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Volunteer Spotlight: Carmen Freed, RIF Coordinator, Peekskill, NY

VolunteerSpot powers the good work of volunteers at local community groups, schools and nonprofits. Today, we shine our VolunteerSpotlight on Carmen Freed, coordinator for Reading is Fundamental (RIF) in Peekskill (Westchester County), NY.  Since 1966, RIF has been preparing and motivating children to read by delivering free books and literacy resources to those children and families who need them most.

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

I've been working with RIF for over 15 years. RIF provides books to children who might not otherwise have them. My role is to coordinate the delivery of over 800 books to children in the Westchester County, NY area.

How did you get interested in becoming a volunteer leader?

After working as a volunteer with RIF for many years, I decided to step in as coordinator three years ago when the previous leader moved on. Because I was already familiar with the responsibilities of a volunteer, it was easier to transition over to the role of coordinator.

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

During the months of July and August we need about 32 volunteers to deliver over 800 books to children, at eight different locations within the community. The volunteers are responsible for picking up the books from a central location, setting them up by reading level, then making sure the children (not their parents) select two books each. Then the volunteers count the remaining books, pack them up, and deliver them back to the central location.

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

That people need to be reminded about their commitments. I found that I was able to recruit volunteers fairly easily, but then people wouldn’t show up, because they forgot about it. That’s my favorite feature about VolunteerSpot…reminders are sent out automatically. And, the volunteers can easily check the calendar at any time if they want to check on their schedule.

Why did you decide to use VolunteerSpot?

These days, most people are hooked in electronically. Using the old methods of phone calls or paper fliers just doesn’t cut it anymore. Papers get lost, phone calls get forgotten. But if someone receives an email, they can simply sign up then and there, because they can see what's needed, and what's convenient for them. The best part is they receive an automatic reminder. In addition, sending an email to many people at once is much easier then making 50 phone calls! It’s also easier to recruit new people via email.

What else would you like our readers to know?

I would tell people to just jump in and give VolunteerSpot a try. I was concerned at first about how the volunteers would respond to using a new technology, but once they saw how easy it is to use and how much time it saves, everyone was very pleased and excited. Due to the automatic email reminders, everyone who volunteered showed up on time and on the right day!

Readers inspired to volunteer, donate, or learn more about Reading is Fundamental may do so here: Reading is Fundamental.

We salute Carmen Freed 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].

Three Reasons Why You are Finding it Hard to Recruit and Keep Volunteers - and What to Do About It

Volunteer rates are down, but more people are talking about the importance of volunteering. There’s a disconnect. Today's guest blogger addresses this disconnect -- Chris Jarvis, Founder and CEO of Realized Worth and expert in corporate social responsibility and corporate volunteering.  Here's a reprint of his popular and insightful blog post about finding and keeping volunteers.

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Outside there’s an audible hum, and it’s increasing in volume by the minute. People are talking about the things that matter, the causes that move them, the communities they love. They are talking about the need to get more active, more involved. Apparently society has decided to give back like never before, and they have decided to do it through volunteering.

Or.....have they?

Non-profit executives and volunteer managers will tell you a different story. From their perspective, fewer people are showing up and fewer still are willing to make the necessary commitments. Not only that, but the volunteers seem more selfish. The question has become, “What am I getting out of the experience of volunteering?” rather than “What am I giving?” And the widespread popularity of Corporate Volunteering programs only multiply these frustrations.

The thing is, it’s true. People are very interested in volunteering, yet less willing to make long-term time commitments. They are socially aware, yet seem concerned with program outcomes and personal fulfillment rather than the value of “doing the right thing.” Oddly, (despite the fact that many volunteer managers struggle with recruiting new volunteers) volunteer rates are, in fact, steadily increasing. People are far more active and informed than ever before. Each week hundreds of corporations are looking to formalize a volunteering program and mobilize employees in their communities.

So where’s the disconnect? If more people care, and more people are actually volunteering, why are non-profit execs so frustrated? Why does it seem tougher to find and keep volunteers today than it did just two or three decades ago?

A Paradigm Shift

A major paradigm shift has taken place over the last 10 years. This shift has made recruiting and retaining volunteers more difficult - although it has nothing to do with the general interest or willingness to commit to making a difference.

SHIFT ONE: From card catalogs to wifi. We have been Googleized. We now live in a world where everything and everyone are within reach all the time. When I want to see something I’ve never seen, learn something I don’t know, or meet someone for the very first time, I can. And within about .06 seconds. The speed is amazing, but the real power lies within the potential for connection. Through social media sites like LinkedIn and Twitter I have discovered experts and thought leaders in my field, connected with them, and expanded conversations. Nothing is off-limits to me. No experience is too far away, no culture too removed. My expectations are high because the world is my oyster.

