprofits in the community. Sheila masterfully used the stories of her staff, volunteers and clients and the Economic Impact Study to tell the story of Neighborhood Service Organization’s important role in the community and to Michigan’s economy.

A week later, I found myself at the Governor’s Service Awards. Dozens of Michigan residents from all across Michigan gathered at the Governor’s Residence to celebrate volunteers and their contributions to Michigan. One supporter of the Governor’s Service Awards is Olivet College, a private liberal arts institution in south central Michigan. During the celebration, Olivet College President Don Tuski personally met with each of the students nominated in the Youth Volunteer of the Year category to thank them for their engagement in and service to the community. As part of Olivet College’s contributions to the Governor’s Service Awards, the college gives its greatest investment to its greatest investment-its students. Olivet College presented Community Responsibility Scholarships to each of the Youth Volunteer of the Year finalists valued at $6,000 per year renewable for four years. This unique scholarship program is designed to reward students for responsibility, community service, civic engagement and volunteerism. The college also awards a four year scholarship to the winner of the Youth Volunteer of the Year award.

Olivet College recognizes the impact college students are making in their communities and through this scholarship program they are able to foster a life-long commitment to service and civic engagement. Both Don Tuski and Sheilah Clay are devoted to their people in ways that speak to the power of the nonprofit sector-its people.

Neighborhood Service Organization has been an MNA member since 2007. For more information about their organization, visit them online at www.nso-mi.org.
Olivet College has been a member of Michigan Campus Compact and Michigan Nonprofit Association since 1998. For more information, visit them online at www.olivetcollege.edu.

Submitted by Kyle Caldwell

 

 

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Member Perspective: Take Time to Measure Performance and Celebrate Successes

We all know Michigan has had its share of woes lately, so I’m eager to share some good news: As a state, we’ve made real and substantial progress when it comes to getting children off to a healthy start in life. Those who work in nonprofits aimed at improving the lives of children have reason to celebrate the progress we’ve made so far.

Today, Kids Count in Michigan (a collaboration of the Michigan League for Human Services and Michigan’s Children) released our Right Start in Michigan–2009: Maternal and Infant Well-Being in County Groups report. We looked at the eight indicators of maternal and infant health from 1992-2007. Research has shown that these eight factors are key to a health birth. This report, developed annually, allows the state, all 83 counties, and the 69 communities in Michigan with population over 25,000 to assess their efforts to improve life prospects for their newborns statewide.

First the good news: Michigan has improved in six of eight areas over the trend period.

Smoking among pregnant women has dropped by a third, and the percentages of births to teens and repeat births to teens – teenage moms who have another child before turning 20 – have declined by a quarter. Mothers in urban counties have had a particularly sharp drop in smoking.

The report also reported worsening trends: The rate of low birth weight babies is rising and births to unmarried women are up, driven by a huge jump in the number of unmarried women in their 20s having children. A child’s risk of poverty rises substantially in a single-mother household.

To see a summary of statewide changes in rates, click here. Although we have made great progress, there is still work to be done. We can’t afford to let up on programs and efforts that brought improvements, but taking time to evaluate our progress has allowed us to see where we need to focus our future efforts.

How does your organization measure performance? How are you using the findings to direct your efforts?

Note: This post is authored by guest blogger Jane Zehnder-Merrell. Jane is Director of Kids Count in Michigan and Senior Planning/Research Associate at the Michigan League for Human Services. Since 1994, Jane has managed the Kids Count in Michigan project that produces an annual data book on child well-being and conducts an ongoing public information campaign around children’s issues.

Michigan League for Human Services has been a MNA member since 1997.
Michigan’s Children has been a MNA member since 1998.

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Making time for Learning Opportunities

As I leave sunny San Francisco after several days of conferencing, I can’t help but reflect on the high-energy, jam-packed days just behind me. I spent a day last week with the Craigslist Foundation at their Boot Camp held on the campus of UC Berkeley and then attended the National Conference on Volunteering and Service.

I want to focus on Boot Camp though. The best way to describe Boot camp? Young, cutting-edge and completely relevant – especially to the young nonprofit professional. I was worried as I hiked up the (very steep) hill to the MLK Student Union that this would be like every other conference. I would mildly enjoy a speaker or two and yawn as all of the sessions used beginner language like I just enrolled in my first 403(b). Craigslist, as you know, is the ubiquitous web portal allowing you to sell your old couch, give away used moving boxes or meet that special someone who you know has to be “out there” somewhere! They basically want to connect people to other people for what they need.

