HOSC offers Excellence in Volunteer Management Certificate Course, February 28-March 1, 2012
HandsOn Suburban Chicago takes a leadership role with helping local agencies leverage volunteer management best practices to overcome the growing gap between available funding and increasing community needs. Next week, February 28-March 1 volunteer managers, many of them new to the field, will come together for HOSC’s three day Excellence in Volunteer Management Certificate Course. Attendees will learn about best practices in volunteer management and find out more about a new “effective nonprofit management” concept that is taking hold across the country. Any organization can choose to become a “service enterprise.” Each attendee will take home all the tools and resources needed to start or expand any volunteer program. Each day a professional panel will be available to answer questions and help find solutions for program challenges. Recent trends and research from corporate, foundation and government research will also be shared.
The Reimagining Service cross sector initiative has verified that nonprofit leaders, who know how to integrate volunteers effectively throughout their organization to support program staff, can make their dollars go AT LEAST TWICE as far. We are seeing that the Boards and leadership teams of innovative nonprofits are looking more closely at their volunteer management programs as a strategic option, especially during these hard economic times when resources are so scarce both in the business and the nonprofit sectors. Since local, state and federal government programs are faced with debt and serious financial challenges, HOSC is excited to be able to offer a service solution that can help nonprofits help more people in need with less funds with only minor infrastructure adjustments. We predict that in the near future, organizations with effective volunteer programs will be getting more attention from both funders and the media.
Meanwhile, many organizations that have been around for many years are just now seeing the importance of developing a “formal” volunteer program, launching new volunteer driven projects or starting a new enterprise within a nonprofit that can be sustained primarily by volunteer support. Learning more about effective volunteer management can lead to more corporate partnerships, program efficiencies and return on funder investments. There are a few spaces left in next week’s class, sign up today. Since attending a course like this is just the beginning of what could be an organizational transformation, our experienced staff and pro bono partners will be ongoing resources for all attendees. We have included a few quotes from former EVMTS alums for your review.
Thanks again for a great class! I took and passed the CVA exam in May. I am working on my portfolio now. Having taken the EVMTS recently was a benefit.
Elise C. Wall, Manager of Volunteer Services, Fox Valley Volunteer Hospice, Geneva, IL
It was an honor joining you for the training sessions and I appreciate the inspiration you have given me to develop a professional volunteer program. While it is difficult to find the time to review the information, I enjoyed taking the test and putting my ‘optimistic hat’ back on!
Stephanie Heyer, Volunteer Coordinator, Taltree Arboretum & Gardens, Valparaiso, IN
It was a great training series and you’ll be happy to know that I have already been sharing the information with colleagues and began work on my plan to implement the wonderful tools I learned in your class.
Jackie Endsley, IBEW Local 1547, Anchorage, Alaska
I’m thrilled to report that we recently received a grant that is allowing me to spend about one day per week focusing on our volunteers and shaping a volunteer program. Thank goodness for the Excellence in Volunteer Management Training I took from you.
Irene Brown, Administration and Volunteer Management, Barrington Area Council on Aging, Barrington IL
After visiting Rome about 12 years ago, and having visited the Catacombs–the ancient tombs of the earliest Christians, I really believe that Valentine was a real person (and given antiquity, there most likely were others with similar names or name). And who, indeed, was one of the many martyrs of his time. After having studied about the early history of Rome, it is also indeed true for a period of their history, that real love, and marriage was greatly disdained in the Roman culture. The emperor Claudius felt that if men weren’t married, they wouldn’t mind as much going off to fight in wars. So, he made it illegal to marry at one point. In many cultures and situations of the world today, the challenges of truly loving are as great or greater as the early Roman times. In our small corner of the world, we too are not immune to the struggles of life.
Today, we celebrate the triumph of love over difficulties and the thankfulness we feel for our friends, families and communities. We feel thankfulness for the chances we have to add love to our environments, however small sometimes we feel those loving acts of kindness are, and how difficult the challenges are.