IMPACT: As a culture we expect real and immediate connections. Googlelized volunteers will not appreciate being assigned to stacking boxes. They will not value sweeping up after. When you hand them printed material to walk out with, expect to see it in the recycling bin by the door. Not good enough. Not anymore.

Today’s expectation is for direct connections with outcomes and with people. My interest is captivated by the opportunity to give a goat to a village in Kenya because I can learn about the area, it’s history, the people living there - even the names of the family who received my goat. Giving to an amorphous cause to fight hunger is simply not the same. I can’t make it part of my own story. The same is true for volunteering.

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To learn more about creating sustainable Employee Volunteer programs or making your nonprofit more volunteer friendly, please visit Chris Jarvis at his website: Realized Worth.  Thanks Chris!

Girl Scout Leaders: Put an end to Troop busy work and make more time for FUN!

Calling all Troop Leaders, Cookie Coordinators (Cookie Moms), Camping Specialists and Scouting Volunteers...local HEROES ALL OF YOU!!

Wouldn't it be nice if you got to focus on more of the fun stuff and less on getting people and supplies where they need to be? Wouldn't it be nice if ALL your Troop parents participated in the Troop - making Scouting an even more positive experience for your girls?

As Brownie Troop Leaders and parents ourselves, we wanted just those things - so we started  VolunteerSpot, bringing a free and easy sign-up and scheduling tool to a Scout Troop Near you!! (Click 'Full' to view the presentation below in full screen mode and 'Esc' to return to this post.)

Simple, Free Cookie Booth And Girl Scout Troop Activity Scheduler By Volunteer Spot

(tags: activities )

So often, parents want to help, but we don't have an easy way to ASK them. And for a few, they don't really want to make the time to help, but if we ask them, they will!!  VolunteerSpot saves you the small hassles of getting parents signed up to support the Troop, and reminded that they have made commitments. No more Sunday nights of sending email and calling parents to remind them they are bringing snack, driving for the field trip, or are responsible for the craft. No more back-and-forth calls to see which cookie booth slots are sill open. Simply make an online calendar and enter your cookie booth schedule, or specify what you need parents to do and to bring for the meeting or Troop activity.  They point-and-click their way to participation, choosing shifts and supplies to bring that fit their schedules and yours.  Once signed up, parents can make changes in real-time and VolunteerSpot automates reminders...less busy-work, more time for FUN!

Experience it for yourself by trying a sample signup demo on our websie. Click here.

Signups for Scout Activities Made Easy!
Girl Scout Cookie Booths & Caravans
Meeting Helpers & Snack Schedule
Campouts
Bridging Ceremonies
Service Projects
Field Trips
Day Camps
Scout Jamborees

THANK YOU for all you do for our girls!!  Please let us know what you think and how you are using VolunteerSpot to make more time for Girl Scout Fun!. 

Fan us, please!

Become a VounteerSpot Fan on Facebook

We're tuning up our Facebook presence with a new and improved VolunteerSpot Fan Page. Please fan our page and connect with others saving time and doing more good with VolunteerSpot! Join us and share your tips and tricks for volunteering at school and in the community. We want to know what you think and hear how you've been using VolunteerSpot. We want to see your photos and hear about your causes too, so post away!

If you're looking for a volunteer gig, click Volunteer to search for public volunteer opportunities in your community.

See you on Facebook!  Facebook.com/VolunteerSpot

...and if you're already a fan and are receiving this message through our feed - THANKS a bunch!!

 

While you're at it, please follow us on Twitter too: @VolunteerSpot

VolunteerSpotlight: Rene Rowland, Earth Island Institute

VolunteerSpot loves highlighting the good works of users around the country.  Today our spotlight shines on Rene Rowland, volunteer coordinator for Earth Island Institute.  Earth Island works to protect cultural and biological diversity in the world.

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Please tell us about your organization and your volunteer needs.

Earth Island Institute’s International Marine Mammal Project works to protect whales and dolphins around the world, including their ocean habitats.

Our current need for volunteers is to help pass out information literature to movie-goers following screenings of The Cove movie, an award-winning documentary about our work to protect dolphins in Japan.  We will distribute postcards for www.savejapandolphins.org, our website for the public to take action on the issue.  We will also ask volunteers to collect names and e-mail addresses from interested people.

How did you get started as a volunteer leader?
 
Having recently seen The Cove and realizing its compelling message, I signed up to volunteer at an animal protection conference.

