The Search for Skilled Volunteering Participant Workbook

The Search for Skilled Volunteering: Finding the Right Role

The Search for Skilled Volunteering: Finding the Right Role PARTICIPANT’S WORKBOOK Produced by: Volunteer Vancouver in collaboration with a panel of volunteer subject-matter experts

September, 2007

Are you looking for a volunteer role that values your particular talents and interests? Would you like to acquire tools and techniques to proactively find and even develop your own ideal volunteer role?

If so, then this is the workshop for you! The Search for Skilled Volunteering workshop will focus on developing an effective approach to maximise volunteer opportunities in relation to your specific skills and expertise. The workshop is packed with learning: from the big picture to the small details; from selecting and approaching the right organization to crafting your own volunteer role within that organization; from understanding volunteer program operations to tips on tailoring your resume and cover letter for volunteering. If you are passionate about volunteering and interested in learning a more proactive approach to finding the right role, please join us.

© 2007 Property of Volunteer Vancouver Not to be reproduced without permission.

© 2007 Volunteer Vancouver. Not to be reproduced without permission.

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The Search for Skilled Volunteering: Finding the Right Role

A PROACTIVE APPROACH TO VOLUNTEERING ......................................................................... 3 Process Summary.................................................................................................................................. 3

STEP 1 – A NEW APPROACH .............................................................................................. 3 The Changing face of volunteers: Skilled vs Traditional ....................................................................... 3 How Volunteer Programs Work............................................................................................................ 3

STEP 2 – SELECTING AND APPROACHING AN ORGANIZATION ...................................................... 3 Why do I want to volunteer? ................................................................................................................ 4 What organization do I approach? ....................................................................................................... 4 How do I find an organization?............................................................................................................. 4 Who do I approach in the organization? .............................................................................................. 4

STEP 3 – TALKING TO THE ORGANIZATION ............................................................................. 5 What questions should I ask? ............................................................................................................... 5

CASE STUDY .................................................................................................................. 5 STEP 4 – CREATING YOUR VOLUNTEER ROLE PROPOSAL ............................................................. 6 Identify potential volunteer roles within the organization .................................................................. 6 Isolate which projects fit your interests and skills ............................................................................... 7 The Project Outline ............................................................................................................................... 8 The Cover Letter ................................................................................................................................... 9 The Updated Resume ........................................................................................................................... 9

STEP 5 – FOLLOW UP ....................................................................................................... 9 How do I follow up? .............................................................................................................................. 9 Don’t give up! ..................................................................................................................................... 10 How do I know when to walk away? .................................................................................................. 10

STEP 6 – REFINE YOUR ROLE WITH THE ORGANIZATION ........................................................... 10 How do I proceed when I get a "yes"? ............................................................................................... 10

OTHER TIPS ................................................................................................................. 11 APPENDIX ................................................................................................................... 12 Project Outline Template.................................................................................................................... 13 Skills Inventory .................................................................................................................................... 14 Letter of Agreement Template ........................................................................................................... 15 Volunteering Resources ...................................................................................................................... 17

© 2007 Volunteer Vancouver. Not to be reproduced without permission.

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A Proactive Approach to Volunteering Process Summary Step 1: Understanding a new approach to volunteering Step 2: Identify organizations and the appropriate person/s within them to approach Step 3: Talk to the organization representative and understand how you might contribute Step 4: Create a project outline, write a cover letter and update your resume Step 5: Follow up Step 6: Collaboratively refine the project proposal and process

Step 1 – A new approach This is about thinking of volunteer roles like potential paid jobs. Being proactive and thorough can lead to the best roles. If you are looking for a skills-based volunteer role, you are already outside the mold at many not-for-profit organizations; so you’ll have to work to find the right spot.

The Changing face of volunteers: Skilled vs. Traditional How Volunteer Programs Work

Step 2 – Selecting and approaching an organization Your personal criteria for volunteering are the first place to start. If you are clear about what you’re seeking in a volunteer role, the right one should be easier to find.

