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VolunteerSpotlight: Sabrina Lea, Council Director for Girls on the Run, Kansas City, MO

We love to highlight the good works of VolunteerSpot users all over the country.  Today our spotlight shines on Sabrina Lea, founder of Girls on the Run Council in Kansas City, Missouri.

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Please tell us a little about yourself and your role as a volunteer leader.

I started a Girls on the Run Council (GOTR) in Jackson County; it's a powerful after-school program for girls in grades 3 through 5 focused on building self-esteem, healthy habits and positive self-image.  I currently spend 20-30 hours a week moving it forward and also volunteer as the volunteer coordinator for Southwood Elementary School.

How did you get interested in becoming a volunteer leader?

My husband and I have a mantra, "It's not about me."  Living with that mind set reminds me that life is about helping out where I can without expecting anything in return.  I think that is a key to being both a volunteer and an effective leader.

In what ways are you involved in volunteering as a Parent?

I help out with my kids' school, Southwood Elementary School in Raytown, Missouri, by being on the PTA board as Historian and Volunteer Coordinator.  Professionally? I am currently running Girls on the Run of Jackson County as a full time volunteer.

As a volunteer leader, what are your scheduling and signup needs?

As volunteer coordinator, I need to have an easy and effective way to get parents and staff organized for school events.  For GOTR, we organize two 5K's a year, and need lots of volunteers to help in many different areas on race day from packet pick-up to finish line attendants .

What’s one piece of advice you have for volunteers or volunteer leaders out there?

Ask for help!  Don't feel like you have to do everything.  As a leader, it's pretty easy to fall into thinking, "If I don't do it, it won't get done."  And before you know it, you're doing everything and banging your head against the wall because it's too much.  People want to help, let them!

Why did you decide to use VolunteerSpot?

In the past, I've created a word document with a list of the volunteer needs, then sent e-mail to everyone.  Once I received a reply, I would then start filling in the blanks.  However, sometimes people would want to do only one job, and so I'd have 10 people signed up for something I really only needed 1-2 people for.  VolunteerSpot not only saves me time by sending just ONE e-mail and not having to organize by hand, but it also allows the volunteers to see exactly what help is still needed.  (short answer: because it is so convenient!)

What else would you like our readers to know?

If you're not already using VolunteerSpot, you should.  It saves you so much time and energy, allowing you to focus on other things!

Readers inspired to volunteer, donate, or learn more about Girls on the Run may do so here: GOTR Jackson County.

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We salute Sabrina Lea and all the volunteer heroes out there working for our kids! If you're using VolunteerSpot, write and tell us about what you're doing, and give us a chance to shine our Volunteer Spotlight on you!! Just email us at [email protected].

New Sign Up Tool Overview to Share with your Teachers and Parent Volunteers

Volunteer Spot Overview for Leaders and Parent Volunteers

It's Back-to-School time and parents have been embracing VolunteerSpot's free and easy online signup tool.  You've been using it for everything from scheduling volunteers to staff the stadium concessions stand, to coordinating cafeteria and classroom helpers, and planning the fall carnival and other fundraisers.

Suzanne G. of Charlotte, NC wrote us and said:

I am the event coordinator for fundraising at our elementary school -- so far VolunteerSpot has blown me away at how organized and easy to use it is.

And Stacy K, a parent volunteer from Alpharetta, GA told us:

What an awesome way to volunteer. Love VolunteerSpot!

A few of you asked for materials to share with your parent and teacher teams that would let them know what to expect when using VolunteerSpot this year.  We thought that was a terrific idea and have put together a short SlideShare presentation including sign up screen shots. Please link to this page, email the presentation, or embed it in your school website for future reference.

Have a wonderful school year and THANKS for using our free and easy volunteer scheduler!

>> Volunteers are also invited to take a live or video tour at http://www.VolunteerSpot.com.

VolunteerSpotlight: Marissa Vogel, Little Helping Hands, Austin, TX

We love to highlight the good works of VolunteerSpot users all over the country. Today our spotlight shines on Marissa Vogel, founder of Little Helping Hands in Austin, TX.

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Please tell us a little about yourself and about why you started Little Helping Hands.