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

If you are passionate about helping a cause, remember to take care of yourself first.  Your health and well-being come first, and will make you a better volunteer.  I have fallen in love with VolunteerSpot because its powerful data-crunching features free me to do other things.  So it helps me take care of myself by giving me time.

Why did you decide to use VolunteerSpot?
 
When I realized that we would be needing to quickly schedule a large group of people at various locations and times, keeping track of it seemed rather daunting.  My volunteer colleague mentioned that she had seen a web interfaced used for taking polls.  Then I wondered if there was something more specific to our need:  that of letting volunteers sign up for various tasks online.  I did a few searches online, and voilà, you had already invented it!  This beta version is really good, and does much more than I even imagined it could.

Anything else you’d like our readers to know about your organization or volunteering?

Earth Island Institute is a nonprofit organization working to protect the biological and cultural diversity of the Earth.  Founded by environmentalist David Brower in 1982, Earth Island now oversees 50 projects around the world. 

To learn more about Earth Island Institute or to make a donation, please visit www.earthisland.org.

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We salute Rene and all the volunteer heroes out there everyday making our world a 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].

Project Graduation 2010 - Best Ideas for Planning a Safe Graduation Party Seniors Will Love!

See our Project Graduation Ideas and Share Your own!

As seniors are settling into their class schedules and starting their college applications, Booster Clubs are already busy planning Project Graduation 2010 fundraisers and activities. 

Project Graduation is a safe all-night post-graduation celebration that was started in 1979 in Maine after the Oxford Hills community experienced a tragic seven teen deaths during commencement season.  The event has spread to all 50 states providing safe and fun filled post-graduation activities that last all night in a lock-in drug and alcohol free environment.

Last year we shared some fun Project Graduation ideas in our Project Graduation 2009 post, and asked our readers to add their  traditions. We learned that some schools partner Project Graduation with a community outreach activity like a food drive or a communal art project. In many communities, local retailers sponsor events and provide food, prizes and take-away gifts for Seniors. The only thing limiting the fun and power of this event is your committee's collective imagination. 

Below are some time-tested Project Graduation favorites and fresh ideas added by our readers.  

• DJ, live bands, and entertainment such as comedians and performance artists
• Rent Photo Booths, Sumo Suits, Human Gyroscope, and other fun activities
• Garage Band & Guitar Hero competition
• Set a fun theme like Oscars or Luau
• Karaoke with prizes
• Bonfire (safety first, of course)
• Senior screening - film a movie of senior activities during the school year and screen it for the first time at Project Graduation (also a fundraiser - charging for DVD copies)
• Rent out a bowling ally, rock climbing gym, arcade, pool, etc.
• Casino - with monopoly money - play for prizes
• Spa corner: manicures, pedicures, chair massages
• Fortune teller/card reader/psychic
• Door prizes (good ones like iPods, laptops, and amusement park passes) donated by local businesses
• Graduation canvas/graffiti wall - decorated by seniors and hung in a public place on campus for future classes to see
• Wish Sail - each senior writes a wish on a slip of paper and attaches it to a giant sail or flag flown over the school for several weeks after graduation
• Sweet sensations - set up a room full of treats - chocolate fountain, make your own sundaes and floats, creative cupcakes, etc.

You can also check out this handy Project Graduation How-to manual; use it for a variety of safe teen celebrations like homecomings, proms, Halloween carnivals, victory dances and more! 

If you're on the Project Graduation 2010 committee, check out VolunteerSpot's free and easy online volunteer sign up tool.  Our free volunteer scheduling software will simplify your fundraisers and your event -- parents pick a volunteer spot with a few clicks and choose how they want to help: as chaperons, setting up and cleaning up, entertainment, and more. VolunteerSpot also helps assemble donations of needed food and supplies. No more reply-all email or clipboard signup sheets to have a fabulous event - just simple online volunteer coordination powered by VolunteerSpot.

Help us all plan for more Project Graduation fun in 2010 - please click Comments below and add your school'smemorable Project Graduation traditions or advice on making the evening the best event ever.

Hollywood Stars Promote Service and Volunteering - Your're Invited Too!

Contest: make your favorite charity part of a TV show

Next week (October 19 -25), stars from the four major broadcast networks join together to encourage viewers to tune in to an unprecedented week of television as part of the Entertainment Industry Foundation's (EIF) iParticipate national initiative. The initiative promotes a new way of thinking about service and seeks to persuade millions more Americans to volunteer regularly. As a centerpiece, the major broadcast networks and others will spotlight service through scripted programming, segments and PSAs with inspirational messages and story lines about volunteerism. Keep an eye out for volunteering highlights in your favorite shows next week; more than 60 shows have signed up to participate.