Their Foundation does something similar, it helps people connect to other people to help those in need. The conference featured all-stars including Arianna Huffington of The Huffington Post, Randi Zuckerberg of Facebook and Craig Newmark, the Craig of Craig’s List, himself. Yet, the power in the conference wasn’t necessarily in the heavy-hitters; it was the top-notch quality of the workshops. I listened to representatives from the leading technology companies, including YouTube, talk about the newest initiatives in nonprofit technology – open source content management systems with contact management abilities, take action links on uploaded video and ways to drive people to mobilize based on issues written about in a blog! I couldn’t write fast enough. Ironically, I felt like I should have been typing, texting or tweeting instead of putting pen to paper in my trusty notebook! The second session was led by none other than Shirley Sagawa, the “mother of AmeriCorps” talking about charismatic organizations. She recently co-wrote a book with Deborah Jospin (who was also presenting) aptly named The Charismatic Organization. This wasn’t just my second session, it was like a second birth. I found myself whispering “YES” to the odd stares of my fellow attendees.

On my agenda for when I return home is to purchase The Charismatic Organization – maybe on iTunes so I can redeem myself for the old-school notebook faux-pas. Looking toward the future of implementing all the great ideas I had learned so far, I made sure to choose as my last session of the day a workshop on personal burnout! Sylvia Warren from Simply the Best Coaching took us through breathing exercises, daily time management and personal philosophy. Not being a “touchy-feely” person, I immediately cringed…until I didn’t. What she said made sense and her presentation style didn’t allow for doubters in the room. She dared me to contradict her, to roll my eyes, to scoff – the typical immature response to something new and outside the box. Instead, I wrote down every word she said and intend to put them into action when I return to my desk. Perhaps I had matured! Wrapping up the day was a panel presentation focusing on service, technology and activism with experts from the field. I know…yawn, right? Hands down, this was the best panel I’ve ever sat through! In fact, it was recorded and you can listen to it at your desk while you work once they post it. Honestly, it’s worth it.

Being responsible for training for Campus Compact in Michigan, I take very seriously the financial hardships that are facing our higher education institutions and nonprofits in the state – especially around professional development dollars. With that in mind, I wholeheartedly encourage you to find your way to the next Craigslist Foundation Boot camp. If you can find one of their events that is closer to home than I did, you can rest easy knowing the registration fee is a mere $75.

As my colleague and I looked for the nearest cable car for the ride home, I let out a deep breath and asked her if we could have Rice-a-Roni for dinner. Hey, I didn’t say I’d stay mature for long.

Note: This post is authored by guest blogger Ryan Fewins Ryan has served as Assistant Director for Training and Technical Assistance at Michigan Campus Compact since 2006. Prior to joining the Campus Compact team, Ryan served as an advocate of service at Saginaw Valley State University’s Student Life Center as Assistant Director and at Central Michigan University’s Volunteer Center as the Graduate Assistant. Hailing from northern Michigan, Ryan received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Central Michigan University in Integrative Public Relations and Educational Administration and Community Leadership respectively.

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Managing Transitions

“You should feel lucky to have a job in this current economy.” We hear this more and more recently as the unemployment rate jumps up to 14%. Yet we sometimes forget the nonprofit sector has, like many other industries, experienced significant turn over. Whether hiring for existing positions or creating new employment opportunities, managing transitions will be a part of our work lives.

MNA is experiencing a large change in our workforce with four key leadership positions changing. As we were examining our work to fill these important positions, the MNA Board pointed out some important issues we all might want to examine as we deal with the inevitable – people leaving our organizations:

1. Change happens. It’s how we structure our responses that make the difference between positive and negative change.

2. The current flood of talent due to layoffs in the for-profit sector makes this a buyer’s market.

3. Use vacancies as opportunities to shake up the organization’s structure.

For the person leaving a position, the change can obviously be disruptive and challenging. In a recent article in the Lansing State Journal, McCarthy and Blanchard offer great advice on managing your exit.

• Remain positive. Rather than wallow in self-pity or give in to the temptation to blame others, use the situation to position yourself for the future. Convey optimism that the right opportunity is ahead.