© 2007 Volunteer Vancouver. Not to be reproduced without permission.

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Why do I want to volunteer? __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________

What organization do I approach?

What community issues are important and of interest to me? _______________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________

How do I find an organization? __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________

Who do I approach in the organization?

Keeping my skills and interests in mind, who might I approach? ______________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________

Š 2007 Volunteer Vancouver. Not to be reproduced without permission.

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__________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________

Step 3 – Talking to the organization Like any job search, networking and informational interviews are a great way to learn about the organization and vice-versa. You’re not asking for a role at this point, you’re researching if a role exists for you.

What questions should I ask?

You're trying to identify: 1) What roles might fit your skills and interests and the organization's vision, and 2) If the organization is open to working with different types of volunteers.

What questions might I ask? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________

Case Study The Nutrition Advocacy Society (NAS) has been running its Nancy Nutritionist program for all 15 years of the organization’s existence. The program connects families to volunteer nutritionists via a phone bank manned by 25 volunteer telephone operators. Most of these volunteers are students at the local college, with which NAS has a good relationship. The operators assess the goals of the callers and then link them to one of the volunteer nutritionists, who work out of their own offices. Most © 2007 Volunteer Vancouver. Not to be reproduced without permission.

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The Search for Skilled Volunteering: Finding the Right Role

callers are in the lower socioeconomic ranges of the local community, and are referred to the program by local food banks. NAS has relationships with all the regional food banks to cross-promote their programs and services.

The callers largely seek information about how to find nutritious food for their families on a very restricted budget. They also ask questions about how to prepare the food they regularly feed their families. The nutritionists answer these questions and also ask the callers about the food they’re feeding their families. Based on the information the caller provides, the nutritionists suggest ways to improve the callers’ diets (like eat more carrots or try low-sodium potato chips) and puts them on a mailing list to receive a package of information about community food resources, food safety and nutrition.

The program is wholly funded by the provincial government and is judged a great success. The program reviews by clients are very positive. The administrative staff is planning a big event in 2008 to raise money for the program. The staff is made up of 6 people – the Executive Director, an office manager and four program staff. The staff spends most of their time working with the volunteers within the programs; they find it very hard to keep track of all the experts and phone bank people they work with as names and schedules are constantly changing.

Nancy Nutritionist is the only program of NAS. The Board and administrative staff recently embarked on a strategic planning process with a consultant to identify new ways NAS can bring nutrition to the community.

One of the board members was asked what she saw as the greatest strengths of the organization.

Her answer was 1) the organization’s relationships with the local food banks and college, 2) the passion of the 6 paid employees to work with the local community and increase its access to nutrition information and nutritious food and 3) the relationships between the volunteers and the clients.

Step 4 – Creating your volunteer role proposal The next step is to identify a role at the organization that works for you. Package it in a compelling way for the organization, and off you go…

Identify potential volunteer roles within the organization Brainstorm potential areas of opportunity at the organization: ______________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ © 2007 Volunteer Vancouver. Not to be reproduced without permission.

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__________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________

Isolate which projects fit your interests and skills Examples of specific skills are: Computer skills – be specific, for example desktop publishing, accounting software, databases, web design. When being specific, make sure it's understandable to all (what is C++?!).

Management experience – specify people management, project management, process or functional management.

Planning – provide some detail of types of planning, process, structure and outcomes.

What skills do I have to offer? _________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________

Which projects match their priorities and my skills? ________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________

© 2007 Volunteer Vancouver. Not to be reproduced without permission.

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The Project Outline Submitted by: ______________________________, ____________________________ Submitted to: ___________________________________ at Nutrition Advocacy Society Date: __________________

PROJECT Project Goal: Brief Description:

Key benefits of the 1) project: 2) 3) 4) Potential Risks:

Why this project is right for NAS right now:

Deliverables: 1) 2) 3) 4) Estimated timing/duration of project: Proposed start date:

Proposed end date:

Š 2007 Volunteer Vancouver. Not to be reproduced without permission.

