indymillennial

Posts Tagged ‘nonprofit’

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Using Student Volunteers Effectively

In Nonprofit Best Practices, Volunteers on March 5, 2012 at 2:34 pm

Lately, I’ve heard some complaints from other volunteer managers about students.  Students are a special subset of volunteers.  They often have specific goals to accomplish, a required number of service hours, and sometimes, your opportunity is their first chance to learn about a field they’re interested in.  Students can be beneficial to your organization, but without good supervision and structure, they can quickly become a hindrance.

Here are some of the most common complaints and what you can do to address them:

Complaint: “Students are lazy.  They just sit there, and all they want is their hours sheet signed.”
Solution: Prepare meaningful tasks.

This kind of problem usually isn’t because the student is lazy- it’s because the organization doesn’t know what to do with the student.  Having student volunteers takes work on the part of the organization.  For the first week or two, invite the student to meetings and schedule times for them to observe different people or programs so they can see what you really do.  From there, meet with the student to plan out meaningful tasks and projects appropriate for their skills and level of experience.  Meaningful tasks are those which actually contribute something of value to the agency.  Students should be able to see that what they do matters.  Prepare a task list for the student to do on a regular basis if they finish their work early, but do not focus on creating “busy work” for students to do all of the time.  Remember, you’re providing learning opportunities in exchange for the extra help.

Complaint: “Students text all day and spend too much time browsing Facebook.”
Solution: Have clear expectations.

Some students may have little experience in a professional setting, and they may need some ground rules to follow.  (Don’t assume they’ll know your dress code, IT policies, or when it’s appropriate to take personal calls.)  Be upfront about what your organization expects and give students some guidelines.  For example, my agency requires students to sign off on our volunteer handbook, which includes policies about using cell phones when interacting with our clients.  Let students know what you can and cannot provide.  They may need to complete a specific type of experience- let them know right away if your organization doesn’t offer something they need to do.  Ask for contact information for your students’ instructors so that you may contact them with questions or feedback.

Complaint: “Students are telling me they’re bored, and they can’t find anyone to help them.”
Solution: Train staff members to supervise students.

All staff members should be trained to supervise volunteers effectively.  Student volunteers may need a little extra supervision and attention.  Make sure your staff members know to provide students with the appropriate directions and supplies to complete their tasks.  Remind them to be present when students are scheduled and to clearly communicate to the student what to work on if they need to be out of the office.  Let staff know that they can correct students right away if they see inappropriate or unprofessional behavior.

Complaint: “Students are upset that we gave them low scores on their evaluations.  For some students, I didn’t know what to put down since I hardly ever see them.”
Solution: Evaluate your student volunteers regularly.

Evaluations are necessary for almost all students who will be completing ongoing work for your organization.  For students who will volunteer for several months, consider meeting with them regularly throughout their service to check in, address any problems, and offer additional opportunities for learning.  These regular checkins will help students learn throughout their time with you, and you’ll be more likely to be able to offer a positive evaluation at the end of their service.

Do you use student volunteers?  What are your tips for hosting students effectively?

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Why I Don’t Want to Join Your Young Professionals Group

In Generations, Leadership, Management, Millennial Chat, Millennials, Nonprofit Best Practices, Other Nonprofit Blogs, Recruitment, Retention, Stewardship, Volunteers on February 8, 2012 at 11:20 am

Lately, I’ve noticed more nonprofit organizations desire to start their own “young professionals” group.  In a post I wrote for Millennial Chat, I discussed why a Millennial might decide to join one of these groups.  But as an organization, you might be wondering if you should start one.  These groups can take a variety of forms- from boards to groups focused on social fundraisers to service groups.  How do you know if starting a YP group is right for your nonprofit?  What should you offer Millennials in return for their service?  If you’re trying to recruit us, here’s why we might not join.

You don’t know why you need young professionals.
Since I’m a Millennial, I’ll be the first to tell you that we’re engaged with causes, we’re generous donors, and we enjoy networking with others.  We have skills we can offer your organization, especially related to technology.  However, other generations and groups of people can offer skills, money, or volunteer time.  So why young professionals?  Your organization needs to answer this question.  Are you starting a YP group because it’s the hip trend?  Do you have a specific purpose for wanting to engage this target audience?  Determine why your organization wants to focus on young professionals.  You might discover another group could fulfill your needs.

You don’t know why you need help.
Whether you’re starting a YP group, an auxiliary, or just a “friends of” group, it’s important to know what your organization needs.  You wouldn’t send a mailing to a segment of donors without knowing why you’re looking for their support.  Don’t ask young professionals to participate unless you know why you need them.  It’s not always a good idea to let the YP group decide why they are there.  (Millennials are known for being idea people.  We have a lot of ideas.  Maybe more than you need.)  You work for your organization everyday, while we’re coming from lots of outside industries to help you.  Try to figure out at least three specific ways that a group of dedicated volunteers could help you.  Do you need help planning a fundraiser?  Do you want to engage more volunteers? Are you trying to implement something new in your organization like social media? This is crucial to the success of the group.  Defining the needs of your organization will allow the group to focus their goals.  It also gives prospective members a chance to decide if the group interests them.

