Issue #14 - November/December 2008

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

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

The HandsOn Network, generated by Points of Light Institute and The Walt Disney Company proudly present Family Volunteer Day. This annual day of service, held on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, is designed to demonstrate the power of families who choose to volunteer together to support the communities in which they live and serve. Volunteering as a family provides quality time for busy families, strengthens communication, and bonds and positively impacts local communities across the nation.  The partners for this day of service call on your organization, business, or volunteer center to participate in Family Volunteer Day by providing opportunities for America's families to help communities create supportive environments for their children and each other. For more information visit the Family Volunteer Day website.

Previous Projects and Ideas:

• The Volunteer Center of Southern Nevada, Las Vegas, NV teamed up with local agencies to beautify McCall Elementary School on Family Volunteer Day. McCall students and their families joined with volunteers from Raising Nevada, Stand Tall Don't Fall and the State Bar of Nevada/Law Related Education Project to celebrate students' artwork and spruce up the school's exterior by painting a mural on the outside of the elementary school.
  
  
• Volunteer Center of Greensboro, Greensboro, NC worked with residents of a mostly immigrant apartment community to construct several outdoor picnic tables in an attempt to beautify their surroundings for Family Volunteer Day. The Volunteer Center helped secure donated wood from a local business and recruited volunteers from both inside and outside of the neighborhood, helping to pull residents together and foster a greater sense of community.
  
  
• The United Way of Somerset County, Bridgewater, NJ sponsored an afternoon of projects for Family Volunteer Day. Projects ranged from holiday greeting cards for hospitalized veterans, making decorations for a local food bank for Thanksgiving, creating a mural for Gifts of Season program, and shopping for someone in need.

On January 19, 2009 volunteer centers across the country will have the opportunity to generate momentum for service through participating in Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. In 1994 Congress passed the King Holiday and Service Act, designating the King Holiday as a national day of volunteer service. Instead of a day off from work or school, Congress asked Americans of all backgrounds and ages to celebrate Dr. King's legacy by turning community concerns into citizen action.The King Day of Service brings together people who might not ordinarily meet, breaks down barriers that have divided us in the past, leads to better understanding and ongoing relationships, and is an opportunity to recruit new volunteers for your ongoing work.

The 2008 King Day of Service saw a record number of Americans honoring Dr. King by volunteering in their communities.From building homes and delivering meals to refurbishing schools and reading to children, more than a half million Americans served in projects in all 50 states.

While King Holiday has passed, the work of realizing King’s dream continues.Americans are encouraged to join in “40 Days of Nonviolence: Building the Beloved Community,” a national effort to follow King’s teachings of nonviolence and serve in the 40 days following the holiday.You can sign the Pledge of Nonviolence, find ways to reduce violence and achieve justice in your community, and participate in an entire Semester of Service!

Jim Pearl and HandsOn Battle Creek collaborated with Kingman Museum on Saturday, October 25 for Make a Difference Day. Around 50 volunteers helped over 900 kids and parents explore different fields of science while getting a unique trick-or-treating experience. HandsOn Battle Creek also collected food for the Food Bank of South Central Michigan and enlisted volunteers for other events. Click here to view the entire article in the Battle Creek Enquirer.

IRS Workshops for Small and Mid-sized Tax-Exempt Organizations
On November 18, 19, and 20, 2008 in Detroit, MI, IRS revenue agents will lead workshops, which will provide an overview of the "nuts and bolts" of tax compliance for exempt organizations. Workshop topics include an in-depth discussion of activities that can jeopardize 501 (c)(3) status, unrelated business income and gaming, and unemployment issues for tax-exempt organizations. Particular emphasis is given to a discussion and a walkthrough of the revised Form 990 and Form 990-EZ information returns. Pre-registration is required at www.irs.gov/eo.

New Vitality: Strategies to Effectively Involve "Boomers"
On November 18, 2008 in Livonia, MI, attend this day-long workshop with special guest speaker Richard Lynch. The workshop describes who "Boomers" really are and what motivates them. It is anticipated that some 78 million American Baby Boomers are now beginning to retire. Research reports more than half of those will look for personal satisfaction by "giving back". Volunteer coordinators as well as other nonprofit staff need to understand strategies for maximizing on this valuable resource.  Understanding how to engage this group of niche volunteers is a much needed skill to prepare nonprofit organizations for how to best work with highly skilled and motivated individuals. Register Now!

Mentor Michigan Statewide Conference
The Mentor Michigan Statewide Conference is in East Lansing on November 17, 2008. This conference provides the opportunity to interact with leading authorities who will discuss best practices, quality enhancement, and other topics to present the very best mentoring programs available. The 2008 Mentor Michigan conference is sponsored by Mentor Michigan and the Michigan Community Service Commission in partnership with Michigan State University Extension.Visit the Mentor Michigan website to learn more and download the registration brochure. 

A Charitable-Giving Meltdown is Not Inevitable
Even with the recent steep stock-market drops, a prominent wealth researcher at Boston College says philanthropy may not suffer a financial meltdown as dire as some fund raisers fear, notes a new post in Prospecting, The Chronicle’s fund-raising column. Click here to read the article.

November 1: International Volunteer Managers Day
Universally, people recognize the contribution of volunteers - in sport, health, emergency services, faith communities and the environmental lobby.  In fact, volunteers are involved in just about every aspect of service delivery in all walks of life. However, volunteering does not succeed in a vacuum. Behind this army of volunteers lies an equally dedicated group of individuals and agencies who are responsible for the coordination, support, training, administration and recruitment of the world's volunteers - skilled professionals who are adept at taking singular passion and turning it into effective action. That is why we celebrate International Volunteer Managers Day every year on November 1. It is important to let those professionals know that the spirit of volunteerism is enhanced and enabled by them, and to thank them. Make sure the people who act as leaders and catalysts get the recognition they deserve! Learn more at the International Volunteer Managers Day website.

HandsOn Network Grant Opportunity
HandsOn Network is pleased to announce funding available to State Entities and Volunteer Connector Organizations to increase the nation’s volunteer infrastructure.These funds are made possible through a Cooperative Agreement with the Corporation for National and Community Service.HandsOn Network will fund up to 25 grant awards of up to $1.5 million. For the full Notice of Funding Availability and Volunteer Impact Retention and Expansion Grant Application, go to: Handsonnetwork.org

Quick Tip
The keyboard shortcut Alt + Tab allows you to switch between open applications or tasks without using the mouse. Use the left thumb to hold down the “Alt” key, then tap the “Tab” key with your left middle finger.

Online Survey Tools to Fit Your Nonprofit
From free, low-cost, and advanced online survey tools, there’s one that will fit right for your nonprofit! If your need to collect data for research or evaluate a new program surveys can help you understand what your constituents think and how successful programs are. Online surveys can be great for informally collecting cost-efficient data. To learn more, click here to read the article from TechSoup.

Should Your Volunteer Center Launch a Blog?
Blogging is a relatively new and fast-growing phenomenon in today’s society. Maintaining a blog is an easy way to provide regularly updated information to your constituents. Check out this article by Nancy E. Schwartz to learn how to put blogs to work for your volunteer center or nonprofit organization.