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RESOURCE NEEDS Personnel: Materials: Facilities: Other:

The Cover Letter How do you start? Think about your process so far. Explain: What community issues are important and of interest to you Why you want to volunteer What your objectives are from a volunteer experience How your project will benefits the organization How your project matches their needs and your skills Why you are the right person for the role

The Updated Resume Jargon free! Include past volunteer roles!

Step 5 – Follow up How do I follow up?

Once you've delivered your package, follow up in a timely manner. Upon the first follow up, ask to set up a meeting to talk about what you've proposed in person. Try to "close the deal" and get the appropriate person at the organization to say they are willing to explore the opportunity with you.

Š 2007 Volunteer Vancouver. Not to be reproduced without permission.

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Don’t give up!

In any sales environment, you hear nine “No’s” to get to a “Yes”. Don’t expect your volunteer search to be any different. When you get a "no" try to identify a way to work towards "yes": Ask for clear feedback on why they're saying "no" and try to answer any concerns.

If timing is an issue, offer to call back in a month to see if your project might be better timed then.

Be flexible on your project parameters, possibly small changes will lead to a "yes".

How do I know when to walk away?

Unfortunately, sometimes a "no" is just a "no". This may happen because: There isn’t a clear understanding of how your skills fit with the direction or plans of the organization.

Other priorities take precedence over your proposal.

The resources may not exist to support your proposal.

Be realistic and know when it’s time to move on to another prospect, exiting gracefully and without burning bridges. Early contacts and connections can prove valuable in the future.

Send a thank-you note or email to show appreciation for time spent meeting with you.

Stay in touch with those with whom you establish relationships. A call or email every so often may prove beneficial in the future as the environment and organization's situation changes.

Step 6 – Refine your role with the organization How do I proceed when I get a "yes"?

Once you have planted the seed for your project proposal and it has been accepted, it is up to you to ensure that both the project and your role within the organization are clearly defined. Through conversation and further documentation, you will need to work collaboratively with your contact to clearly understand and define: Expected outcomes and timeframes Frequency of updates and individuals who should be involved in these updates Who you should report to Anticipated access to materials and resources Contractual arrangements for confidentiality, code of conduct and ownership of work Realistic expression of your ability to contribute based on your skills, professional licensing/certification Potential barriers or expected responses to your project © 2007 Volunteer Vancouver. Not to be reproduced without permission.

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Other Tips If a particular organization is your goal, consider taking on less skilled roles to start and working your way up as you build relationships, trust and understanding of the operations.

To meet people at the organization and for research, ask to speak to or be present at a board meeting. Many board meetings are open to the public and are held outside of normal office hours. As such, personnel with the capacity to make management-level decisions will have more time to listen to your sales pitch.

Build positive rapport with EVERYONE. The more people who observe and are able to comment on your great interpersonal skills, the better your chances are that someone will be open to listen to your novel volunteer project proposal.

Help out at events, and do an excellent job at it.

Ask if anyone in your existing social network has a connection to an organization in which you're interested.

Don’t begin with, "give me a volunteer job". It’s the same as job hunting, it's not about contacting networking connections and saying "give me a job" but about getting an introductory meeting to see where the opportunities lie and begin to build personal relationships with stakeholders from the inside.

Š 2007 Volunteer Vancouver. Not to be reproduced without permission.

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The Search for Skilled Volunteering: Finding the Right Role

Appendix

Š 2007 Volunteer Vancouver. Not to be reproduced without permission.

