Issue #6 - July/August 2007

Mission: The Volunteer Centers of Michigan strengthens, develops and connects volunteer centers throughout the state.

Vision: Volunteer Centers of Michigan ensures all volunteer centers have the capacity to positively impact every Michigan community and their citizens through volunteerism.

Making a case through story

The art of creating a buzz through story is the most successful and dynamic way we can inspire others to rally behind our cause. A creative story is essential in demonstrating the human impact of our work, and it will often do more to raise support and funding than the most colorful pie charts.

These qualitative stories are vital in proving the depth of our organization’s effect and should be documented regularly.  For our purposes, we should take a deep look at the people that exemplify our programs.  Who was involved in our last projects, honored at our recognition event, or served by our organization recently.

Every Volunteer Center can attach a face to their work, whether it be the story of an outgoing director who has spread their passion to others, a child whose life has been changed through the workings of the organization, or a volunteer who has given of their time each year since 1976. We talk about these people every day when explaining our work, but their stories are often overlooked when we are compiling data or organizing annual reports.

As we develop human interest stories about volunteerism in our counties, take a look back at the story to see if it contains one or more of the aspects of newsworthiness.  Chances are, if one or more of the following elements are included, we are on our way to creating a story that will interest our audience, and the media.

• Timeliness.            Does the story contain new information?
• Impact.                   Does the story affect readers viewers or listeners?
• Uniqueness.           Is the story different from other stories?
• Proximity.              Does the story describe events taking place near the targeted audience?

Sharing our stories is critical to the success of Volunteer Centers and will soon be included in the online reporting system. Now, however, great stories can be shared by contacting Brandon Seng at bseng@mnaonline.org, or by phone at 517.492.2447. Stories will be added to the year end report, and will help VCM build a case for future funding and continued support.

For examples of stories created and used in our network, visit www.mivolunteers.org/tell_story.asp.

Tips for Simple Summer Advocacy

As the summer slows the pace of the legislature, many representatives will be back in their community and eager to reconnect with their constituents. There are many easy ways Volunteer Center directors, staff and volunteers can also use this time to connect.  Some simple techniques to engage are:

• Write an op-ed or assist a volunteer in writing one on the importance of the Volunteer Center in your Community.
• Invite your representative to attend an event the highlights your strongest summer program. Call their hometown office, or send a simple invite. Check out the following link for legislative contact information. http://www.mnaonline.org/govdirectory.asp
• Stop by the office to see what sort of community engagement activities they have planned for the summer.
• Send a thank you card for all they have done to support volunteering in your community.
• Recognize your representative’s work through a program or event that highlights volunteering.

The more opportunities Volunteer Centers take to engage their representatives, their staff and other stakeholders in their community through the work of the Volunteer Center, the larger the voice will be in support for all Volunteer Centers in Michigan.  For more ideas resources and information on specific issues please visit the Michigan Public Policy Initiative: http://www.mnaonline.org/ppupdate.asp.

Also, remember this is great way to begin to get prepared for our November 7, 2007 Quarterly meeting.

Scholarship Program to Develop Nonprofit Social Sector Leaders
Deadline: November 15, 2007
The American Management Association (AMA) and Leader to Leader Institute established the AMA Scholarship Program to assist social sector nonprofit organizations in developing the strong leaders today who will lead the organizations of the future.   Up to 75 nonprofit employees will be able to take advantage of the fellowship, which includes a free seminar, a membership with the Leader-to-Leader Institute, and member benefits of the American Management Association. For more information about this opportunity - click here.

Michigan Nonprofit Association- Emerging Leaders VIII- Detroit
Emerging Leaders is a six-month seminar for professionals aspiring toward the role of leader. Emerging Leaders are individuals with between one and five years of professional experience in the nonprofit sector. Typically program-level staff, they are committed to developing a career in the nonprofit sector and are dedicated to enhancing the professional efficiency and impact of the organizations they work with. Enrollment for the 2007 class of Emerging Leaders is now open, for more information about this opportunity - click here.

The Corporation for National and Community Service Funding Available for AmeriCorps* National Programs
Funding is available for organizations interested in applying for AmeriCorps*National program grants. AmeriCorps*National grants are made directly by the Corporation to public or private nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, government entities within states or territories, Indian Tribes, and consortia of the aforementioned. There are five types of AmeriCorps*National grant opportunities available: AmeriCorps*National Direct, AmeriCorps*National Professional Corps, AmeriCorps*National Planning grants, AmeriCorps*National Education Award Program, and AmeriCorps*Indian Tribes. The deadline for AmeriCorps*National Applications is January 8, 2008. For detailed information, including the notice of funding opportunities and the AmeriCorps application instructions- click here.

Make Your City a More Playful Place
Every city should be a great place to live, work and play. But all too often, local governments loose sight of the importance of play for children and communities.  To address this KaBOOM! is kicking off “Playful City USA” a national recognition program that honors communities nationwide who fulfill five commitments to help create a powerful infrastructure for play. In return, cities receive national recognition, as well as awards and grant opportunities up to $25,000.  If you’d like your city to be more playful, read more to send a campaign letter that tells your local government you want to live in "Playful City USA"! For more information on this opportunity - click here.

The YSA Youth Venture Program Is Offering Micro-Grants for Young People Nationwide to Start Sustainable Social Ventures – Socially conscious people between the ages of 12 and 20-years-old are encouraged to apply for micro-grants of up to $1,000 from the YSA Youth Venture Program to create sustainable social ventures. Led by an AmeriCorps*VISTA volunteer, the YSA Youth Venture Program’s mission is to provide funding and resources to young people to lead socially conscious campaigns that are a lasting asset to their communities. YSA Youth Venture teams are required to plan a Global Youth Service Day project on April 25-27, 2008, and will receive resources from Youth Service America and Youth Venture, the leading organizations in the youth service movement. The application deadline is August 13, 2007. For more information about the YSA Youth Venture Program micro-grants - click here. 

Graphic and Web Design Toolkit
Tools, tips, and tricks for creating slick images and a polished Web site - Whether you're building a new Web site from scratch or simply revamping your organization's logo, this toolkit from Tech Soup offers tips, tricks, and tools to help. Visit www.techsoup.org/toolkits/graphics/ to access this resource.

Michigan Volunteer Centers Enjoy Reduced Rates on Technology Training
Michigan Nonprofit Association and NPower Michigan members may now enjoy reduced rates on computer classes from New Horizons- Desktop Applications training for 10-30% off.  To register, visit www.nhmichigan.com to choose the class you want, then contact James R. Graff, Jr. by email at jgraff@nhmichigan.com or phone (734) 853-2067. Be sure to mention that you are a member of Michigan Nonprofit Association.

On July 1, 2007, the Volunteer Centers of Michigan, currently affiliated with the ConnectMichigan Alliance, will become an affiliate of the Michigan Nonprofit Association. The ConnectMichigan Alliance and Michigan Nonprofit Association have merged and this merger provides the opportunity to join the nonprofit and volunteer sectors to create a more powerful, effective and innovative support structure for nonprofit organizations, higher education institutions and volunteer centers. The Michigan Nonprofit Association is working to ensure that every Michigan community is served by a vibrant nonprofit sector with a steady stream of engaged volunteers. VCM will remain supported by the ConnectMichigan Alliance Endowment.