The Contest

Hollywood isn't the only one getting into the act during the iParticipate launch. The Chronicle of Philanthropy has issued The VoluntTV Challenge, a contest inviting viewers to make their favorite charity part of a TV show. Share your ideas about how to incorporate service and volunteerism into your favorite TV shows and you may win $5,000 for your charity!

At VolunteerSpot, we're thrilled to see volunteering in the national spotlight!  If you're inspired to give back and coordinate your own service activities, we're here to make it easy!

Top 11 Tips for a Fabulous Book Fair Fundraiser!

School Book Fair Best Practices and Fresh Ideas  

Hosting a book fair is a terrific fundraiser and community-builder for any school.  Kids get excited about reading and familes get to spend time togehter on campus. Here are 11 tips for how to organize, publicize, and make your book fair a fun and exciting event that kids (and parents) will look forward to year after year!

1. Get organized: Gather a planning team or committee to decide on dates, a place, a vendor (e.g. Scholastic, Barnes and Noble, local book sellers), and a theme for your book fair. You might consider scheduling your book fair around the same time as National Book Week in the fall and National Library Week in the spring, or Read Across America, held in March. Just prior to the holiday season is another good time to schedule the book fair to encourage families to buy books as gifts, as is right before summer vacation to stock up on summer reading materials. Be sure to include one or more family-centered evening shopping opportunities or parallel the book fair with parent-teacher conference week so families may easily attend.


2. Coordinate book selections: Work with teachers, librarians, reading professionals, and the book fair vendor to determine the best books for the students at your school. Boost sales by including several interesting gift selections for parents (e.g. best-sellers and cookbooks) and reading-related merchandise like bookmarks, reading lights, pencils, and writing pads. If holding a fall book fair at a public school, be sure to include books about many different holiday traditions. Also consider your parent preferences when ordering inventory; e.g. will you include religious-themed books? books featuring popular cartoon or video game characters?


3. Bring on the show: Scheduling entertainment at several different points during your book fair builds interest and increases the shopping traffic.  Have the choir sing a few songs, the strings program play for the crowd, or local authors or costumed volunteers read to the children. Ideally, several grades will have a chance to perform and showcase their talent during the book fair. Families can't resist a chance to see their children perform - and while they are there, kids can't resist shopping! 


4. Recruit & schedule volunteers: Ask parents, teachers, members of the community, and older students to help. VolunteerSpot lets you to set up an online calendar that volunteers can easily access to choose their own time slots, and sends an automatic email reminder two days prior to their shift. Giving volunteers flexible choices for volunteering allows everyone to find a job they are comfortable with.  Possible roles include setting up and cleaning up, shopping assistants, cashiers, entertainment, and classroom escorts. Offer 50 minute time slots, and allow ten minutes between each class visit to the book fair so volunteers have time to tidy up and restock.  


5. Publicize: Ask the children to make posters (hold a contest!), and post them in the hallways, in the carpool lane, and on school bus windows (if allowed). Place an announcement in the school newsletter and advertise on the school website. Send fliers home with envelopes for kids to plan their purchases - be sure each child knows what day his/her class will be visiting the book fair. Ask teachers to talk to their classes about books that will be on sale at the the book fair to build interest and excitement.


6. Set up for success: Post your volunteer assignments in one place so that everyone knows what they are supposed to do and when.  Post instructions for how to operate the cash register and train your cashiers. Keep good records and create clear cash-handling procedures.  Arrange the books by reading level, holiday theme, or author. Decorate the area with posters and displays. Prepare for snacks and refreshments to keep your team energized!


7. Special events: Encourage families to attend in the evening by hosting a barbecue, spaghetti dinner, or ice-cream social in conjunction with the book fair. Offer mini-workshops to parents while the kids shop, sharing tips and activities for encouraging their kids to read. Raffle off prizes and gift certificates. These special events add excitement and draw more people to the book fair!
   


8. Guide 'em: Assign a few volunteers to serve as “guides” for younger students, helping them select books. Having guides wear a fun hat, ribbon or other prop helps kids know whom to ask for help.  Give guides a small stash of change to subsidize kids who may be just a little shy on the purchase price.
   


9. Teachers too: Ask each teacher to make a personal wish-lists of several books (s)he would like to have in the classroom. Have these selections set-aside in well-marked boxes or baskets for shoppers to purchase as gifts.  Provide name-plate stickers and pens so the buyer can dedicate these new class treasures.


10. Smooth checkout: Stamp books after they have been paid for, bag the items, and provide a receipt.  Many local grocery stores will donate branded reusable grocery bags as an added bonus for shoppers.


11. Thank everyone: Send volunteers a personalized note or paragraph of recognition in the school newsletter and/or website. Thanks families for participating in purchasing books - you may consider taking a picture of the all books purchased for the teachers and library. Be sure to also publicize how much money you raised during the event so parents can see how their contributions add up in support of the school.
    

We hope these tips, together with VolunteerSpot, will help your book fair be even more fun and productive than ever before... dare we say a fabulous fundraiser!

Have great ideas to share?  Please share them on our facebook page! 

You may also enjoy our recent blog posts about fundraising:

Benefit Auction Trends

Boost Profits by adding Product Fundraisers to Events

Non-Game Carnival Booth Ideas

Best Fall Carnival Games and Fall Festival Ideas


Silent Auction Addition: Try SOCIALS to Raise More Money and Build Community

Bake Sale Ideas: Best Practices for Turning Cupcakes into Cash

New Ideas for Fundraising with Kids

VolunteerSpotlight: Meg Pickelhaupt, Girl Scout Leader, Winchester MA

When those of us without Scouts think of Girl Scouts, we think of of the wonderful organization that brings us S'mores and Girl Scout Cookies. But Girl Scouts is SO MUCH MORE than smiling girls and treats! Girl Scouts of the USA is the world’s preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls - all girls - where girls build esteem, character and skills for success in the real world. Girl Scouting could not happen without the commitment and creativity of caring adults who serve girls as troop leaders, camp counselors, technology coaches, and a myriad of other volunteer roles. VolunteerSpot helps leaders coordinate parents and volunteers, saving time and better managing specific Girl Scout activities such as campouts, troop meetings and Girl Scout cookie booth sales.

Today our VolunteerSpotlight shines on Meg Pickelhaupt, Girl Scout leader in Winchester, MA who uses VolunteerSpot to keep track of activities for two Girl Scout Troops and other volunteer initiatives.

What's your role as a volunteer leader? I am the leader of two Girl Scout troops; one is Daisy level (first graders), the other is a Brownie/Junior troop (3rd and 4th graders). I also serve as the Service Unit Registrar and Volunteer Facilitator (aka trainer!). I have enjoyed helping the girls to become more independent with each year they are in Girl Scouts, and to take ownership of their troop as active participants and planners.  As registrar, I have helped new leaders through the maze of start up paperwork as well as helped get new troops started in town. And now as a Volunteer Facilitator, I will train the new leaders so they can have more fun and less stress as they get started on their adventure as a Girl Scout Leader!

How did you get interested in volunteering? I have always been interested in volunteering and fund raising from the time I was in 7th grade selling candy to help our sister school in Mexico!

What other activities are you involved in as a volunteer or volunteer leader?  I participate in, and sometimes manage, many volunteer initiatives through my company. I also volunteer with a local women's charity that raises funds for our local hospital.  I am the Technology Chairwoman of that organization and see VolunteerSpot as a great next step to help our group get more organized by leveraging easy to use technology.

What’s one piece of advice you have for parent volunteers out there? It is easier to get others to volunteer if you give them a list of specific tasks to pick from.  A generic request like "Can you help out?" seems far more overwhelming than a "Which of these simple tasks can you do?"  The specific requests can be creative -- e.g. "Can you host a playdate for the younger siblings so that other parents can help at a meeting?" -- is a great suggestion for a parent that may be uncomfortable assisting at a meeting. Making small targeted requests will result in more items coming off your to-do list.  Plus now you have this nifty site (VolunteerSpot) to help you keep track of it all!

Why did you decide to use VolunteerSpot?  It is free, very simple to use, and does a fantastic job of integrating tasks, RSVPs, and reminders in one calendar format.  Gone are the days of reading through email chains to decipher who volunteered for what!  Plus, I can access it from anywhere since it is web-based.  In the past I had to check two email addresses (work and home) to hunt down who was doing what. Now, I can see what my activities are across my different volunteer groups from one place.

Anything else you’d like our readers to know? Two things:  Every little bit helps, and it is never too early to encourage young children to volunteer!

-- Readers inspired to volunteer, donate, or learn more about Girl Scouts may do so here: Girl Scouts of the USA.  When it's cookie season, please buy a box (or a dozen) to help support Girl Scout camps, training and activities for girls in your local community.

We salute Meg Pickelhaupt and all the volunteer heroes out there supporting 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].