• Say good things about your employer. Focus on the positive aspects of the experience and communicate those to one and all.

When a close colleague left a blue-ribbon company to start her own consulting business and people wondered why, she said: “It was a great place to be and it’s a great place to be from.”

• Be thankful. Express gratitude for the chances you had and the lessons you learned. Thank the people who helped you along the way either in person or with a thank-you note.

http://www.mccarthyblanchard.com/home.html

Positioning our organizations and ourselves in this job market can be challenging, but great opportunities are available if we position ourselves and our organizations.

Submitted by Kyle Caldwell

 

 

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Member Perspective: Campus-Community Partnership Receives $10,000 Carter Partnership Award

Every day, the staff at Michigan Campus Compact learns about and works with incredible service-learning initiatives and campus-community partnerships. But, it’s not often we get to award one of those amazing campus-community partnerships with a $10,000 grant.

The Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Partnership Award for Campus-Community Collaboration is given bi-annually by Michigan Campus Compact to one partnership involving a Michigan college or university and a community group with the $10,000 prize divided equally between the campus and the community partners for working together in exceptional ways to improve people’s lives and enhance learning in the process. This year, Grand Valley State University’s School of Engineering and Westown Jubilee Housing, a partnership that helps create energy efficient housing for low-income families, has received the 2009 Carter Partnership Award.

This partnership, in existence since 2001, is a covenantal collaboration in which Westown Jubilee provides a supply of housing projects with energy management needs and challenges and the School of Engineering provides innovative solutions for those challenges. Within this partnership, engineering students and faculty provide leadership and labor to enhance the energy performance of these homes. Their collaboration benefits community members directly and provides an opportunity for students to become engaged citizens by using service as en educational tool.

One of the collaboration’s greatest achievements was the construction of the LEED certified Green House on Watson. In that project, more than 70 School of Engineering students helped build an exceptionally energy efficient six-bedroom home for a low-income family. This year, a group of senior engineering students is doing their capstone project on a house on Indiana Street. The students are helping turn the one-and-a-half story house into a two story house. The $10,000 award will help install solar hot water and insulation wrap on the house.

Congratulations to GVSU and Westown Jubilee Housing for the exceptional work you are doing in your community!

To learn more about the Carter Partnership Award and the 2009 winner, click here.

Amy Smitter

Note: This post is authored by guest blogger Amy Smitter Amy Smitter has served as the Executive Director at Michigan Campus Compact (MCC) since September 2000, working with MCC partner organizations and coordinating state-wide partnerships and fundraising activities. Most recently, she has accepted the position of Director of Institutional Development with national Campus Compact where she will lead the development capacity of the national and state offices. Amy also worked in the volunteer center network, for both the Albion Volunteer Service Center in Albion, Michigan and Volunteer and Information Services in Battle Creek, Michigan.

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United We Serve

Today the White House launches United We Serve, a new service initiative calling all Americans to join in a summer of service to culminate with a National Day of Service and Remembrance on September 11. United We Serve not only calls Americans to serve, but brings an opportunity for the nonprofits to create and promote unique partnerships in your community. It’s also opportunity for the nonprofit sector to demonstrate its role in building a stronger economy.

View President Obama’s video message announcing this effort: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/United-We-Serve/

The United We Serve effort will focus on four broad issues:
• Promoting clean energy, energy efficiency and public land restoration
• Supporting education and literacy for all Americans
• Increasing health care access, public health awareness, and prevention
• Providing community renewal to areas hit hardest by the economic crisis

With this resurgence of national service, the nonprofit sector will feel new energy, but should also expect an increased level of scrutiny and accountability. As entities that serve the public, nonprofits have an ethical obligation to conduct their activities in a way that is accountable and transparent to the community. How will your organization demonstrate transparency and accountability? And how will your organization capture this new energy and build a path of sustainable service?

For more information about United We Serve or for individual, group and organization volunteer opportunities, please visit www.serve.gov.

Submitted by Kyle Caldwell

 

 

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Resource Friday: Get Connected! Free and Low Cost Tools for Small Group Collaboration

I often find in small nonprofit organizations a core group of dedicated individuals working hard on programs, projects and services targeting their mission. The smaller the organization, the more work that has to be done by its people to accomplish its goal. One thing I notice is that when everyone is busy and running around, trying to schedule meetings, plan events, and manage projects, things can get lost in the shuffle and staff can get frustrated.