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Project Outline Template Submitted by: _________________, _________________________________________ Submitted to: _________________, _________________ at _____________________ Date: __________________

PROJECT Project Goal: Brief Description: Key benefits of the 1) project: 2) 3) 4) Potential Risks:

Why this project is right for _____________________ right now:

Deliverables: 1) 2) 3) 4)

Estimated timing/duration of project: Proposed start date:

Proposed end date:

RESOURCE NEEDS Personnel: Materials: Facilities: Other: Š 2007 Volunteer Vancouver. Not to be reproduced without permission.

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The Search for Skilled Volunteering: Finding the Right Role

Skills Inventory Identifying your marketable skills is an important step in the process of finding the right volunteer role. To begin using the below skills inventory, follow these steps: Put a checkmark by those skills you have used in the past.

Review your checked skills and circle those that interest you the most.

Rate the circled skills according to your level of proficiency (scale of 1 to 5, 5 being fully proficient to the point where you could teach others). abstracting

acting

adapting

adjusting

administering

advertising

advising

analyzing

answering

anticipation

applying

approving

acquiring

arbitrating

arranging

assessing

assigning

assisting

assuring

attaining

auditing

bargaining

briefing

budgeting

building

calculating

charting

checking

classifying

coaching

collaborating

communicating

comparing

compiling

completing

composing

computing

constructing

consulting

coordinating

coping

copying

counselling

creating

deciding

decorating

defining

delegating

demonstrating

detailing

determining

developing

devising

diagnosing

directing

discovering

discussing

displaying

dissecting

distributing

drafting

dramatizing

drawing

editing

eliminating

empathizing

empowering

encouraging

enforcing

estimating

evaluating

examining

explaining

expressing

extracting

facilitating

filing

financing

following

gathering

guiding

handling

helping

hiring

hypothesizing

identifying

illustrating

imagining

implementing

improving

improvising

influencing

initiating

innovating

inspecting

inspiring

installing

instructing

integrating

interpreting

interviewing

inventing

inventorying

investigating

leading

learning

lecturing

listening

managing

manipulating

mediating

memorizing

mentoring

monitoring

motivating

navigating

negotiating

observing

operating

ordering

organizing

originating

participating

perceiving

performing

persuading

photographing

piloting

pinpointing

planning

predicting

preparing

prescribing

presenting

printing

problem-solving

processing

producing

programming

promoting

proofreading

proposing

providing

publicizing

purchasing

reading

reasoning

receiving

recommending

reconciling

recording

recruiting

referring

rehabilitating

reinforcing

relating

reorganizing

repairing

reporting

researching

restoring

reviewing

revising

risking

scheduling

selecting

selling

separating

serving

setting-up

sharing

simplifying

sketching

solving

speaking

sorting

sporting

studying

summarizing

supervising

supplying

synthesizing

talking

teaching

team-building

telling

training

translating

traveling

treating

trouble-shooting

tutoring

understanding

unifying

uniting

verbalizing

visualizing

writing

Š 2007 Volunteer Vancouver. Not to be reproduced without permission.

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Letter of Agreement Template Letter of Agreement Between [Org] and volunteer [VOLUNTEER POSITION TITLE], [VOLUNTEER] Date:

_____________

This form constitutes an agreement between [Org] and [Volunteer] for the services described in the included deliverables. The terms and conditions as set out herein are not subject to any other written or verbal condition, qualification or agreement.

Term: The term of the agreement shall be from [DATE] to approximately [DATE] for an estimated [NUMBER] hours of work, executed in person, via telephonic and electronic consultations and independently. The end date of the contract is subject to flexibility, with two weeks’ notice.

Volunteer Deliverables: [Volunteer] will be responsible to [Org] for deliverables as referenced in the [VOLUNTEER POSITION TITLE] Position Description (see position description). These deliverables include: [Include position description deliverables bulleted out here. Revise per discussions or agreement between volunteer and VV staff person.]

[Org] Deliverables: [Org] will be responsible to [Volunteer] for deliverables as required to enable the project’s activities. These deliverables include: A primary contact: [Staff Person, Title] Timely response to questions and requests and access to appropriate information.

