Recently, we profiled the first training session of the Impact Texas Initiative’s first cohort of participants. In the article, we discussed the unusual style of the training session, and the great feedback it was getting. Today, we received the following letter from one of the participants. We could not be more delighted to receive this and learn first-hand about the benefit that this program is already having:

Jane, Jada and the OneStar Foundation,

I want to thank you for selecting me to participate in the second cohort of the Impact Texas Initiative. The first week of training was exceptional as were the leaders chosen. Many times, a room full of leaders can be overwhelming, especially leaders of non-profits who are so passionate. But this cohort found a healthy balance and worked together as a “team,” in all of the meanings of the word that we learned during training.

Barry and Joyce facilitated the material in a way that was engaging and extremely informational. This is one of the best trainings I have experienced, and I wish that our entire organization could participate!

Barry and Joyce commented early in the training that this is useful only if you go back to your organizations and implement. On my first day back in the office, I attended a local community group’s luncheon. It was there that the group’s leader introduced some changes that would be happening. I immediately started to think of what we had learned in training about teams and how change affects people. Like a good leader, the leader discussed the sense of urgency, the transparency that would be happening with communication and the rewards that would be given for top performers. As I heard a few people nearby start to mumble at the table next to me, I realized I was seeing the resistance to change already building. I do not know how this situation will end but I thought how great it would have been if everyone in the room could have been in training with me during that week!

I can’t wait for the next training session!

Rita

Did you know that Shell Oil Company has social investment programs that connect interns and trainings with Houston-area nonprofits? Shell’s Nonprofit Internship Program provides grants to qualified nonprofits, allowing them to hire college students as interns during the summertime. In addition, the Shell – United Way Leadership and Capacity Development program serves as a structured training and mentoring opportunity for new and emerging nonprofit leaders. You can read more about these innovative programs here.

For more information about Shell’s Nonprofit Internship Program, visit Volunteer Houston’s Web site.

For more information on the Shell – United Way Leadership and Capacity Development program, see the United Way of Houston’s “Leadership Development” Web page.

This year’s GNLC is the second part of a three-year series on social impact. Bearing the theme “Where the Rubber Meets the Road,” this conference boasts two keynote speakers who really understand the importance of social impact:

• Andrew Wolk, founder of Root Cause. Among Andrew’s many accomplishments are launching the Social Innovation Forum, and developing Social Impact Research Reports and writing the business plan for the first statewide Office of Social Entrepreneurship. He has consulted for nonprofit, for-profit and government organizations. Read Andrew’s blog at AndrewWolk.com.
• Robert Egger, president of the DC Central Kitchen, which combats hunger while giving people employment opportunities. Robert’s book, Begging for Change, received the 2005 McAdam Prize for “Best Nonprofit Management Book” by the Alliance for Nonprofit Management. He has received numerous additional awards and serves on myriad nonprofit boards. Read Robert’s blog at RobertEgger.org/blog.

Until October 5, 2009, you can get a discounted registration rate. Just go to the Regonline Web site and use the following code: EARLY

You can also get a discounted hotel room from now through November 7, 2009. Get this special rate of only $100 per night, per person, at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel here.

Don’t forget—this year, we will honor Texas’ most dedicated volunteers at the 2009 Governor’s Volunteer Awards (GVA) during GNLC. The nomination deadline is August 28, 2009. You can download the nomination packet and instructions on our GVA Web site.

We’ll see you at GNLC and GVA!

Due to the economic downturn, volunteerism and nonprofits have been getting a lot of media attention. If your organization gets mentioned in a news story, you may get several phone calls or e-mails from people who want to help. And if a natural disaster strikes your area, a huge number of volunteer and donation offers may pour in. Imagine coming to work tomorrow and finding a slew of e-mails or voice-mails from people who want to volunteer this Saturday, and today is Thursday. You barely have time to respond to them, much less create tasks for them! But if you respond with “Thanks, but no thanks,” this could damage your organization’s reputation and discourage future volunteers.

So how can you effectively connect volunteers with activities that will utilize their skills and make them feel engaged in your mission?