I hope you enjoy this special day set aside to especially remember the joy of love, the joy of giving. I am so thankful for you who volunteer and you who support them –you exemplify the meaning of love in the many kinds acts of service you routinely perform. Because of your efforts and sacrifices, so many people are helped that otherwise would not be helped!
I hope you have a great Valentine’s Day!
Sincerely,
Mary Fitzgibbons
Executive Director
HandsOn Suburban Chicago
Continuing the tradition of recognizing those who have made an impact in the community
For decades, HandsOn Suburban Chicago, formerly known as The Volunteer Center of Northwest Suburban Chicago, has been recognizing outstanding volunteers in our community for the positive impact they make on the lives of others. This year, we are continuing this tradition 
and inviting you, members of our community and local organizations, to nominate a volunteer(s) for their inspiring service to the community. Whether significantly addressing a community need, or going above and beyond in their volunteer service, we want to know about the people who make our community a better place! Please fill out a nomination form and tell us what makes your nominee special. Award winners will be recognized in local media outlets during National Volunteer Week, April 15th- April 21st and will be honored at our annual Impact Awards reception to be held during National Volunteer Week. To see photos of last years reception and event click here.
2012 IMPACT AWARDS CATEGORIES
- Emerging Leader(s) Award: The award recognizes a young volunteer or volunteer group, in grades 1-12, who have demonstrated exceptional dedication to their community and show the resolve and passion needed to make a difference in the community and the nonprofit sector in the future.
- Community Champion Award: The award recognizes a volunteer or volunteer group who consistently makes a difference through innovative and much needed volunteer roles.
- Lead with Experience Award: Inspired by the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), the award recognizes a volunteer age 55 and better that consistently uses his/her experience and leadership skills to inspire and mobilize others to make a difference.
- Environmental Impact Award: Sponsored by Altria, this award recognizes an exceptional volunteer or volunteer group that has made a significant impact on the environment.
Awards to be announced, HOSC will recognize the recipients of the Business 2 Community and Volunteer Program of the Year Award through a separate nomination process.
Business 2 Community Award: The award recognizes local businesses and corporations that have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to employee volunteerism and making an impact on their community.
Volunteer Program of the Year Award: The award recognizes exceptional volunteer programs for outstanding achievement in utilizing volunteers to address a community need, and making the organization’s dollars go further through effective volunteer management.
IMPORTANT DATES
End of Nominations: March 2nd
Winners Announced: April 12th
National Volunteer Week: April 15th-21st
Impact Award Reception: April 19th
On January 24, 2012, HandsOn Suburban Chicago (HOSC) hosted a Volunteer Leader Certification Course. Nineteen people from various organizations and with widely different levels of experience attended the two-hour course, which was free and open to anyone. Emily Mihalcean, an AmeriCorps VISTA with HOSC led the course with assistance from staff and other VISTAs. The course covered basic topics in volunteer leadership that included tips on planning and executing volunteer projects, as leading and inspiring volunteers, and gave attendees an opportunity to put course content into practice by discussing various case studies. VISTA Stephany Ross gave a special presentation on using Google Voice to communicate with volunteers via text message. One course attendee stated, “I’ve led volunteers for 30 years, but this helped me improve and think through the effective leading of volunteers.” Another participant said that this was a “great refresher course, but for those with little experience in managing volunteers- this class is an eye opener!”
In order to receive certification, course attendees will need to commit 8 hours to leading volunteer projects over the next 6 months. Several attendees have already been engaged in planning upcoming activities and projects.
In celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, HandsOn Suburban Chicago (HOSC) and 400 students from three middle schools in Community Consolidated School District 21 participated in service projects and diversity awareness activities.
An array of fleece scarves created by CCSD for MLK Day Events.
London Middle School participated in two Speedy Service Projects, with a total of 100 sixth and eighth grade students conducting two service projects. Students made fleece scarves and attached encouraging notes. Scarves were donated to Bessie’s Table in Des Plaines and Journeys from PADS to Hope, both organizations which help individuals in need of food and warm clothing.
The projects were unique in that each group was divided into work crews with specific tasks, including volunteer leaders and reporters. The students not only executed the project, they also managed it and reported their fellow students’ reactions. “It feels good to contribute to the local people that are going through tough times and need help,” stated one London eighth grader. “Even something as simple as a scarf with a reassuring message can make a huge difference.”
While service projects were being conducted at London Middle School, another activity titled: Diversity: Different Yet The Same was offered in the school commons. Students were blindfolded and led through an obstacle course with little guidance in order to experience what it might feel like to have a disability. Students then engaged in a discussion about what it felt like to be reliant on someone else. They also discussed the importance of equal opportunities for all, regardless of race, ethnicity, or level of physical and mental ability.
Students at London Middle School experience what it’s like to be visually impaired during the MLK event.
Oliver Holmes Middle School in Wheeling also participated in the same scarf service project, with 36 more scarves produced and given to Connections for the Homeless, in Evanston. The student reporters captured students’ impressions. “I feel sad because this is for the homeless and homeless are freezing cold and don’t have anything to keep them warm,” said sixth grader, Alexa.
Sergio M said he felt connected with the project. “I feel good and part of something bigger.”
Students at Cooper Middle School in Buffalo Grove participated in MLK Day with a program called Diversity Through Dance. Eighth grade students gathered in the school gym to watch a performance by Free Flow Dance Crew, a group of Buffalo Grove High School students with diverse ethnic backgrounds. Each crew member spoke briefly about their ethnic background, their interests in unique dance styles and how they got involved in dancing before they launched into a high-energy dance routine.
Following the performance, the students were divided into smaller groups and each Crew member taught their specific dance style to their group. The program ended with the students circled around the dance crew as they engaged in an impromptu freestyle “dance-off”.
Cooper Middle School, Assistant Principal Bob Gurney said, “the teachers and students were very happy with the presentation. The teachers felt like the students got the message while also having a lot of fun.”
HOSC is able to provide more programming through the AmeriCorps VISTA grant that provides VISTA members to help in such volunteer initiatives that engages youth and youth leaders in community service and awareness. Four current VISTA members, Catie Krasner, Emily Mihalcean, Stephany Ross and Lisa Horn organized and prepared these activities at the three schools.
Patty Neuswanger, Schools and Youth Program Manager at HandsOn Suburban Chicago (HOSC) felt this year’s MLK Day activities were better than ever. “The service projects were really embraced by the students and I think they were amazed at how great the scarves looked. It was a quality final product.”
A special thanks to Free Flow Crew members (Ken Banting, Maurice Brimage, Colin Imperial, Mark Makogon, Akkina Abraham, Nashaly Ramirez & Eli Davis) for the Diversity Through Dance presentation and to Jo-Ann Fabrics in Arlington Heights for the generous discounts on purchases for scarf making supplies for the service projects.
Sixth graders at London Middle School create personalized messages for the fleece scarves.
Eli Davis from Free Flow Crew demonstrates his dance steps to Cooper Middle School Students.
Many nonprofit organizations are slow to adopt new technologies that can help them save money or become more efficient in their work. This has been especially true in the past couple years with the advent of cloud computing. Cloud computing refers to the practice of using a network of remote servers hosted on the Internet to store, manage, and process data, rather than a local server. The HandsOn Tech program will focus on implementing these services, as many of them including Google Apps, Dropbox and Salesforce, are free for nonprofits. After an assessment, a nonprofit organization could be able to share and collaborate on documents in real-time, efficiently manage data with online databases, effectively promote their organization online and in social media, and more.
HandsOn Tech was founded in August of 2011 by HandsOn Network, Google and AmeriCorps VISTA to improve nonprofit organizations’ ability to serve their constituents with new technology. The consulting service is one of three main aspects of the program. The other two are technology workshops for nonprofits and classes for low-income community members. All services are free for nonprofits and community members.
Nonprofits were chosen from all parts of the Chicagoland area. Some are located in the northwest suburbs, some are in the downtown area, and some operate on the south and west sides of the city. All nonprofits chosen displayed great enthusiasm for using new technologies to improve their ability to serve the community.
HandsOn Tech program is a new national program that was founded by HandsOn Network, Google, and AmeriCorps VISTA. With seven sites around the country, AmeriCorps VISTAs will be working to improve nonprofit technology capacity through their in-depth consulting services and weekly workshops. All services are free to nonprofits, and bring volunteers from leading technology corporations throughout the city. To learn more about how your nonprofit can get involved, visit their website at www.volunteerinfo.net/hotc.
Start the new year off right by volunteering; helping others is a fun way to meet new people, gain new insights about the world, and make a difference. We at HandsOn Suburban Chicago strive to help make volunteering as easy and quick as possible. As a volunteer clearinghouse, HandsOn Suburban Chicago partners with over 160 nonprofit organizations and schools who need volunteers, and they share with us how they need help. You can search over 300 different volunteer opportunities on our online, searchable database. (click here) HandsOn Suburban Chicago annually recruits and places between 7,000-8000 new volunteers with area charities, and one of them this year could be you!
Decide what kind of volunteering you would like to do and when; scroll through our lists of possible volunteer opportunities to give you ideas if you are not sure what kinds of things you would like to do. Decide when you are free–daytime, evening, and how much time you would like to give, how far you would like to travel, or if you prefer to volunteer at home. You can do a one time short term project lasting a few hours, or you can decide to do something even longer, say for example, for a few weeks.
You may be ready to try out something on a longer term basis; be aware that some volunteer opportunities may require some type of training, which an organization will give you, should you decide to want to volunteer on a regular basis. There are also family friendly volunteer opportunities, as well as opportunties suitable for youth, seniors, and groups.
You simply sign up online for the volunteer opportunity of your choice, and your request is automatically forwarded to the agency you would like to volunteer with; the volunteer coordinator from the agency will be in touch with you after you send them an email, which HandsOn Suburban Chicago’s online system automatically does, once you sign up.
Whatever you decide to do, we strive to help you be glad you did! Ready to volunteer? Click here to start volunteering today.
If you need help, or if you have any problems, the best way to reach us is: volunteer@volunteerinfo.net.
If you are over age 55, you can also email us or call: 847-228-1006, and ask for Linda.
HandsOn Suburban Chicago is starting out the new year by offering trainings, workshops and webinars to help nonprofits implement best-practices in volunteer and nonprofit management, as well as to learn about new solutions to challenges that nonprofits face.
Volunteer Leadership Certification Course: January 24, 2011, 6:00pm – 8:00pm -Learn how to successfully plan and execute volunteer projects and develop skills in volunteer management. Attendees will receive a Volunteer Leader Kit that includes numerous resources to assist in the management of volunteer projects. Individuals who attend this free course and spend a minimum of 8 hours assisting in the management of service projects for HandsOn Suburban Chicago and its partner agencies will receive a Volunteer Leader Certificate from HandsOn Suburban Chicago.
Excellence in Volunteer Management Training Series: February 28 – March 1, 2012, 3 days from 9:00am- 4:00pm- a sequence of six courses on organizing and implementing an effective volunteer program in a nonprofit or government organization. The interactive curriculum is based on the newest research and effective practices in the industry, and is packaged in an easy-to-use format. Series is given by Chris Smith, HOSC Chief Operating Officer & Nonprofit Capacity-Building Consultant. Each participant receives a workbook with resources, copies of the power point slides and templates to support each unit. The cost of the EVMTS certificate course is $480 for nonmembers. HOSC and Americorps members are entitled to the special rate of $240, a 50% discount. All attendees will have an opportunity to take an open book exam to earn a “Volunteer Management” Certificate of Achievement for completing course work successfully.
Lunch and Learn Sessions – All Lunch and Learn sessions are complimentary to current Community Partners and $15 for non-partners. Sessions are from 12:30 – 2:00 pm. Please bring your lunch as food will not be provided.
- Excel Tips (February 2, 2012)
- Fundraising Events (March 14, 2012)
HandsOn Tech Trainings in January and February 2011
HandsOn Tech seeks to encourage nonprofits to adopt modern tools to increase capacity for change. Free webinars and trainings scheduled for January and February 2012 include the following:
- Effective Internet Presence (January 10th, 1- 2:30pm)
- From Computers to the Cloud, Technology Essentials for Nonprofit Leaders (January 17th, 1 – 2:30pm)
- Search Engine Optimization for Nonprofits (January 20, 8:30 – 9:30am)
- Website Design with Squarespace (January 24, 9 – 11:30am )
- LinkedIn for Nonprofits (February 6, 5 – 6:30pm)
On January 24, 2012, HandsOn Suburban Chicago (HOSC) will host a Volunteer Leader Certification Course that is free and open to the public. This course is designed for any volunteer who manages other volunteers, and will provide individuals with the knowledge and tools necessary to lead successful volunteer projects. The course will cover the basics in planning a service project, including creating task lists, budgeting, assigning roles to volunteers, and determining project timelines (including pre-project and day of project timelines). The second half of the course will focus on leading and inspiring volunteers. Topics will include building relationships, team building, dealing with difficult volunteers, problem solving and volunteer recognition.
This course is intended for new Volunteer Leaders, as well as for individuals who are interested in becoming Volunteer Leaders. HandsOn Suburban Chicago is currently seeking Volunteer Leaders to assist with one-time group volunteer projects, as well as ongoing schools and youth initiatives. HOSC can also place Volunteer Leaders with one of its many partner nonprofit agencies. Individuals who take the course and commit 8 hours to assisting in the management of volunteer projects with HandsOn Suburban Chicago by July 27, 2012 will receive a Volunteer Leader Certificate.
The Volunteer Leader Certification Course will be given at Forest View Educational Center, 2121 S Goebbert Road, Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005 (click here for map) on January 24, 2012 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. For more information, contact Emily Mihalcean.
These are challenging times for our nonprofit community. Nonprofit agencies have to do more with less as demand for their services is increasing while federal, state, and other funding is cut. One hopeful answer to this critical situation is to effectively unleash the power of volunteerism. As one of the few nonprofits in suburban Chicago with the charter and ability to build the capacity of all the nonprofits, HandsOn Suburban Chicago (HOSC) is in a unique position to help by effectively “connecting the dots” between nonprofits and those who want to give back to the community. The staff, AmeriCorps VISTAs, volunteers, and board at HOSC are fully committed to help in this transformation of our nonprofit community through effective volunteer placements and management.
Through programs such as SAVE consulting and Volunteer Management training, HOSC is improving the quality and impact of volunteer engagements with our local nonprofits. By providing pro bono volunteers with meaningful and high impact engagements, we are seeing increased “stickiness” between volunteers and local nonprofits. These agencies are benefitting from projects that are aligned to their mission that they would never be able to afford without this volunteer talent.
As you plan your holiday giving, we ask you to consider giving to HandsOn Suburban Chicago. Help us continue to support and sustain area nonprofits by making a donation via our Donation Page. If you prefer, you may send a check made payable to HandsOn Suburban Chicago to our office at 2121 S Goebbert Rd, Arlington Heights IL 60005.
Holiday opportunities will be coming to a close soon but many opportunities for donating your time are available throughout the year. Please consider signing up for one of our volunteer opportunities now or bookmark the site for further review.
Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or check out our Blog to keep up with the latest news about HandsOn Suburban Chicago.
Click here to see our 2010-11 Annual Report.
HandsOn Suburban Chicago would like to thank the over 8,000 volunteers we have referred to our nonprofit partners in the past year. Your volunteer efforts have helped make a significant difference to all of our 160 partner agencies in the community.
Happy Holidays!