Feedback on performance and deliverables.

Awareness of volunteer’s learning objectives (LIST HERE) and efforts to meet those objectives.

[Others as make sense] Reporting: [Volunteer] is accountable to the [Staff Person, Title].

© 2007 Volunteer Vancouver. Not to be reproduced without permission.

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Payment: Upon receipt of the agreed deliverables and at the request of [Volunteer], [Org] will provide a letter of recommendation based on the work completed.

Expenses: [Org] will pay reasonable expenses, upon submission of receipts and with the prior approval of the [Staff Person, Title].

Liability/Insurance: [Org] will be responsible for all insurance and liability coverage needed for the project.

Ownership: The copyright of any reports/products developed for [Org] relating to the deliverables during this agreement will belong to [Org] exclusively.

Confidentiality: It is expected that [Volunteer] will not divulge any confidential information concerning [Org] or its dealings with individuals or organizations. [Volunteer] will review and abide by the Privacy Policy Statement and Confidentiality portions of the Volunteer Handbook.

Termination: This agreement may be terminated with two (2) weeks written notice, by either party. In the case of early termination, [Org] will provide [Volunteer] with appropriate feedback on the quality of performance to that date.

This agreement carries with it no commitment respecting continuation of services beyond the specified term. _____________________________________

______________________________

Org Representative

Date

Title [Org] _____________________________________

______________________________

[Volunteer]

Date

[VOLUNTEER POSITION TITLE]

Š 2007 Volunteer Vancouver. Not to be reproduced without permission.

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The Search for Skilled Volunteering: Finding the Right Role

Volunteering Resources Not-for-profit organizations working with Volunteer Vancouver post their volunteer positions on www.govolunteer.ca. This is a very comprehensive website with postings from more than 500 organizations. All volunteers are encouraged to use the www.govolunteer.ca website to search for the opportunities that are right for them. If looking for opportunities to work at charitable events, www.VolWeb.ca is also a useful resource. www.vancouver.craigslist.ca often has volunteer opportunities, too.

Volunteering resources for recent immigrants MOSAIC www.mosaicbc.com and Pacific Immigrant Resources Society www.pirs.bc.ca work with recent immigrants looking for volunteering opportunities. Both these organizations have beneficial information for newcomers wishing to volunteer. MOSAIC’s program - Volunteering in Canada - is especially tailored for recent immigrants. Access additional details about this program at http://www.mosaicbc.com/volunteers_Iwantto.asp

Volunteering resources for students These are a few resources for young people taking on volunteer roles: • Be a Volunteer! Tips for Youth (http://www.nonprofitscan.ca/Files/kdccdc/csc_be_volunteer_tips_for_youth_fs.pdf) • Getting the Most out of Your Volunteer Experience – A Manual for High School Students (http://www.nonprofitscan.ca/Files/kdc-cdc/wlu_manual_students.pdf) • So You Want to Volunteer? A fact sheet for Youth (http://www.nonprofitscan.ca/Files/kdccdc/fs_coop_youth_eng.pdf) Find additional resources on volunteerism and volunteering at the Imagine Canada, Special Collections website at http://nonprofitscan.andornot.com/vvr.aspx.

Volunteering resources on traveling to Canada to volunteer If you are looking for a program that can help you travel to Canada, we recommend working with organizations like www.VolunteerAbroad.com that specifically focus on this area. Volunteer Abroad provides detailed information about these opportunities. Those looking for more information about the requirements and eligibility criteria for new immigrants and visitors can check the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website at http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/fw/index.asp.

© 2007 Volunteer Vancouver. Not to be reproduced without permission.

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Thank You and Good Luck!

Volunteer Vancouver www.VolunteerVancouver.ca www.GoVolunteer.ca www.BoardMatch.org 604.875.9144

Š 2007 Volunteer Vancouver. Not to be reproduced without permission.

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