My husband and I have two girls, ages 4 and 6. When my now 6-year old was 4 and in preschool she started coming home and showing me schoolwork, which included some amazing examples of comprehension. It dawned on me that I wasn’t giving her enough credit – she could understand much more than I thought she could and had a skill set to match! She was so eager to learn and wanted constant exposure to work; I decided that it was time to start teaching her about compassion and social responsibility through community service activities.

I spent hours on the Internet trying to find meaningful volunteer opportunities for her. But most organizations required their volunteers to be at least 12-years-old. There really weren’t a lot of family volunteer activities out there. My wish was to go to a single resource to find volunteer opportunities appropriate for her age and to be able to sign up for them easily -- a year later, we launched Little Helping Hands to inspire volunteering in early childhood!

What are your volunteer needs for Little Helping Hands?

Right now we’re in the process of building our programs around volunteer tasks/themes. For example, our Kids Cooking for Charity program involves meal preparation food assembly, baking, etc. The idea is to provide young children with the opportunity to learn or practice basic cooking skills while at the same time doing it for a good cause.

Our Lil’ Green Hands program will involve activities associated with environmental awareness activities like gardening/planting, harvesting local produce, and city/park clean-ups. With this program, the idea is to educate and engage young learners to appreciate and respect our environment.

We currently recruit groups of families, typically 4-6 per session, and our activities are geared toward children between the ages of 4-12. Families visit our website, view the available volunteer opportunities, and sign up from there through a link to VolunteerSpot. We’ll handle everything else. The idea is to make it simple for parents/caregivers to find, sign-up, and participate in volunteer activities with their young children. Our goal is to create a meaningful and fun volunteer experience for the entire family.

How did you get interested in volunteering?

I grew up participating in community service activities periodically throughout childhood, primarily through school and church-sponsored activities. As an adult, I’ve volunteered at the SPCA, Ronald McDonald House, my daughter’s kickball league, and served on committees for professional organizations. I have always wanted to do more volunteering, though, but it seemed like I never had enough time with work and family taking priority. Now, since it is my work and part of our family life, I am devoting more time to it!

What’s one piece of advice you have for volunteers or their leaders out there?

Try a variety of activities and support multiple causes. We can all do many things well, beyond what we do professionally. Volunteering gives you an opportunity to use different skill sets – pick one that’s not what you do every day and sign up to volunteer for a cause or organization you don’t know much about. You’ll be amazed what’s out there!

Why did you decide to use VolunteerSpot? 

Our organization needs a good registration tool and it doesn’t make sense to reinvent the wheel. VolunteerSpot provides most of the features we need to operate efficiently and is easy to use. They’re also very customer-focused and responsive to our suggestions and ideas. It’s a plus that they’re Austin-based, as well -- supporting local businesses and organizations is part of our business, so it makes sense to utilize them.

Anything else you’d like our readers to know?

For those who want to involve their children in volunteering but think they’re not old enough, don’t underestimate the knowledge of a young child. They’re likely more ready than you think and early childhood is the best time to start!

If you're interested in learning more about Little Helping Hands and family-friendly volunteering, or want to make a donation, please visit http://LittleHelpingHands.org,

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We salute Marissa and all the volunteer heroes out there everyday making our communities better places to live! If you're using VolunteerSpot, write and tell us about what you're doing, and give us a chance to shine our Volunteer Spotlight on you!! Just email us at [email protected].

7 Unique Ways to Say Thank You to your Volunteers

Today's guest blogger is Roger Carr of Charity Walks Blog. His post below was originally published to speak to Charity Walk leaders, but the sentiment is universal for all of us that coordinate volunteers. Thanks Roger! Appropriate volunteer recognition will help keep your volunteers motivated and interested in supporting your organization for many years to come.

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Are you ready to kick up your volunteer recognition program and notch? Try some of the following unique ways to thank your volunteers:

1. Write a thank you note to the volunteer’s spouse or parents. A volunteer sacrifices his or her time in support of your nonprofit organization. The volunteer is typically not the only one making a sacrifice. A spouse may have to pick up extra duties. A parent may have to drive the child to and from each meeting and event. Think about others who are inconvenienced  providing support to a volunteer and send them a thank you note.
2. Write a letter of recognition to the volunteer’s supervisor or school. Businesses and schools consider community service important. Volunteering can aid a person in pursuing a career. Volunteering can also a student when being considered for certain classes and also what it comes time to apply for college or a job. Make sure you notify the volunteers’ supervisors and schools regarding the great support you’re receiving and the impact that it is making.
3. Track the volunteer’s hours of service and submit for the President’s Volunteer Service Award. It doesn’t take as many volunteer hours as you might think to qualify for the award. Go to PresidentialServiceAwards.gov to learn more about the award.
4. Create a volunteer photo wall. And a space to display photos of your volunteers. They can be studio shots or captured in action. Volunteers will be scrambling to find their photo on the wall every time they see it.
5. Invite volunteers to observe or participate in organization meetings and training events. Volunteers should be considered an extension of the nonprofit organization staff. By allowing them to participate in some of the organization’s other activities, they create a stronger bond with the organization and water and more about the impact the organization is making. This in turn results in a more dedicated (and appreciative) volunteer.
6. Send handwritten thank you notes from individuals who have been directly helped by the organization. My most prized thank you came in the form of a handwritten note from a young girl who was helped by the organization I supported. This is a powerful way to show their appreciation to volunteers.
7. Nominate volunteers for community service awards. Search for community service awards in your area and nominate deserving volunteers who support your efforts. United Way is one organization that has such awards. You should also consider creating your own volunteer awards that can be presented annually to your most capable and dedicated volunteers.

Your charity walks would not be successful without motivated volunteers. Regularly find ways to let your volunteers know that you are grateful for the time and energy they contribute to your cause.

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For more resources for Charity Walk leaders, please visit Roger Carr's Charity Walks blog at www.charitywalksblog.com.  We'd like to remind our readers that another important way to thank volunteers is to make it elegantly easy for them to participate in service in the first place.  VolunteerSpot's free and easy online volunteer scheduling system saves time and makes it simple for people to sign up to help!

Want more creative ideas for saying thank you to volunteers?  Please see our free eBook: Volunteer Recognition from A-Z. 

VolunteerSpotlight: Lauren Maynard, Greenhouse Scholars and Venus De Miles

We love to highlight the good works of VolunteerSpot users all over the country. Charity races, fundraising rides and walk-a-thons are typically efficient in getting race participants signed up and in soliciting donations. Until now, coordinating the behind-the-scenes volunteers that make these events successful has been a bit more of a challenge. VolunteerSpot steps up to support local volunteers as they work to orchestrate these exciting and fun community-building fundraisers.

 Today our spotlight shines on Lauren Maynard, volunteer coordinator for Venus de Miles, Colorado's first women's-only bike ride in support of Greenhouse Scholars, an organization providing mentorship and scholarship to high-performing, under-resourced students.

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Please tell us a little about yourself and about Venus de Miles. 

Venus de Miles was first organized in the Fall of 2007as a fundraiser for Greenhouse Scholars. We've established ourselves as Colorado's first and only women's bike ride. I took over as volunteer coordinator in 2008 and now I’m also running ride operations.

Colorado is the perfect place to have this ride; however, it can be a pretty intimidating biking environment. We offer three different courses (35, 50 and 65 miles) to accommodate varying skill levels. Riding together, in sisterhood, we empower women to feel that they can accomplish a challenging ride in a safe and fun environment.

We added a Dream Team this year, made up of women of all ages who have been successful in the world of cycling and sports. They are a very impressive group of women who are advocating for the ride.We had 650 women participate in the race our first year; our goal is to double that on August 30th.

What are the requirements?

There aren’t any requirements for joining the ride, except for being a woman.  We have 2 start times -- 7 a.m. for the 50-65 milers and 8:30 a.m. for the 35 milers.  There is also a $79 registration fee; the majority of it goes directly back into our organization supporting the ride

What are your volunteer needs at Venus de Miles?

We need about 150 volunteers to do a variety of different jobs to make the ride successful.  In the days before the ride, we use volunteers for stuffing packets and getting them to the right places, as well as for setting up rest stops. On ride day, volunteers help with parking, registration, packet-pickup, and running the rest stations on the road. There are also 45 Course Marshals scattered throughout the course directing people where to turn. 

At the end of the ride, we hold a giant festival, which also requires volunteers to run and to clean up.  We tapped into a lot of different groups this year to recruit volunteers, such as the Junior League of Denver and roller derby teams.

How did you get interested in nonprofit work? 

I just kind of fell into the position. There was a need and it was pretty urgent -- so I thought, ‘Alright, I can figure this out!’  I like providing organization and getting people in the right places.

What’s one piece of advice you have for race volunteers or their leaders out there? 

It’s important to empower people with information so they can solve problems on their own — it’s also extremely helpful when dealing with such a large volume of volunteers!  My goal for Venus de Miles was to set up a structure for the volunteers. For each group of volunteers, I designated a Volunteer Captain and divided various ride responsibilities among them.  I inform the Captains of their responsibilities; any information pertaining to their group they can disseminate to their members. Not only do I make fewer phone calls, Volunteer Captains feel valued that I trust them to handle more problems on their own.

Why did you decide to use VolunteerSpot? How are we working for you?

I realized we weren’t in a position to hire someone to come in to coordinate our volunteers, so I started searching online; when I went to VolunteerSpot it was a perfect fit!.  It makes the whole process a lot easier, especially when working with so many volunteers and such a wide variety of roles.VolunteerSpot eliminates the number of emails going back and forth to potential volunteers, which saves everyone time.  People can just go to the site and pick what tasks they want to do. I’ve found it very easy to use.

If you are interested in participating in the ride on August 30th, please learn more at www.VenusdeMiles.org.

If you are inspired to make a donation to Greenhouse Scholars, you may do so here: www.GreenhouseScholars.org.

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We salute Lauren Maynard and all the volunteer heroes out there working for a good cause! If you're using VolunteerSpot, write and tell us about what you're doing, and give us a chance to shine our Volunteer Spotlight on you!! Just email us at [email protected].

Sign up Sheet Examples - Make Your Own - Online, Free and Easy

 Watch, Read and Learn How Online Sign Up Sheets by VolunteerSpot Save Time & Energy

What's most fun about working at VolunteerSpot is learning all the new and creative ways volunteer leaders and teachers find to use our free signup tool. 

 

Register at VolunteerSpot today and make your own online signup sheet.

Or, click to view our free eBook with sign up sheet examples and see how others have organized their signup sheets and activities. Click 'full' in the viewer tray to see the presentation in full-screen mode and press ESC to return to the page.

Bake Sale Signup Sheet, p. 7

Book Fair Signup Sheet, p. 8
                          
Camping Trip Signup Sheet, p. 10

Community Meal Signup Sheet, p. 11

Community Soup Kitchen Signup Sheet, p. 12

Company Fishing Day and Picnic Signup Sheet, p.13

Concessions Stand Signup Sheet, p. 14

ESL Signup Sheet, p. 15

Little League Signup Sheet, p. 16

Mommy Meals Signup Sheets (week and day view), p. 17

School Carnival Team Signup Sheet, p. 19

Soccer Tournament Signup Sheet, p. 20

Swim Team / Swim Meet Signup Sheets, p. 21

Talent Show Signup Sheet, p. 23

Vacation Bible School ( VBS ) Signup Sheet, p. 24

Parent-Teacher Conference Signup Sheet, p. 25

VolunteerSpot is the ONLY FREE volunteer scheduling and signup tool designed to handle ongoing scheduling needs including signing up for specific shifts, jobs, and things to bring.  No waiting for approvals and passwords, no software to install, just easy, free sign up tools for everyday heroes making a difference. 

VolunteerSpotlight: Elin Ross of Cakes for Cause, Frederick, MD

Good news - it's something we all need a little (or a lot) more of these days. One of the wonderful things about working at VolunteerSpot, is we see good news every day - YOURS!  Our volunteers are doing wonderful work for a variety of schools, community groups and nonprofits, and our simple volunteer software is helping them do it more efficiently and with less hassle.  We'd like share good news and uplifting stories by putting our volunteer leaders in the Spotlight -- Today we’re speaking with Elin Ross of Cakes for Cause.

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Please tell us a little about yourself and about Cakes for Cause.

Cakes for Cause is something I've been thinking about for a number of years, since I worked in the child welfare system in the 1990's.  It's important to me, that as a community, we address the real transitional needs of youth as they age out of the foster care system because otherwise they have difficulty as adults and ultimately we all pay for that.  Our success to date has been to establish Cakes for Cause as a new non-profit in Frederick, MD, to develop a comprehensive job training curriculum for our youth apprentices, and to establish ourselves as a popular retail bakery.  At this point, we are waiting for construction to be completed to launch our 6-month apprenticeship program.  We anticipate that our retail doors will open in the middle of September.

What are your volunteer needs at Cakes for Cause?

We have used volunteers in a number of critical ways as we're developing the project. Volunteers helped us write our business plan, apply for 501(c)3 tax status, they help us with our graphics and marketing materials and they are the staff for our farmer's market booth every week where we sell our baked goods.  Our goal with each volunteer is to meet them where they are and to provide them with an experience that benefits them as well as us.

How did you get interested in volunteering/nonprofit work? 

I began volunteering myself when I was in Junior High School; I went to a nursing home every week and played bingo with the residents.  As part of my Master's program, I began an internship at an international organization.  It turned out that the founder of that program also had a US-based child welfare program that I ultimately ended up working for on-and-off for the next 15 years or so.  

What's one piece of advice you have for volunteers or their leaders out there? 

For volunteers...understand the limits of the nonprofit organization and how much they have to give you. They are usually looking for volunteers because they don't have the time to do the task themselves.  Your service is valued and important to them, so the more professional and independent you can be, the easier it is for the organization.

For volunteer leaders...figure out what it is that the volunteer is looking for -- recognition? emotional connection? community service hours? And figure out if you can provide it to them.  If you can't, then send them somewhere else so they don't feel like they're wasting their time and get frustrated.  Figure out if there are any resources in your community that can help you structure your volunteer program before you bring on volunteers.

Why did you decide to use VolunteerSpot?

I got an email from our local volunteer clearinghouse about it and loved the idea of the calendar because we have recurring opportunities.  I can also post any number of other events on it, there's no spam associated with it, and VolunteerSpot sends a reminder so if I don't get to my own reminder, I haven't lost any volunteers.  I also think I'm going to use it to organize our volunteer appreciation party this year too.  It's very user-friendly and we love it and so do our volunteers.

Anything else you'd like our readers to know about your organization?

We love our volunteers and we wouldn't be the organization we are without their efforts!

Readers interested in volunteering or making a donation to Cakes for Cause, please learn more here: CakesforCause.org.

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We salute Elin Ross and all the volunteer heroes out there everyday making our communities better places to live!  If you're using VolunteerSpot, write and tell us about what you're doing, and give us a chance to shine our Volunteer Spotlight on you!! Just email us at [email protected].

Save Teachers Time - Parent-Teacher Conference Scheduling Free and Easy!

Now that teachers are reporting back to work and school is getting ready to start across the country, at VolunteerSpot, we're already thinking ahead to all the great ways parents can get involved with their childrens' school year. Volunteering at school is one important way to participate, attending parent-teacher conferences is another critical time for parents to partner with teachers. Typically, it works like this: kids bring home a flier in their backpack with scheduling options, parents circle their desired meeting times and send it back, and then teachers stay late juggling emails and a spreadsheet to get all the parents in a spot that works. Inevitably, some parents get missed, forget their meeting, or just aren't prepared.

We cut this entire days-long process down to about 15 minutes!  Here's a quick SlideShare presentation that shows how VolunteerSpot works to save time and streamline parent-teacher conference scheduling. It also includes tips for successful parent-teacher conferences -- for both parents and teachers. With our new co-organizer feature, both the room parent and teacher may access the same calendar to schedule parents without email addresses and print daily meeting schedules. Our automated reminders save time and help everyone keep their commitments.

Please take a look and share us with your teachers and school parent organization. Visit VolunteerSpot today to take a live or video tour. Let's do away with the backpack flier brigade this school year and make it easy to participate in parent-teacher conferences!! 

We've got a New Look and MORE TIME-SAVING Features and Resources!

It's always exciting getting something new - new shoes, new lipstick, a new novel.  At VolunteerSpot, we're pleased to announce a new homepage look and several new features and resources to save you even more time coordinating volunteers.

Here are a few highlights:

Multiple Organizers: Designate additional leaders to monitor and manage your activity. Terrific for co-chairs and parent-teacher coordination.

Copy Activity: Plan a best-practice schedule and copy the template to new activities. Ideal for charity race teams, parent-teacher conferences and school carnival booths where each classroom has a different assignment.

Volunteer Entrance: Volunteers can quickly request new activity links and search for public volunteer opportunities using All for Good's search tool.  Just enter your zip and get involved!

New FREE eBooks: Guides and tips for volunteer leaders on everything from Fundraising with Kids, to Youth Volunteering, Bake Sale Best Practices and Carnival Games and Booth ideas.

New Resource Links: Offering volunteer leaders helpful information about Service Learning, Fundraising, Volunteer Management and more.

Redesigned MySpot Page: Gives you on-the-spot tips and support for planning your volunteer activities.

Stuff you Can't See:  We've fixed several small pesky bugs and made the site load even faster for extremely large volunteer groups (>200 volunteers).

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Thank You, VolunteerSpot Users, for sharing your feedback and guiding our development!  Please keep your ideas and suggestions coming -  we're adding new whistles and bells all the time.

Happy Volunteering!

~ Team VolunteerSpot

Carnival Game Ideas and More in a New Carnival Money-Making Guide

Carnival Games and Money Making Made Easy

We here at VolunteerSpot are very happy to tell you about a new friendship we have been developing with a blogger named Jim Berigan.  Jim is the founder and chief writer for the website, EverybodyHatesFundraising.com. 

This post proudly sponsored by Carnival Savers

10% discount on carnival supplies & prizes: Promo Code=VOLUNTEER

Even though his site is called everybodyHATESfundraising, his goal is to help groups create an environment in which nobody does!  According to Jim, his new site is a “parent-friendly fundraising blog for the ‘little guys'", which basically means that he will be paying extra special attention to those of you brand new to the fundraising committee, as well as to those of you veterans who may be looking for some fresh ideas. His mission is to help organizations like schools, youth groups and nonprofits stay away from fundraising methods that have worn out their welcome with most parents and businesses.

To help launch his new venture, Jim has written an eBook that we are really excited about.  It’s called “The 2009-2010 School Carnival Money Making Guide”.  It is 186 pages and chock full of tips, advice, and strategies on how to raise more money at your next carnival -- which, as many of you know, is one of the most popular and effective ways to raise funds for schools, churches and other community groups. 

This e-book, which sells for $20, takes you through the entire carnival process, from establishing a cohesive team right at the start to planning dozens of the best ways to actually make money at your event. He shares detailed information on many topics, including:

Planning
Marketing
Volunteer management (which he specifically highlights our     simple VolunteerSpot sign up tool),
Prize selection
Monetization  

In addition, he has teamed up with SchoolCarnivals.com to provide an extensive list (over 30 pages) of midway games and larger group activities that your families will absolutely love.

Please take a few minutes to visit EverybodyHatesFundraising.com and check out what Jim has to offer.  We have read through his eBook ourselves (and shared it with our school carnival committees), and we believe that the strategies he outlines will be very helpful in boosting your carnival revenue. We also want to mention that for every sale of Jim’s eBook made through this link on our website, VolunteerSpot will receive a $6 to $10 commission, which will be very helpful in supporting our mission of supporting local volunteering. Overall, it’s a no-lose proposition -- you get a very helpful product to help you raise more money, and we get a financial bonus!

For more information about Jim’s new eBook, we encourage you to click here and check out his site. “The 2009-2010 School Carnival Money Making Guide” (it includes a 60 day money-back guarantee).

For those of you looking for some quick and fun carnival game and booth ideas, we have a FREE eBook available here: Fabulously Fun School Carnival Ideas. It's nowhere near as comprehensive as Jim's - but it is guaranteed to spark some fresh ideas for your upcoming local carnival.  Whichever eBook you choose, be sure to use VolunteerSpot's free and easy volunteer scheduling tool to save time coordinating your volunteers!