Program Resources

The Points of Light Foundation's Three Essential Services have been created to assist local centers in effectively and efficiently serving their communities. Click here for more information and guides for meeting these essential services.

The CMA Media Relations Kit provides the ConnectMichigan Alliance partner organizations and members with templates and samples to utilize for a variety of communication purposes. The kit is based on the needs of the organization and its members and will be modified as those needs evolve. The Media Relations Kit is generously supported with funding from the Ford Motor Company Fund. Click here to access this resource.

Family Volunteering provides qulity time for busy families, strengthens communication and bonds and positively affects local communities everywhere. Click here for family volunteering resources.

The Michigan Student Service Award, is a premier statewide program recognizing high school graduates who volunteer a significant number of hours to benefit their communities. Click here for MSSA resources.

National Volunteer Week is April 27-May 3, 2008. The 2008 National Volunteer Week resource guide has the necessary information and resources to recognize your volunteers with a special event, or just to tell the rest of your community about how wonderful your volunteers are! Click here for the resource guide.

VCM Retreat Follow-Up

VCM April 2008 Retreat Follow Up Information:

Intergenerational Engagement
Sustainability
Experience Corps in Grand Rapids

Ongoing Training Opportunities

Michigan Nonprofit Association Emerging Leader Program
Emerging Leaders is a program of the Michigan Nonprofit Leadership Institute, which seeks to enhance and strengthen the leadership of the nonprofit sector through information, support, enrichment and celebration. 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. More information is available at http://www.mnaonline.org/leadership.asp .

Michigan Nonprofit Association Executive Leadership Fellows Program
Executive Leadership Fellows is a comprehensive preparation and planning seminar for nonprofit executive directors with less than three years experience leading a nonprofit organization. It is your opportunity to acquire and fine-tune basic management skills, explore your personal leadership style, work with your board leaders to assess your organization, and chart a course for your organization’s future. More information is available at http://www.mnaonline.org/leadership.asp.

Service Learning Resources

Service Learning is a special kind of community service. More than a volunteer project for its own sake, a service learning project involves youth volunteers not only in meaningful activity to help others, but further takes them through a reflective process, where they develop a deeper understanding of the issues involved and a stronger commitment to positive action. They also develop better self-understanding, as they express feelings about their involvement, and reflect on the meaning of the project and their group experience.

While many service learning opportunities take place within the curriculum of an educational setting, many other service learning projects are community based.

Volunteer Centers are often the link between schools or youth service programs and the community. They assist teachers and youth leaders to develop valuable community projects. Then they help “fill in the blanks” about the history and impact of the problem or issue that is being approached.

While Volunteer Centers are involved with many youth programs and projects to benefit communities, the most comprehensive are those that involve aspects of service learning, linking emotions, learning, and ideals.

To learn about youth programming and service learning in your area, contact your Volunteer Center

For more about K-12 Service Learning:

For more about college service-learning:

For more information about Learn and Serve programs in Michigan: