Still time to apply - Boost your Volunteer Engagement in 2014 -VIP Manager Corps

Is your organization ready to improve your volunteer engagement practices?  In the current economic climate, human service organizations must maximize all resources including smart and effective use of volunteers.

United Way of King County’s  VIP Manager Corps (VIP MC), offered in partnership with 501 Commons, provides a temporary boost in volunteer program staffing so that you can grow your volunteer programs.

Organizations will:

·         Host a pro-bono Volunteer Manager for 10 hours/week for 6-8 months

·         Develop the essential tools and systems that you need

·         Access volunteer management training, tools and resources

Interested in learning more? 
Read Below for further information and don’t delay. Space is limited.

Ready to talk?
Call United Way to schedule a brief screening call by January 29, 2014. Program applications must be received by February 3, 2014.

Please contact Carolyn Cunningham (CCunningham@uwkc.org  206.461.3656 ) any time if you have questions about this invitation. VIP Manager Corps, offered in partnership with 501 Commons, has great pay-offs, but requires a significant commitment and needs to be the right fit for your organization at this time.

Extra Help to Engage More Volunteers in Your Mission! 
United Way’s Volunteer Impact Partnership (VIP) Manager Corps, a program delivered in partnership with 501 Commons, helps local nonprofits develop and sustain effective volunteer engagement programs and practices. Twenty King County organizations will receive a Volunteer Manager Corps (VMC) Member who will serve 10 hours per week for about eight months and up to 300 hours. VMC Members will help develop the essentialtools and systems needed to more effectively engage with volunteers and community members. Organizations will work closely with their VMC Member to identify volunteer program needs, implement projects, track results, and ensure that improvements are sustained long-term.

The next VIP Manager Corps cohort starts in April 2014.

What can a VMC Member do for my organization?
The VMC Member is provided as a way to boost your organization’s capacity to improve volunteer engagement efforts, not to serve as a replacement of current staff work. VMC Members will be used in addition to current volunteer engagement efforts to result in additional, sustained benefit.

You might use a VIP Manager Corps Member to help your organization create or update:
• a volunteer recruitment plan
• a volunteer handbook
• volunteer position descriptions
• a volunteer orientation and trainings
• a volunteer recognition plan
• or other approved projects that meet your volunteer program needs

After setting your volunteer program goals at the launch, organizations will work with the VMC Member and a VMC Advisor to select 6-12 projects and create a work plan for the VMC Member to accomplish during his/her service (refer to the VMC Potential Projects List for ideas).

While we encourage organizations to have a good idea of what you would like to accomplish at the start of the program, you won’t determine your specific projects until after you set your volunteer program goals during the program launch. During the first four weeks after the program launch, you and your VMC Member will meet with a VMC Advisor twice to determine your volunteer program needs and create a work plan that outlines the VMC Member’s projects, priorities and timeline.

VMC Members will be community volunteers with diverse backgrounds, strong people skills, and a commitment to service.  They will have at least two years of experience working in an office environment, proficient computer skills, effective written and oral communication skills, and the ability to work 10 hours per week during standard office hours. Volunteers will be expected to attend all cohort meetings, work independently & with teams, communicate frequently, meet deadlines, exercise good judgment, and take initiative to complete projects & reports.

VMC Members are not experts in volunteer management. United Way and 501 Commons will provide VMC Members and organizations with some training and guidance in volunteer management best practices, but it is not a replacement for oversight and feedback from you about what is best for your organization.

Organizational Commitment
Organizations will assign a paid staff member to serve as the Host Site Supervisor (HSS). The HSS can expect to spend approximately 2-3 hours per week (8-12 hours per month) throughout the 8-month program. The HSS will need to have the capacity to supervise, regularly meet with, and support the VMC Member as they would any other new staff member with the organization. This includes providing a safe place to work, clear directions, access to needed information, and day-to-day oversight of projects.

The HSS is also responsible for the following (refer to the full program schedule for exact dates/times):
• Help select your VMC Member by attending an interview event on April 1, 4-7pm (may end earlier if possible; interview schedule will be determined by Mar. 26.)
• Attend the program launches on April 23 and May 7 from 9am-12:30pm, and a Host Site Supervisor cohort check-in (via webinar) on May 28 from 9-10:30am.
• Attend two meetings with your VMC Member and VMC Advisor during the first four weeks after the program launch to draft and finalize the VMC Member’s work plan.
• Attend regular check-in meetings with your VMC Member (once every 1-2 weeks).
• Supervise your VMC Member as you would any other staff member.
• Participate in additional required cohort meetings and program check-ins with 501 Commons.
• Provide timely and thorough feedback on documents developed by your VMC Member.
• Collect and report evaluation data including, but not limited to, the number of volunteers, number of volunteer hours, number of new volunteer positions created, and the impact of those volunteers on your mission/service levels.
• Take responsibility for the project goals and outcomes, including sustainability of projects, and ensure that the organization provides support to your VMC Member in order to achieve them.

The HSS will serve in this role throughout the duration of VIP Manager Corps. If for some reason the original HSS cannot fulfill the commitment, the organization will need to replace the supervisor with another paid staff member. In the event that 501 Commons needs to recruit a replacement VMC Member, we ask that organizations continue to commit to participating in the full length of the program until a replacement has been found.

Thank you for your interest in the 2014 VIP Manager Corps Program!