You don’t have the organizational capacity to manage the group.
The organization I work for has an auxiliary.  They are completely self-sustaining, plan their own service projects and fundraisers, and generate significant financial and in-kind contributions for us.  Our auxiliary is also 80 years old.  Since any young professionals group typically will not be self-sustaining within just a few months or even years, your organization needs to consider:

-Who will be the staff liaison(s)?

-Do you have buy-in from leadership?

-Who will keep records?

-What financial resources do we need to support the group?

-How will we determine if the group is meeting our needs?

If it’s clear that an organization is adding a YP group as an afterthought or that it isn’t supported by organizational leadership, young professionals may decline to participate.

You don’t understand recruitment, retention, and recognition.
An important part of organizational capacity is volunteer management.  Members of any board or group are usually volunteers.  While they may be a special leadership kind of volunteer, remember that they are donating their resources to your organization.  They will join, leave, or increase their involvement based on the same motivations as other volunteers.  Someone from your staff who understands how to manage volunteers should be involved with the group.  YP group members must feel they have a purpose (formal or informal role in the group), feel their contributions are valuable to the organization, and feel that their personal motivations for joining are being met.

There’s nothing in it for me.
How do you make sure young professionals are meeting their personal motivations for joining the group?  Ask upfront! Young professionals join because they want to meet new people, either for networking or social purposes.  They join because they want to make a real impact for a cause.  Sometimes, they join because they want to gain professional leadership experience before joining a real board.  Make sure you are stewarding your young professionals, just like you steward your donors.  Offer opportunities that will allow them to fulfill their personal motivations, and you will retain more young professionals.  Recognize and appreciate their contributions, and strive to develop personal, one-on-one connections to those who are regularly contributing.

Have you ever been asked to join a young professionals group?  What can organizations do to encourage you to join?

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Finding Your Inner Volunteer: Part Three: Interview with a Nonprofit

In Nonprofit Best Practices, Uncategorized, Volunteers on September 25, 2011 at 10:35 am

If you’ve made it this far, you have a list of your skills, motivations, interests, likes, and experiences.  You should also have a list of opportunities you’re interested in pursuing.  Now I’m going to tell you a secret.  Not all volunteer opportunities are equal.  In fact, some of them might sound really great online, but when you get to your first day, it seems disorganized or doesn’t meet your expectations.  You can avoid walking away disappointed.  Organizations are going to screen you as a volunteer.  This post will teach you how to screen them!

Does the organization have a volunteer manager?
Okay, so I might be biased, but volunteer managers are pretty important people.  Hear me out, though.  We’re around to make sure you have all the information you need to have fun and be successful while you’re volunteering.  We also make sure the other volunteers you interact with are there for the right reasons.  We’ll help you if something goes wrong, too.  The organization should have someone designated for you to contact with questions and feedback throughout your experience.  Make sure you know who this person is and how to connect with them.  (Hint: We’re really busy, but if we don’t respond to you within a working day or two, that’s indicative of how you’ll be treated as a volunteer.)

Can you fulfill your SMILE checklist?
Ask the organization if you will have a chance to use your skills or fulfill your motivations for volunteering.  If your goal is to meet new people, how often will you interact with other volunteers?  If you want to use your artistic skills, will you be doing creative projects?  You’re more likely to stick with your opportunity and enjoy it if it aligns with your checklist.  Along with your checklist, be sure that the available opportunities fit your schedule and level of commitment.

Is there a training or orientation session?
Depending on the type of opportunity you choose, most organizations will prepare you with a training session.  This could be a short, informal meeting or tour.  It could be a half-day or full day session with presentations and activities.  Whatever form it takes, the training should answer your questions, and you should walk away knowing what to expect on your first day of volunteering.

Can you shadow someone before you make a full commitment?
Many organizations have a way for you to “try before you buy.”  These are usually shorter, one-time opportunities for you to interact with the population you’ll be serving.  Some organizations will pair you with a veteran volunteer until you feel comfortable.  At the very least, organizations may allow you to observe volunteers in action or talk with current volunteers before you decide.  This is especially important if you’re making a decision to commit to a program for a longer amount of time.

What happens if you quit?
At my organization, we have volunteers who have been with us for decades!  What happens if you don’t like the program, though?  Can you do something else for the organization?  What options are available if your schedule changes or you have to stop volunteering for a period of time?  Ask these questions up front so you’ll know your options later.

Finally, don’t be afraid to walk away from an opportunity.  If it won’t work for you or doesn’t sound like something you’re interested in, tell your volunteer manager. Good volunteer managers know that their opportunities aren’t right for everyone.  Chances are, we might even offer you advice about another opportunity somewhere else if our opportunities aren’t right for you.

How did you find a volunteer opportunity that was right for you?  

This is part three of a three part series entitled “Finding your Inner Volunteer.”

