New program seeks to improve the role of local volunteers
Whether it’s giving time to their children’s school, lending a hand at the church food drive or visiting the sick at the local hospital, New Hampshire residents give more of their time for volunteer work than the nation as a whole.
Almost 30 percent of New Hampshire residents volunteer in the course of a typical year, ranking the state 19th in the nation, according to a study by the Corporation for National and Community Service. About 314,000 people in New Hampshire volunteer, giving 33.7 million hours and $725 million worth of service each year.
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The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, in partnership with the New Hampshire Center for Non-Profits, has launched a new program aimed at better harnessing the energy of these volunteers. Called the High Impact Volunteer Engagement Project, it aims to teach nonprofits how to make the most of this significant resource while making volunteering a more rewarding experience for those who give their time.
“Volunteers today are different than volunteers of the past and demand and expect a different experience,” said Beth Steinhorn, senior strategist with the JJFixler Group, a Colorado-based organization that specializes in volunteerism research and consulting at the national level. Steinhorn is personally leading the New Hampshire program and has already provided training for the 10 organizations selected.
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Ten nonprofits were selected for the year-long program. These organizations have been given access to additional resources, including Steinhorn, who will help them institute this volunteerism model. These nonprofits will then collaborate with their staff and volunteers to create a strategy to recruit, train and work with volunteers almost as if they were employees.
Once the year is over, the foundation will evaluate each of the nonprofits involved to examine the effectiveness of the program.
“The great news is that they are motivated to volunteer by the chance to use their skills,” Steinhorn said. “Organizations who know how to tap into those skills can really build capacity by engaging volunteers as pro bono staff.”
Nonprofit organizations today rely more than ever on their volunteers, which are necessary for a group to survive tough economic times, Steinhorn added.
“We have huge unmet needs in the nonprofit sector,” said Katie Merrow, the Charitable Foundation’s vice president for Programs. “New Hampshire has limited financial capital, but we have a wealth of human capital that can be brought to bear. This project was intended to find new ways to tap into that to support the sector.”
The Foundation began the project by conducting a national scan for the most innovative ways other organizations engage their volunteers. The Foundation discovered that nonprofits that worked with the JF Fixler Group had expanded their services or improved effectiveness through use of skilled volunteers. The Foundation brought the Fixler Group to New Hampshire to help oversee and implement the project. The Foundation also brought the New Hampshire Center for Nonprofits, the state’s experts on nonprofit capacity building, to join the project.
Fixler’s model of high- impact engagement is based on findings that volunteers want to use their professional skills and work on something meaningful. Through its research, Fixler has also found that different generations look at volunteerism differently.
New Hampshire’s oldest residents tend to be practical, hardworking and loyal, and when they volunteer prefer well-structured tasks. Baby Boomers excel at teamwork and are goal oriented and ambitious. Generation Xers tend to be confident, self-reliant and like immediate satisfaction when giving their time. The youngest volunteers, known as Millennials, are optimistic and want to do meaningful work. They value diversity, are tech savvy but aren’t always willing to commit long term to projects.
Understanding the attributes of different generations helps these organizations better understand their volunteers and keep them engaged. Under the engaged volunteer model, organizations can also give volunteers more flexibility and train volunteers for leadership roles.
“Nonprofits competed hard to get a slot in the pilot program. Those selected will receive face-to-face training and coaching throughout the year as each of them develops their own skilled volunteer project,” said Merrow, “We look forward to seeing the results.”
The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation manages a growing collection of charitable funds created by individuals, families and corporations. It serves communities throughout New Hampshire, southeastern Maine and eastern Vermont and makes grants and student aid awards annually totaling about $30 million. Based in Concord, the foundation roots itself in communities through regional advisory boards. More information is available at www.nhcf.org or by calling 603-225-6641.