There is an emerging, web-based set of planning and collaboration tools for small groups that range from free to low cost depending on your needs. Some of the features included in these tools are:

• Central/Shared Calendar
• File sharing and collaboration
• Project and task management
• Real time polling
• Group chat and conference calling

Do any of these features sound attractive to you? If so, here are a few examples:

Wiggio.com – Completely free tool for centralized calendar, group chat/conferencing, shared documents/links, and basic project management.

Huddle.net – Free for 1 project. A very good project management, conferencing, and document sharing tool.

Sosius.com – Free with advertising and limited file storage space. An excellent all-around tool for centralized calendar and communications, project/task management, and document sharing.

These are only a couple of the tools available right now. Have you used any of them? Have you found a different tool that is aiding in your planning and collaboration efforts?

Note: This post is authored by guest blogger Adam King. Adam King is the Technology Manager at NPower Michigan. Since 2004, Adam has been helping nonprofits in Michigan with technology assessments and planning, scheduled support and maintenance, as well as technology-based workshops.

 

 

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Storytelling in a Visual Medium

Earlier this week I participated in a video training to learn the techniques of messaging with video, video production and storytelling in a visual medium. Leading this training was Jen Caltrider, executive producer at ProgressNow and former CNN producer.

Lesson 1:
We learned that producing a video for a campaign or your organization is like a game of Mouse Trap. The video is the cheese that leads the mouse to the “trap” or your goal of the campaign. Now, I’m confident none of us are trying to “trap” our volunteers, donors, members, etc. but you get the idea. Video should be used as an element to lead the viewer to the action you want them to take. (Jen – thanks for the great analogy!)

Lesson 2:
Any nonprofit can make a video, even if you don’t have a video camera or a large budget to purchase a camera. Most cell phones have video camera features and most digital cameras have video capability. If your organization does have a small budget to purchase a video camera, we shared a blog earlier this year about the Flip Video Spotlight program, which is an inexpensive option for eligible nonprofits. Or you can produce a video that utilizes photos, graphics and voiceovers and never leave your office!

Lesson 3:
Before jumping to the filming or editing process,the most important element to any video campaign is determining your goal. Before developing a video, you want to sit down and decide the goal you are trying to achieve, who your audience is, and the time you have available to produce the video.

After Jen enlightened us with her video expertise, she let us loose to produce a video. The three groups each had their own goal, target audience and campaign strategy. Here is what my group was challenged to do. The goal: Shorten summer break by two weeks. The strategy: Develop a video for a Facebook and/or Twitter campaign to shorten summer break. The target audience: Males ages 25 – 44.

Although my two teammate and I had never produced a video before, we jumped into the process and are proud of what could be accomplished in just 5 short hours! The great thing is you don’t have to be an expert to produce a video, and there’s a great chance your computer already has video editing software (Apple – iMovie and PCs – Windows Movie Maker). This was our first time using iMovie and were happy to learn it is very user-friendly.

To find tips, case studies and best practices for video, See 3 is an excellent resource for nonprofits and foundations. Also Kivi’s Nonprofit Communication Blog did a great blog post in March about video production tips.

Has your nonprofit experimented with video? How was the experience developing the video? What tips and tricks do you have to share?

Submitted by Lisa Sommer

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Member Perspective: Support Mentoring with Meijer Gift Cards

Do you find yourself buying gift cards for graduations, weddings, birthdays and other upcoming celebrations? Would you like to make your purchases more meaningful? On Saturday, June 20, 2009, your gift card purchases can really count for mentoring programs in Michigan. By purchasing a Meijer gift card of $25 or more this Saturday from any Michigan location, you will be supporting mentoring in Michigan. Meijer has agreed to donate $2 to Mentor Michigan for every $25 or more Meijer gift card purchased on June 20. Mentor Michigan will distribute the donated funds to mentoring programs in the form of mini-grants later this year.

To learn more about Mentor Michigan, visit www.mentormichigan.org.

Note: This post is authored by guest blogger Paula Kaiser VanDam. Paula Kaiser VanDam has worked at the Michigan Community Service Commission since 1995, most recently serving as the Executive Director.

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