Cara Thenot's blog

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Why Global Youth Service Day is Important to All Volunteer-Involving Organizations

Submitted by Cara Thenot
on Thu, 04/05/2012 - 19:18

Even though Canada and the U.S. are gearing up for their National Volunteer Weeks on the third week of April, and the UK and Australia’s special volunteer weeks are not far away, Energize is challenging all volunteer-involving organizations to carve out time and focus on Global Youth Service Day (GYSD), celebrated April 20-22, 2012.

5 Reasons Why Small to Mid-Sized Nonprofits Need Volunteer Management Training

Submitted by Cara Thenot
on Tue, 03/20/2012 - 19:13

While many large nonprofits and governmental agencies have evolved to hire paid staff members for core work positions, small to mid-sized nonprofits often rely heavily on volunteers to accomplish work central to their mission. Here are 5 major reasons why small to mid-sized organizations should devote a little extra time and resources to ensure all team members understand these best practices in volunteer management.

Are Brits Leaping to Volunteer Their Extra Time This Leap Day?

Submitted by Cara Thenot
on Tue, 02/28/2012 - 19:22

Some citizens in the UK are choosing to spend their extra time this 2012 Leap Year volunteering in their communities. The company EasyFundraising launched a campaign “urging companies, employees and the all people of Britain” to designate February 29 Leap Day to supporting a good cause.

Why We All Need to Take a Ride on VolunteerSpot's #TinyCars Campaign

Submitted by Cara Thenot
on Fri, 01/27/2012 - 21:22

On Tuesday, January 24, 2012, VolunteerSpot launched a “Tiny Cars” campaign to fight for support of H.R. 387: Charitable Driving Tax Relief Act of 2011.  Passage would mean an increase of the measly $.14 per mile tax deduction rate for charitable driving unchanged by the U.S. Congress since 1997. That’s compared to the 50 cents per mile deduction for business use of a personal vehicle in 2011.  And the new bill would also no longer count such reimbursement to volunteers as gross income.

Nonprofit Spark Radio Interview Makes Great Advocacy Tool for Volunteer Resource Managers

Submitted by Cara Thenot
on Tue, 01/24/2012 - 16:43

Thanks to Nonprofit Spark, an online radio show for new or emerging non-profits, volunteer resource managers have a new tool for garnering attention to the importance of volunteer involvement in their organizations. The January 23rd show, “The Case for Strategic Volunteerism in Your Non-profit,” makes a compelling case for being as strategic about involving volunteers as nonprofits are about other management issues such as fundraising.

Do 4 UK Charities Have Volunteer Work Worthy of a Duchess? Do You?

Submitted by Cara Thenot
on Wed, 01/11/2012 - 20:24

The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, announced four charities for which she will serve as honorary patron, as the BBC reporrted on January 04, 2012.  Coming up second fiddle in this story was her decision to volunteer in person for her local Scout Association.

So many questions arise here from a volunteer management perspective: Why must Kate’s volunteering role be presented as an afterthought to her patronage? Won’t she garner the same spotlight/media attention for the Scout Association? Does anyone else view her volunteering choice as the role that’s perhaps closer to her heart?

How to Use and Add More Events to VolunteerMatch’s 2012 Volunteer Engagement Calendar

Submitted by Cara Thenot
on Tue, 12/20/2011 - 22:14

Thanks to Engaging Volunteers, VolunteerMatch’s informative and focused blog, for starting Google calendar with dates and ideas for motivating volunteers throughout 2012. You can download the calendar by clicking on the tiny “Google Calendar” button at the bottom of the calendar on their blog post.

5 Ways to Get Involved in Your Community in the Right Way

Submitted by Cara Thenot
on Fri, 12/02/2011 - 20:54

Have you noticed that the holiday season brings all sorts of public service messages like “5 Ways to Get Involved in Your Community” or “10 Do-Good Activities for You and Your Kids”?  While these notices may have good intentions, they are over-simplified – and have the potential to set up individuals for frustration and disenchantment. People are likely to discover that they can’t just walk into an organization, be received with open arms, and be put to work on the exact day of their choice (and without any application and screening process). 

Last chance to advocate for FY11 volunteering and service-learning!

Submitted by Cara Thenot
on Sun, 04/17/2011 - 19:37

Last chance to advocate for FY11 volunteering and service-learning!  Let the White House and Congress know your disappointment that most anything that is not stipended service has been slashed from the Corporation for National and Community Service budget.

Enormous thanks to Paula J. Beugen, Minnesota colleague who has long served as our field’s legislative watchdog, for the following summary of what is happening on the Hill. A federal government shutdown was averted on April 8, 2011 when a seventh short-term continuing resolution was passed by Congress. Subsequently, a FY11 spending plan was passed in time for the April 15 continuing resolution end-date. FY11 ends September 30, 2011.

According to an April 12, 2011 article by Suzanne Perry, in the Chronicle of Philanthropy, "In addition to specific funding cuts, all non-defense programs would be trimmed across the board by 0.2 percent." Later in the article Perry wrote, "The budget for the Corporation for National and Community

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