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Finding Your Inner Volunteer: Part Two: Searching for Something

In Nonprofit Best Practices, Other Nonprofit Blogs, Volunteers on September 16, 2011 at 12:38 pm

In the last post, you decided you were ready to volunteer.  Do you have your list of things that make you SMILE?  This week we’ll discuss how you find your list of potential organizations and opportunities.

Ask that friend who’s always signed up for something
If you’re in my world, that friend is me.  I get asked at least once a week about how someone I know can get involved.  I’m familiar with a lot of the organizations around the city, and nothing beats a personal recommendation.  Most volunteers are happy to share their advice!  In some cases, your friend might even be able to invite you along, or you could sign up to do something together.  (In Indianapolis & want some personal advice from me?  indymillennial@gmail.com)

Use your network
Look for opportunities within your current network.  Many companies have corporate volunteer programs.  They may provide opportunities for you to volunteer as a department or give you paid time to pursue your own interests.  Church is another great place to look for group opportunities.  Think about the places you visit frequently, too!  Does your library need volunteers?  What about your child’s school, your relative’s nursing home, the YMCA where you work out, or the park where you walk your dog on the weekends?  Opportunities to help are all around you.

Join a group
What was your motivation for volunteering?  If you said “to meet other people,” maybe joining a service group is right for you.  You could look into becoming a Kiwanis, Rotary, Junior League, or other service club member.  In Indianapolis, a group doing great things is One Brick (@OneBrickIndy).  If you want to support a specific organization, they may have committees, auxiliaries, or other supporting groups that you can join.

Search online
Since googling volunteer opportunities can be time consuming, one of my favorite sites to start with is VolunteerMatch.  Using the basic search, you can find opportunities using your location and a keyword or two.  You can also use the advanced search to narrow your choices by category.  Once you find an opportunity you like, you can contact the organization via VM or directly.  Other sites like VolunteerMatch include Idealist, Serve.gov, or even Craigslist (depending on where you live.)   You can also try your local United Way or your local government.  Here in Indianapolis, United Way of Central Indiana and a new initiative sponsored by the Mayor’s Office, Engage Indy, both maintain great databases.

Tweet your way in
If you already know of an organization, their website should list open volunteer opportunities and the application process.  On many sites, you can even complete the initial application.  Some organizations also update their Facebook or Twitter accounts with upcoming opportunities. 

Using both online and offline methods, you can make a list of the top five organizations or opportunities that are most interesting to you.  In the next post, I’ll cover how to decide if an opportunity is a good fit for you!

This is part two of a three part series called “Finding your Inner Volunteer.”

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Finding Your Inner Volunteer: Part One: SMILE!

In Nonprofit Best Practices, Other Nonprofit Blogs, Volunteers on August 21, 2011 at 11:42 am

I had a greatly inspiring conversation this week with a potential volunteer and new friend.  Megan works for Slingshot SEO, and she’s just wrapping up that really great point in her life known as “the first year out of college.”  I remember that time in my life pretty well, and I recall feeling all kinds of overwhelmed, excited, and a little bit chaotic.  Megan and I met because she’s looking for something new to do to get involved in the Indianapolis community.  She wants to meet people she might otherwise not get a chance to know and do something meaningful with that extra time she has now.  Volunteering is one of the best ways to achieve both of those goals!  My first year out of college, I spent a year as an AmeriCorps member, and it really solidified my commitment to service.  When I started my first job after AmeriCorps, I remember having a lot of extra time that was no longer filled with extra-curriculars, homework, or staying up late in a friend’s dorm room.  But how do you find the right volunteer opportunity for yourself?  Here’s some of what I shared with Megan:

Volunteering should make you SMILE.

The hardest part about finding a volunteer opportunity can be deciding what kind of opportunity is the best fit for you.

Skills

Ask yourself what you do really well.  Maybe you’re good at teaching others, working with your hands, organizing groups, or you speak a second language.  Maybe you’re a writer, artist, or athlete.  There are nonprofits who offer opportunities to use all of those skills! Think about how your professional skills might benefit a nonprofit, too.  Organizations often need behind the scenes services so people with design, IT, clerical, law, or sales skills can be very useful, especially to small organizations.

Motivation

Why do you want to volunteer?  For my new friend, one of her primary goals is to meet others who share her interests.  I steered her toward several opportunities where she would have a chance to meet new people, especially other Millennials.  You might have a desire to learn a new skill or fulfill a spiritual desire to give back.  Whatever your motivation, you’ll want to ask a nonprofit whether you can achieve those goals while volunteering with them.

Interests

This year, I personally decided I was interested in learning more about homelessness and how to serve people who are experiencing it.  I sought volunteer opportunities through the point in time count, the Homeless Connect, and School on Wheels.  What do you want to know more about?  Who would you like to get to know in your city?  What issues would you like to advocate for?  Look for organizations where you can learn something new or increase your knowledge about an issue.

Likes

This seems easy, but it’s important to like your volunteer experience!  You want to look forward to how you spend your time, right?  (As a volunteer manager, I want you to like what you’re doing.)  Consider whether you like being in a group, working with people one on one, or if you’d prefer to work alone.  Maybe you prefer being around a certain age group of people, or you’d rather work with animals than people.  Different opportunities will appeal to different people.  There are volunteer opportunities for people who like being outside, people who like building things, people who like children, and people who like everything in between.

