Advocacy

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Raise the Charitable Driving Tax Deduction and Prove that Volunteers Matter!

Submitted by Energize Guest ...
on Thu, 05/02/2013 - 20:16

In 2012, the IRS raised the “standard business mileage rate” to 56.5 cents per mile, a figure that has kept rising in recent years as the cost of gasoline climbs. However, the deduction rate for charitable driving remains at 14 cents per mile (where it has been for over a decade) because it is set as a fixed rate in federal statute. Guest blogger, Luxiaofei Liis discusses.

Look to Volunteer Canada for Helpful Resources in Managing Volunteer Involvement

Submitted by Cara Thenot
on Fri, 01/25/2013 - 16:22

On International Volunteer Managers Day in December 2012, Volunteer Canada released their updated website and nicely organized a whole host of resources to which we all should pay attention, whether we work in Canada or not. Check out the list of highlights, some new, some old, but all worth having on your volunteer management tool belt.

5 Tips for Empowering Volunteers to Fight Hunger More Effectively

Submitted by Cara Thenot
on Thu, 12/13/2012 - 15:55

We were pleased when VolunteerMatch reached out and asked us to join their December 2012 focus on organizations fighting hunger. Naturally, as specialists in volunteer management, we immediately thought of how our everyday advice for volunteer managers could be narrowed down to the best ways to empower volunteers working on hunger-related causes.

Celebrate International Volunteer Day in a Way that Works for You

Submitted by Cara Thenot
on Thu, 11/29/2012 - 19:37

The International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 17, 1985. Since then, governments, the UN system and civil society organizations have successfully joined volunteers around the world to celebrate the Day on 5 December. Here are some ways in which that celebration will take place.

Recognizing Volunteer Board Members: Flattery will Get Volunteer Managers Everywhere.

Submitted by Cara Thenot
on Tue, 11/20/2012 - 20:55

Energize is delighted to share the news that BoardSource and Points of Light have announced a new Board Member of the Month Award. We have long promoted the idea that board members are, in fact, volunteers and should be recognized as such.

On November 5th Thank Leaders of Volunteers for the Many Hats They Wear

Submitted by Cara Thenot
on Thu, 11/01/2012 - 19:00

In celebration of International Volunteer Managers Day on November 5th, Energize, Inc. has designed a digital thank-you card for giving thanks to leaders of volunteers around the world.  Please download, email, print, or save this digital card and present it to any of your friends and colleagues who help engage volunteers in making a difference in nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and our communities.

Asking "Why?" Gets Results!

Submitted by Susan J Ellis
on Wed, 09/12/2012 - 21:24

The previous posting, "Why Don't Job Banks Include Volunteer Management as a Profession? (Applying My September Hot Topic to Real-Life Situations)," generated some wonderful action. Hillary Roberts, who started the whole thread in the first place,sent a short-and-sweet e-mail to Bridgestar on September 7, including that small word "why." Read on to see their response! (And benefit from a free offer Bridgestar has made to all our readers.)

Why Don't Job Banks Include Volunteer Management as a Profession? (Applying My September Hot Topic to Real-Life Situations)

Submitted by Susan J Ellis
on Thu, 09/06/2012 - 20:07

As I was composing this month’s Hot Topic about asking “Why?” to put things into context and enable forward progress, I received an e-mail from Hillary Roberts of Blankie Depot (she’s one of the most consistent and savvy responders to my Hot Topic).  She wanted to tell me that Bridgestar’s nonprofit job bank has “no reference to volunteer resource management or the word volunteer anywhere within the parameters of a job search.  Even ‘volunteer coordinator’ is missing.”  She suggested that this might be a great idea for an online discussion:  “How do volunteer resource managers job hunt and why haven't job banks included our profession?”

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.

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