Category Archives: Volunteers
Happy National Volunteer Week!
We would like to take this opportunity to thank the many dedicated volunteers so generously giving of their time, talent, and treasure our the nation’s not-for-profit organizations. While I respectfully submit that it is impossible to place a value on this priceless gift of time, it is nonetheless interesting and impressive to try. Independent Sector [...]
Remembering Charlie
Just before Christmas, 2011, my hometown lost a leader. Charlie Snyder chaired the Frederick Memorial Hospital Development Council from 1987 to 1995. In 1991, his long history of involvement with many community organizations – including United Way, the American Red Cross, and the Community Foundation – prompted the hospital to award him one of the [...]
Giving Thanks
This evening, and again tomorrow night, an organization I know and love will conduct its annual “Thank-a-Thon.” Volunteers and trustees will staff a phone bank, and contact as many of their donors as possible, just to say thanks. A short script will assist the callers in updating contributors on the charity’s progress, but no one [...]
Changing Perspectives: from Fundraising Professional to Volunteer
I find myself in a somewhat unique situation. I am recently retired from a position as Foundation President for a mid-sized hospital, which over the years afforded me the opportunity to work with many community volunteers who supported our philanthropic programs. I now actively volunteer for several community nonprofit organizations. Although not hospital-based, the fundraising [...]
Addressing a Passing Parade
Working with board members and development volunteers can be challenging in any nonprofit setting, but a structured, thoughtful approach to education can make a world of difference. How to make your volunteers more motivated and successful? – Start with recruitment. Be clear what you’re asking them to do. – Provide written expectations, activities and a [...]
Navigating the Health Care Maze
For healthcare nonprofits, a patient navigator or advocate program is a key component of highly effective cultivation, recognition and stewardship. When a donor or prospective donor enters your organization as a patient or family member, it is an ideal opportunity to impress them with your highest level of quality, attention and service. A patient navigator [...]
Let the Birthdays Begin
Last week the first of 78 million baby boomers turned 65. Now, every eight seconds for the next 18 years, more than 10,000 a day, another “boomer is born”. By the time the last of this generation turns 65 on December 31, 2029, the 65-plus population will be nearly double what it is today. By [...]
Uncle Sam Wants You…To Volunteer
What do Minneapolis-St. Paul, Portland (Oregon), Salt Lake City, Seattle and Oklahoma City have in common? What about Utah, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Alaska? Give up? These are the top ranked cities and states in the country for volunteerism. The number of Americans serving as volunteers spiked by 1.6 million last year, the largest increase in [...]
What is a Volunteer Worth? (and how do we keep them happy?)
Board Development & Volunteerism The value of a volunteer’s work increased to an estimated $20.85 per hour in 2009, an increase from $20.25 in 2008, according to a new study by Independent Sector in Washington. The report by a coalition of charities and foundations broke down the average dollar value of volunteer hours by state. [...]
Why do we give time and money?
One of the things that is most interesting from my work in this field from the last thirty plus years is learning why people give time and money to any non-profit organization. For most of us, time and money are limited commodities and how we spend them is of some significance to us. As I [...]