Experience

Similar to skills, consider your experience.  If you’ve volunteered before, you might already know about something you’d like to do again.  Maybe you want to increase your commitment to a cause.  Find opportunities that are related to what you’ve done before.  If you haven’t formally volunteered before, think back to the last time you helped someone else.  What were you able to do?  How did you feel?  What did you enjoy about the experience?  Sometimes, a personal experience from your own life may encourage you to volunteer.  I had a great mentor as a kid, and now, I’m a Big Sister because I want to give back in the same way.

Need more help learning how to get involved?  Next week, I’ll cover how to find specific volunteer opportunities and how to judge a potential volunteer opportunity or organization.

This is part one of a three part series called “Finding your Inner Volunteer.”

In the meantime, if you just can’t wait to volunteer, I’m currently recruiting for a really fun event, the Children’s Bureau Celebrity Cook-Off, happening October 4th.  Contact me if you’re interested in more information!

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Connected by Service

In Homelessness, Other Nonprofit Blogs on April 13, 2011 at 11:30 pm

In honor of National Volunteer Week, today I volunteered for the Indy Homeless Connect.  Now in its sixth year, the event is a chance for those who are experiencing homelessness to have access to a wide variety of services.  There were housing, employment, mental health, physical health, veterans’ specific, financial, and legal services available, as well as the ability to sign up for benefits or get a state ID, birth certificate, or social security card.  In addition to all of these services, there were haircuts, massages, free telephone calls to anywhere in the country, and sack lunches.  CHIP did an amazing job coordinating the event.  Something I love about Indy is this community’s ability to step up when it’s asked.  Seeing all of these service providers work together for the good of a population is incredible.  I also loved that there were 675 volunteers who spent all or part of their day providing smiles and guidance for people trying to navigate all of the resources.   Nothing is better for me than being a part of something like this during National Volunteer Week.  The number of Millennials I saw volunteering was heartening, too.  I’ll be turning 27 next month, so I’m at the older end of the generation, and it’s great for me to see people who are almost ten years younger than me with hearts for service, too.  There were volunteers of all ages, and everyone seemed to really enjoy their experience.  Even Mayor Ballard and his wife were present for much of the day, eager to spend time with volunteers and those who were accessing services.

Volunteers with Mayor & Winnie Ballard (I'm the second from the left.)

 

I personally enjoyed my experience very much.  I worked as an intake guide, which essentially meant that my responsibility was to get people to their first stop of the day.  Back in January, I participated in the Homeless Count.  One of the things I wished during the count was that I would have more time to spend listening to the people I met.  Today, I got just that opportunity.  If you know me, you know I’m genuinely fascinated by other people’s stories, and today was no exception.  I spent time waiting with different individuals all day, trying to remember names, faces, and stories, especially so if I saw someone later in the day, I could ask them how things were going.  I spent a bit of extra time with a gentleman today, and I want to talk a little bit about that experience.  I’ll respect his privacy by not revealing too many details about him.  He was an older veteran with some health issues, and the CHIP staff immediately showed him care by getting him a wheelchair to use for the day.  I sat with him for a bit while he filled out his medical paperwork, and we chatted about what he expected from the Connect.  He was one of the first faces I saw around 9 a.m.  I had to return to my original station, but later, I found him again.  He had accessed three other services since we met.  I smiled and wished him good luck.  To my surprise, at 4 p.m., he was still in the building, making his last stop to get a haircut.  (I firmly believe that serving him with a wheelchair early on in the day encouraged him to participate fully.)  Since the event was winding down, I sat next to him again, and this time, he told me all about his service in two different wars, his family, and his current situation.  We talked about what I’m in school for, too, and he said he hoped I kept it up, but he reminded me that I should take time out to do things for myself, too.  Before I got up to leave, he asked me for a hug goodbye.  As I was hugging him, I kept thinking to myself that service is something I do for myself as much as I do it for other people.  What would I do with my time “for myself” if I wasn’t serving as frequently as I am?  Five years ago, I might have been able to answer that.  But today, I can’t.  I’ve never been on a ship like the man I met today, and I certainly haven’t been overseas to fight a war in another country.  Instead, I’m here in Indianapolis, but I’m on what sometimes does feel like a battleground.  We just have different weapons.  I’m armed with knowledge of the city and its resources, experience working with people from various backgrounds, and most importantly, I’ve got a smile and a heart that’s bigger than I know what to do with sometimes.  I may never have formally enlisted in this service, but I do it every day, and it’s so much a part of me that I think if it was taken away, I wouldn’t know how to survive.  I walked away wondering if he knew how similar we really are.  We’re both motivated to serve our country and community.  We may not be the same age or gender, and we may be experiencing very different lives, but we’re connected by service.

Interested in helping to end homelessness in Indianapolis? Visit CHIP’s website to find volunteer opportunities.

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Save me a Seat

In Leadership, Nonprofit Best Practices on March 30, 2011 at 9:58 pm

In about 45 days, I’m going to be walking across a stage in downtown Indianapolis.  My MPA is going to convey a  lot of different things about me to the outside world.  Hopefully, right now, it’s conveying to potential employers that I have a great foundation of the principles of nonprofit management.  I’ve taken classes in fundraising, HR, management, program evaluation, grant writing, financial management, statistics, and all kinds of other key areas that I think will be really helpful wherever I go.  SPEA gave me exactly the skills I wanted when I started this journey two years ago.  My classmates are wonderful, too.  I’ve learned so much from being in the classroom with working professionals, and I feel like I could call virtually any organization in the city and talk to someone I met in class.  That’s a great feeling, and it’s one of the reasons I feel strongly about starting my career here in Indianapolis.  Nothing can replace that network of other people who care as much as you do about your community.

As most of you know, I’ve been working on a capstone project regarding colocation of services, so I’ve had the opportunity to think a  lot about how organizations, staff members, and people accessing services work together.  Our group made this really great matrix that explains the possibilities.  I’m thankful to SPEA for giving me the frameworks to think strategically about community issues, but I had a conversation this morning that reminded me that frameworks and matrices are useless unless we have relationships with other people.  James Taylor from the Boner Center was nice enough to put me on his calendar for the purpose of talking about colocation as it relates to our capstone project.  The conversation we had certainly covered colocation, but more than that, it brought to light how strong individual relationships must be in order for a project to really be successful.  Executive directors must trust each other so that organizations can work together without communication issues.  Staff members have to be able to trust their directors.  And more than anything, community members have to be the driving force behind any project that’s going to be a success.  Leadership has to have strong relationships with the neighbors (to use his word) who are accessing services, or it’s not going to work.  James reminded me that we have to bring people to the table, and more than that, we have to go to their tables, too.  I’m really thankful that I get the opportunity all the time to have relationships with my SPEA classmates and great nonprofit professionals in this city, but more than that, I want the opportunity to have relationships with community members who use the services that I may be a part of in a professional capacity.  The things that are happening at Boner Center and will be happening at the new Chase Near Eastside Legacy Center will be successful because James relies on a framework created by the community residents, not something that he and his staff designed.

My MPA program has given me a lot of great fundamentals, but it’s also given me relationships and access to some of the most talented, relationship-driven people in this city.  I’m thankful that I live and work in Indianapolis, too, because there are current leaders like James who are interested in passing their knowledge along to those of us millennials who are headed for the leadership positions someday.  I think that Indy millennials in particular are lucky, because in this city, there are so many leaders who welcome us at the table, allow us to share our ideas, and want to see us succeed.

Indiana Convention Center, I’m coming for you on May 15th.  Save me a seat.

Want to learn more about the John H. Boner Community Center or the Chase Near Eastside Legacy Center?  Visit their website.

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Making the Homeless Count

In Homelessness, Other Nonprofit Blogs on February 13, 2011 at 1:54 pm

About two weeks ago, I had the privilege of participating in the annual homeless count.  The count is a point in time survey, similar to the census.  Nationally, HUD uses the data to pinpoint trends and to evaluate whether we’re making progress to end homelessness.  Locally, service providers that work with homeless populations can use the data to better understand who’s homeless in Marion County, why they’re homeless, and what benefits and supports are needed to build pathways to permanent housing.  From an evaluation standpoint, the count is extremely useful.  My classmates from IUPUI SPEA and I were trained to administer surveys to people in shelters and on the street.  We were assigned to teams, and we all met at Horizon House on the night of the count.   From there, we received our assignments.  I was fortunate enough to receive two very different assignments: Wheeler Mission and Stopover.

While I have some varied experiences, I had never worked with adult men as a population.  I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the homeless count quickly reinforced a life lesson for me.  In my career, I think that personal relationships with others are the key to providing the best possible services.  Building a comfortable relationship with someone with such a limited amount of time and in light of research constraints is not always an easy task.  At first, I was a bit nervous, but when I relaxed, the conversations flowed smoothly.  I was actually surprised at how open and honest the men were.  If our roles were reversed, I’m not sure that I would want to tell a stranger my story in the name of “research,” but they all seemed happy to meet with me.  After my time at Wheeler, I moved on to Stopover.  Stopover has two different homes in Indianapolis; one is for crisis intervention for youth, and the other is a transitional living program for teenagers.  I was fortunate enough to visit both and survey the youth there.  I have much more experience working with youth, so the population was familiar to me.  The youth were more reticent to participate.  Usually, when an “authority” figure asks questions, something the youth perceives as negative may happen shortly afterward.  After a few minutes, they seemed to trust me enough to complete the survey.  All of the youth told me they were in school or some kind of training, and they all had jobs.  This signals to me that Stopover is doing something right, and I would have loved to spend more time learning about their lives since they began receiving Stopover’s services.  Unfortunately, the count requires the researchers to stick to the questionnaire and complete it as quickly as possible.  The whole experience lasted approximately 4 hours before I headed back to Horizon House to turn in my surveys.

With both the men and the youth, it was so difficult for me to focus on the questions and not spend extra time listening to their stories.  I met men who were recently released from prison, veterans, men who had addictions, men who wanted to tell me about family that they missed, men who had jobs that required a college education until the recession hit, and men who had been homeless their entire lives.  I met youth who had been in foster care, experienced family violence, and who had been kicked out of their homes.  As a practitioner, I know the reasons behind homelessness are numerous.  The characteristics, barriers, and assets wrapped up in each story are dependent upon the individual.  Talking with the people I met, though, really brought this point to the forefront of my mind.  Every story about homelessness has some similar elements and some elements which are unique to an individual, and this is what ultimately makes service provision a challenge.  Casework requires individualized services, while evaluation seeks the common goals and unifying themes in order for an organization’s program to be considered a “success.”  I routinely think in terms of management and evaluation now, rather than casework, because of my degree and career path.  Talking with the men was a great reminder that evaluation and research can, at best, complement casework, and neither evaluation nor casework is a substitute for a genuine person to person relationship.

The count itself was an enriching experience, but it impressed me even more because I think it speaks to the success of collaborations between sectors.  A government agency, HUD, sets out the guidelines for the survey and compiles the national results.  HUD is the umbrella agency for the project on a national level.  Locally, IUPUI’s role is incredibly important for several reasons.  While organizations ultimately benefit from the results, there are few nonprofits in the city that have the time, resources, or funding to undertake such a massive research project requiring so many volunteers.  The university coordinates all of the difficult logistics of the projects.  Second, the university reduces bias in the project.  Organizations tend to focus only on the populations they serve, and rightfully, they tend to be most concerned with numbers that will support their goals and outcomes.  The university collects data that will be unbiased and accurate.  The results can then be used by multiple organizations.  However, the university would be unable to do the project without the cooperation of all of the shelters and sites who were willing to share their data and allow the research teams to come into their organizations.  To me, the homeless count is proof that nonprofits can cooperate and collaborate on certain projects, even in a landscape where they may be competing for clients and dollars.  The addition of the university and the government agency makes it a nice example of a cross-sector collaboration as well.  Both of these types of collaborations are critical to tackling any widespread social issue.

As a part of my homeless count class this semester, I’ll be volunteering with other organizations that seek to end homelessness in Indianapolis.  The count illustrates that there is not one face or label that we can give to homelessness.  Instead of understanding it only as a distant, abstract idea, we must try to understand it through individual stories and relationships.  The survey research portion of the count provides a way to make sense of these stories and to identify common threads to be addressed.  While I am only just beginning to understand homelessness on a personal and professional level, I think that the questions that the count raised for me are a great starting point for further exploration.

Want to learn more about the national homeless count?  Visit HUD.
Want to see the numbers from previous Marion County homeless counts? Visit CHIP.

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Mentoring Fearlessly

In Mentoring, Other Nonprofit Blogs on January 25, 2011 at 1:01 am

Before I start this month’s post, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank the staff from Girls Inc for recognizing indymillennial recently, and I appreciate it if you’re reading now because of their posts!

As many of you probably know, January is National Mentoring Month.  I’ve wanted to post about mentoring for awhile now, but I think the topic is often over-blogged, especially from the perspective of a professional.  Read any of the current literature, and the findings are the same.  Mentoring positively impacts kids’ lives in various ways.  We know there are academic, social, emotional, and so many other benefits to kids if they have a caring adult in their lives.  So why is it that staffers from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana have to stand outside in the cold in order to convince people to do this?  We can prove with research studies that mentoring is effective, but that’s as far as professional academic analysis will take us.  In order for mentoring to really “work”, there’s something almost magical that happens in the relationship.  Mentoring can be a formal decision and commitment, or it can be a more informal, organic relationship.  For mentoring nonprofits, the relationships between volunteers and youth have to be both.  How can an organization strike a balance between personal and professional?   I struggled to write this blog because I initially wanted to share  a list of tips and tricks for professionals.  However, sometimes, I think that the best way for an organization to learn is to hear about the personal decisions that lead their volunteers to commit to a mentoring relationship.  I’ve touched on the idea before that philanthropy is something that is extremely personal, and I think this is most evident in mentoring relationships.   Service is a huge part of who I am, and nothing is more personal than having/being a mentor.  This is my mentoring story:

Growing up, I was fortunate to have an amazing mentor.  My high school choir director is an incredible man, and he spent countless hours listening to me.  I told him things I didn’t feel I could confide in anyone else, and he always affirmed me while gently reminding me to look at a situation from other people’s perspectives.  The most important advice he ever gave me was “fearlessly be yourself.”  I really held on to this; as a teenager, that was probably one of the most difficult things to do, but he contributed strongly to my sense of self-esteem and self-worth.  We had dinner several months ago, and I am so thankful that he still supports me and is proud of the things I do.  Our relationship was never formalized by any program in school; it was all personal and progressed naturally.  I always hold onto my experience with him because I would have been the last kid to “need” a mentor.  I could never claim that my parents did anything less than a wonderful job raising me.  (They read this blog, so hi Mom & Dad.)  I would never have been labeled “at risk.”  I was a straight A student and never had a detention in my life.  I benefited so much from having a mentor, but no one would have ever known this if our relationship hadn’t developed.  No one would have matched me or put me in a program. That’s the same reason I sometimes dislike “professional” mentoring.  The “at risk” label sometimes implies there might be something “wrong” with the youth, and it even implies that something must be wrong before a child “needs” a mentor. Volunteers must be taught that mentoring isn’t about fixing; it’s about listening and developing a relationship.