• Be prepared. Create an organizational culture that supports volunteers. Train staff to incorporate volunteers into their departments; encourage them to routinely identify and prepare volunteer-ready tasks according to skill level needed, estimated task completion time and estimated due date. Photocopy orientation packets and keep them ready for distribution to non-episodic volunteers. Hold regularly scheduled volunteer orientations to discuss your organization’s expectations and policies. Make staff aware of volunteer expectations, and ensure they know to whom to direct volunteers’ questions. Offer volunteers tools to help staff identify and greet them, such as colorful nametags. And don’t forget to let staff know when volunteers are coming to your office!
• Match skills while utilizing interests. Ask volunteers to list both their skills and their interests on an application during the initial screening process. For example, an MBA student may offer to evaluate your organization’s current accounting policies and systems, but she may also love to plan events in her spare time—and your organization can give her the chance to do both! Another example: Out of a pool of ten potential volunteers, all are willing to distribute soup, but one knows how to troubleshoot computers. By utilizing skills as well as interests, you develop multiple points through which you can leverage volunteers. Encouraging pro bono work could have a tremendously positive impact on both your organization and the volunteer’s experience.
• Set expectations. The truth is, not every organization is going to have opportunities that exactly align with volunteers’ interests or skills. Sometimes less exciting duties just need to be done. So be up front and honest with your volunteers about what you need, and explain how the more mundane duties are crucial to the organization’s larger mission—the mission that inspired them to volunteer in the first place. This could prevent miscommunication and frustration.
• Mix it up. If you can’t avoid the newsletter mailings or envelope stuffing-type tasks, make them fun and interesting rather than humdrum! Schedule a group of volunteers to come together to work on a large mailing as a team.  Not only will you get a lot done in a short time, but your volunteers are able to meet other volunteers, which may be an incentive for them to stay connected to your organization.
• Thank them! Volunteers are an important part of your organization, but do they know it? An unappreciated volunteer is unlikely to come back, and may share his negative experience with others. Plus, satisfied volunteers are more likely to become financial donors of organizations where they volunteer. Offer superb customer service when your volunteers have questions or requests. And thank them with a letter or e-mail after their service. Something as simple as a genuine, hand-written card demonstrates that they really are needed and appreciated.

What have you found to be helpful in volunteer management? Please feel free to share information about additional best practices, good Web sites or useful books in our comments section.

• Nonprofits,
• Faith-based organizations,
• Groups currently administering a Corporation for National and Community Service grant or
• Groups interested in applying for AmeriCorps*Texas funds.

Why should you complete the Organizational Profile?

• Completing a Profile will make your organization eligible to receive notification for organizational excellence scholarships to capacity-building trainings, assessments, funding announcements, consulting, conferences and more events tailored to your organization’s interests.
• A completed Profile is required in order for you to be notified of future funding opportunities, even if you have received funding from OneStar before.
• The Profile will help OneStar get a clearer, more detailed picture of the Texas social services sector. Your organization will have the chance to participate in research on the social sector’s needs and trends. Your input may help direct OneStar’s research goals, programs and initiatives in the future.

The Organizational Profile only takes a few minutes to complete. To get started, create an account on OneStar’s Web site and connect your organization. Make sure you have your organization’s Employer Identification Number (EIN) handy during this process. After your organization is connected, then you can complete the Profile.

For more information on how to complete an Organizational Profile, visit: http://www.onestarfoundation.org/page/org-profile.

Do you have feedback or comments about the Organizational Profile? If so, let us know. We look forward to hearing and reading your input!

We believe FBCOs are an essential part of the nonprofit sector, and should be welcomed as strategic partners with government and other key stakeholders in reducing and eventually eliminating social problems. These organizations possess unique strengths that government cannot duplicate, and when it comes to meeting needs in our communities, we need all hands on deck.

Unfortunately, it hasn’t always been easy for FBCOs to team up with government and other key partners. As Texas’ Faith-Based and Community Initiative (FBCI) office, OneStar is focused on building cross-sector collaborations and ensuring that faith-based and community groups have the capacity to succeed in these partnerships—ultimately increasing our ability to impact Texas communities.

Just as OneStar works with organizations in Texas to facilitate partnerships, we also are part of a larger nationwide network of faith-based and community efforts. OneStar is one of 30 states and close to 100 cities that have offices focused on working with FBCOs. On March 24, we convened our national partners in a conference call to discuss best practices and collaboration opportunities, including our newest federal partners in President Obama’s White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

OneStar’s approach to working with Texas’ FBCOs was also recently highlighted in a federal report “The Role of State Faith Community Liaisons in Charitable Choice Implementation.” A summary of our role within the report is available on our Web site, while the full report is located here and the report’s section specifically on Texas is located here.

That said, OneStar recognizes that the definition of “capacity building” is continuously evolving. Different organizations define it in various ways. The following Web sites are just a few of the resources on the Internet that offer material on capacity building and its importance, as well as many other topics related to the nonprofit sector:

• Stanford Social Innovation Review
• Alliance for Nonprofit Management
• Independent Sector
• Robert Egger

However,  we want to hear from you about capacity building. How do you define it? Why do you think it’s important for the sector?  Share your thoughts with us!

What exactly does that mean?

Well, some organizations address social challenges from one or two angles.  OneStar, however, takes a cross-functional approach. OneStar engages the nonprofit sector in several strategies and actions to achieve the highest levels of social impact.  We work with the nonprofit sector in a unique way: supporting nonprofits in building their own capacity (we’ll write more about capacity building in future posts) and encouraging socially innovative and effective ideas to solve social challenges. We believe that our approach will positively impact the sector as a whole, will help organizations achieve their respective goals and will ultimately support Texas communities.

The nonprofit sector in Texas is a strong, vibrant community full of diverse stakeholders who come together to improve the lives of all Texans.  OneStar is proud to be a part of this sector, and looks forward to engaging in thought-provoking dialogues as this blog progresses.