Why VeriFYI?

October 7th, 2009 - Posted by OneStar Foundation - No Comments

Nonprofits have a lot riding on their shoulders. Budgets are getting tighter just as more clients are seeking services. Volunteers are crucial to many nonprofits’ operations and service delivery. But what if a volunteer committed fraud at your organization, or a crime against one of your clients? What realistic strides can you take to protect your organization and your clients from these potential threats?

To address these issues, the Volunteer Center of North Texas has partnered with VeriFYI, a comprehensive background-screening tool. VeriFYI searches:

  • State records of convictions and offenses.
  • Texas State records of convictions and arrests, including juvenile offenses and adjudicated records. According to VeriFYI’s Web site, “No other commercial vendor has access to this information!”
  • Social Security records to validate the potential volunteer’s identity.
  • Sex offender databases from across the country.

VeriFYI lets organizations—including nonprofits and faith-based and community organizations—conduct both full and a la carte background checks. In addition to working with nonprofits, VeriFYI also works in partnership with several State government agencies in Texas.

Because background checks can be cost prohibitive for some organizations, OneStar has partnered with VeriFYI to help Texas organizations access these services. VeriFYI’s initial fee will be waived for all nonprofits and faith-based and community organizations that use the “OneStar reference” membership application, available here.

“We want to stress the importance of utilizing background checks to protect the people we are serving,” said Elizabeth Seale, President and CEO of OneStar. “We sincerely hope that Texas nonprofits have included background checks into their volunteer application processes, or will include them soon.”

For more information on VeriFYI’s services, go to VeriFYI.org.

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Register for the 2009 GNLC!

July 29th, 2009 - Posted by OneStar Foundation - No Comments

We are excited to announce that registration has officially opened for the 2009 Governor’s Nonprofit Leadership Conference (GNLC)!

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!

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Are You Ready for Volunteers?

April 21st, 2009 - Posted by OneStar Foundation - No Comments

Volunteers: they could arrive at your organization at any time! But are you ready for them?

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.

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Governor Proclaims National Volunteer Week

April 20th, 2009 - Posted by OneStar Foundation - No Comments

April 19-25, 2009, is National Volunteer Week. This week is a chance for nonprofit organizations, communities and individuals to thank volunteers for their selfless donation of time and work. Volunteers are the backbone of the nonprofit sector; their skills, knowledge and dedication are a crucial part of nonprofit operations and client services.

This week, OneStar will blog daily about volunteer recognition opportunities and events. We hope that you will utilize the resources mentioned here to recognize some outstanding volunteers in your organization!

Today, we want to thank the Office of the Governor for proclaiming this week to be Volunteer Week in Texas.  “There is perhaps no greater gift we can give than our time,” reads the proclamation. “Whether building homes for low-income families, visiting patients in hospitals or participating in fund-raising events, volunteers across the Lone Star State roll up their sleeves every day to lend a helping hand.  Through word and deed, these ordinary men and women demonstrate the civic commitment central to the success of today’s Texas.”

Read the entire proclamation on our Web site here.

Happy Volunteer Week to one and all!

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The Real Value of Volunteers

April 9th, 2009 - Posted by OneStar Foundation - No Comments

What is a more valuable contribution to a nonprofit: a dollar or an hour?

When asking for donations, it’s common to ask people to give what they can, be it money, time or supplies. A gift in any amount may be appreciated, because not everyone can give a lot. But is your organization giving the gift of time the value it deserves?

Volunteers are more than just unpaid employees, just as nonprofits are more than just companies that do not make a profit. And if volunteers’ professional skills are being put to use, your organization may be getting quite an economic bargain. Tools, such as the Points of Light “Economic Impact of Volunteers Calculator”  or the Independent Sector “Value of Volunteer Time” chart, can help you form a rough estimation of a pro bono volunteer’s time.

Here are some examples currently on the Points of Light Web site:

  • Accountants/actuaries

o    Hourly rate = $27.48
o    Hourly benefit = $11.22
o    Total amount, 1 hour of volunteering = $38.70

  • Computer programmers

o    Hourly rate = $31.96
o    Hourly benefit = $13.05
o    Total amount, 1 hour of volunteering = $45.01

  • Marketing managers

o    Hourly rate = $48.09
o    Hourly benefit = $19.64
o    Total amount, 1 hour of volunteering = $67.73

Disclaimer:  Consult your accounting personnel regarding whether or not these contributions should be reported on your financials statements and if so, at what value.

Obviously, your organization may need help with some tasks that don’t require professional experience. But it’s worth it to ask if you can utilize a volunteer’s knowledge as well as their enthusiasm.

Now, don’t get us wrong—both time and money are valuable donations. It’s not an either-or situation. We want organizations to know not only how many volunteer hours are donated, but also what those hours are worth. With the help of a calculator like the Points of Light one, both kinds of donations can be tallied at the end of the month.

Finally – before asking people to volunteer instead of opening up their wallets, ask yourself how you are going to utilize them as volunteers. The ideal volunteer experience is a positive, engaging one that leverages skills and interests while encouraging ongoing volunteering. Ultimately, it should be as memorable for them as it is helpful for your organization.

So, how can you get ready for volunteers? Watch our blog for a post on this in the near future.

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