One of the most important lessons I learned from my mentor was how to give back and be a mentor myself.  I spent a year mentoring incarcerated youth as an AmeriCorps member, and it was very difficult to have those relationships come to an end after such a short period of time.  Research tells us that for a real impact to be made, mentoring relationships often must last at least 18 months or longer.  This is the point in time where I made the first conscious decision to become a mentor.  I wanted to commit to a mentoring relationship for longer than one year.  Because I didn’t have many opportunities to develop a natural mentoring relationship with someone younger than me, I decided to seek out an organization to help me fulfill this desire. However, I had just started my first “real” job using my degree from Ball State, and I wasn’t certain that I could commit to mentoring when I was working somewhere I didn’t intend to stay for a lifetime.  I was also researching grad schools, and it became very real to me that I might move away from Indiana to pursue my degree in another state.  This would have been the wrong time for me to make a mentoring commitment in my life. I set a goal to become a mentor as soon as I thought the time was right.

Fast forward to May 2009.  I made the decision to attend IUPUI’s SPEA program for my MPA.  I had returned to Indianapolis after living in Delaware & Madison counties from 2002-2008.   I was eager to start serving the city, and I knew I would be comfortable staying in the city for at least two years.  I approached Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana, and I told them that I was ready to be a Big!  They truly listened to me during my interview process, and they asked me some TOUGH personal questions!  (I sure didn’t expect to talk about my entire dating history with someone I had just met!)  I think those questions really gave them insight into who I am.   I’m sure they listened just as well to my Little and her mom, and this helped them make a great match for us. One month later, I was matched with my then 11 year old Little Sister.  It sounds silly, but as soon as I saw her wearing her Hannah Montana shirt and grinning at me, I knew they had made a great choice for both of us.  We’ve done quite a few activities together from making pizza and playing Wii at my apartment, to visiting the Indiana Historical Society, going to an Indiana Fever game, shopping at the mall, to taking a tour of where my classes are at IUPUI, to trick-or-treating (both dressed as Taylor Swift from different parts of the “You Belong with Me” video), and this past summer, we even went on the BBBSCI trip to Chicago together.  I’ve watched her basketball games, eaten lunch with her at school, and we’ve made an annual tradition of going to the Fishers Freedom Festival together.  The Freedom Festival is something I loved growing up as a kid, and I’m glad she loves it, too.  She doesn’t know this, but one of my favorite things is when we’re in the car, and we sing whatever song happens to be on Radio Disney at the moment.  (My other favorite memory of her is when I told her I would be coming to her school for lunch, and she got on Google Maps while we were on the phone to find directions from my house to the school.  Did I mention she’s smart?)  We’ve had conversations ranging from the silly to the very serious.  She poses questions about what she’s learned in D.A.R.E. asks what my opinion is on where she should go to college, and tells me about the nice and not so nice kids at school.  We’re talking about all those “important things” that a mentor should talk about, but every single conversation has happened naturally.  BBBSCI might have matched us, but those conversations are all ours!

I will say that there are two very important people to our mentoring relationship.  One person is her mother.  If I didn’t have a strong, trusting relationship with her, there is absolutely no way that I could have such a great relationship with her daughter! I’m thankful that her mother trusts me enough to share information about her family & daughter that helps me become a better mentor.  The second person is our Match Support Specialist, Vanessa.  I firmly believe that all “professional” mentors need someone like her to guide the process.  Vanessa has been a valuable resource to us, and her particular expertise has helped me understand my Little Sister better.  This kind of support is crucial for a mentor to have; sometimes we simply need someone to talk through an idea or a tough issue with. Vanessa has been nothing but kind, reassuring, and supportive of our relationship.

As my Little Sister’s 13th birthday approaches in a few weeks, we’re already past that 18 month mark, and the professional in me is cheering.  I’ve heard people say that we must find volunteers who are willing to commit “at least x amount of time to a child.”   This is a professional “best practice” that I think requires some personal attention.  While I do agree with the literature that indicates short-term relationships can be damaging to a child, professionals must recognize that good mentoring relationships grow gradually over time. When I first began mentoring my Little Sister, I knew that I could commit at least the amount of time that I was in graduate school.  What I didn’t know was that every time I saw her, I would learn more about her and her family, and I would grow more and more attached to her.  Now, I can’t imagine ending the relationship before she graduates from high school.  I want to see her graduate, and I am committed to helping her get into college. I’ll graduate right around the same time that I was matched with her two years ago, and I can’t wait to celebrate both events with her.

How do I know for sure that we’ll stay matched?  I suppose I don’t, but something she said to me made sure that I won’t be the one to give up on her, ever.  She mentioned to me that she has three theme songs for her life.  I couldn’t wait for her to tell me what they were.   One of the songs was, of course, a Taylor Swift song.

The song?

“Fearless”

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‘Tis the season… to be a good steward.

In Nonprofit Best Practices, Stewardship on December 28, 2010 at 6:54 pm

If you’re like me, you’ve probably been inundated with last minute donation requests disguised as a “thank you” from various organizations over the last month.  Some of these thank you’s come from organizations you may have donated to throughout the year, or they could be ones for which you’re a volunteer.  The “strategic” thinking behind this is that the holiday season supposedly makes people more generous.  I have mixed feelings about that.  I personally gave Kiva cards to my family members this year, but that was planned much before Christmas.  I hadn’t planned to give anything more to my local organizations past my United Way of Central Indiana contribution in the fall.  Because I work for a foundation, I also know that it’s time to push for people to get their final donations in toward 2010 tax credits.  This doesn’t impact my giving so much as a graduate student, but I know it’s important for people with larger giving power than myself.  While all of these strategies are important for raising money, I don’t think stewardship is necessarily about increasing the financial bottom line.  It’s about building meaningful relationships between your organization and your stakeholders.

If that’s true, when was the last time you got a really unexpected, meaningful thank you from an organization you’re connected with?

I want to share a few examples of good stewardship that I’ve received this year.  Here are two of the best:

Ball State University
I donated to my undergraduate institution for the first time this year.    I received a mid-summer/early fall ask.  I wasn’t receiving other mailings at the time, so I had time to think about giving.  The tone of the campaign spoke to me as a young alumnae.  It was specifically geared toward alumni.  They included an ask from an alum who had been the student government president at the time I attended BSU.  Seeing a picture of her and hearing it in her words encouraged me to donate.  There were also sensible, easy to understand ways to designate my dollars.  Participation in the Honors College at Ball State was a wonderful part of my academic career, so when I had the opportunity to designate toward the new Honors House, I was more than happy to do so.

I hardly expected more than a tax-receipt in the mail.  Ball State is a large university, and the amount I donated wouldn’t really cover much on its own.  However, I received something wonderful!  Ball State sent me a personalized, handwritten card from a student.  The student thanked me for my first time contribution and explained how it would benefit her.  What I like best is that the card reminds me of how I felt Ball State treated me during my time there.  The university never treated me like just another number, and even now, they’re paying attention to my status as a donor.

Girls Inc. of Greater Indianapolis
If you know me, it’s no secret that I love Girls Inc.  I’m about to start my third program as a volunteer facilitator, and I think the work they do in the community shows that they “get it.”  The staff members are supportive both during and between programs.  I’m impressed by their communication style, so I guess it shouldn’t have been surprising to me that they’d go above and beyond to make the top of my holiday stewardship list.
What did they send me?

Girls Inc. Card

I fully expected the inside of this card to contain a simple, computer printed “thanks for volunteering!” inside of it.  Instead, I opened the card and found the picture on the right!

It’s a handwritten thank you note from my program support coordinator.  I’m aware of how many volunteers she probably has based on the number of programs, so I’m sure this took quite a bit of time on her part to do it for everyone.  I absolutely appreciate that. She also sent me a copy of a girl feedback form from a girl who was in my fall cycle program.  The girl feedback forms show what girls like about the program and what they’ve learned.  This was an INCREDIBLE stewardship tool.  Reminding me of how my participation impacts girls was the best Christmas gift I could have received this year!!  Most importantly, Girls Inc. didn’t solicit me in this card.  It was all about how much they appreciate me as a volunteer and the work I’ve put in for them since I was trained last February.

This, to me, is stewardship at its best.  Some fundraisers frown on soliciting your volunteers, arguing that you’re already asking for their time.  However, when a volunteer receives something like this in the mail, how can one not want to become a donor?

Stewardship Tips for Any Season
+Stewardship is a relationship, not a task to be completed on a checklist.  Think about your volunteers and donors.  What would be really meaningful to them and improve your relationship?  If you send out meaningless stewardship pieces, chances are slim that you’ll see an increase in volunteers or donors.  Take the time to send something that matters.
+In many cases, meaningful stewardship will produce the financial results you want without the presence of a hard ask.  Ball State’s personalized acknowledgment of my first time contribution put currency in our relationship bank, and that will certainly carry over into a larger gift from me to them next year.
+ Adding even a little personal detail goes a long way.   It may not be feasible for your organization to write a handwritten thank you note to everyone, but if you can do it, you should, especially if your organization relies on volunteers to carry out its programs.  For smaller organizations with limited budgets, even a personalized thank you email or phone call goes a long way.
+Remind your donors or volunteers how they are personally making an impact.  Including general stories of success is one way to handle it.  If you can go the extra mile like Girls Inc and include something like the feedback form, this is even better.  It reengages your volunteers by reminding them how their personal contributions make a difference.

What are your tips for being a great steward?

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