Volunteering New Zealand Focus

Tuesday, 1 December 2009, 1:29 pm
Press Release: Volunteering New Zealand

November 2009

Volunteering New Zealand Focus

Have you added your International Volunteer Day activity to the VNZ special blog

If your community organisation or volunteer service has arranged a special event for International Volunteer Day, we would like to know about it and all New Zealand to know about it.

You can achieve this by adding a short item about your event to the special International Volunteer Day blog on our website, www.volunteeringnz.org.nz . It is quite easy to add or post an item. When you have entered the site, click on the International Volunteer Day 2009 Blog link on the left hand side of the page; click 'Sign In' at the top right of the page, the user name is volunteeringnz [at] gmail [dot] com and the password is volunteer1. You will then see a series of existing blogs and at the top one called 5 December Internationa…; click on New Post, put in a title and then your story in the large box. When you are happy with it, click Publish and voila! Your story will be on the blog - good luck; we want your IV Day story.

Also, keep an eye on Close Up on TV One on Friday 4 December. You may well find an International Volunteer Day story with a difference.

First discussions on volunteer management professional development

A small group, convened by VNZ Executive Director Tim Burns, has had its first meeting to discuss next steps towards a national initiative that would aid the professional development of volunteer managers.

This arose from a proposal put forward by a large number of those who attend the Volunteering Conference. Those at the meeting had all been part of the conference discussions. They all brought a commitment towards progressing the conference proposal.

They included VNZ Board member Olwen Taylor, Claire Teal, Services Manager, Wellington Central City CAB and Volunteer Wellington Board member, Pauline Harper, Co-Manager Volunteer Wellington, Sue Hine, retired Volunteer Manager with a keen interest in volunteer management development, Graham Witts, Project Manager with Skills Active, the Sport and Recreation Industry Training Organisation and Tim Burns. VNZ board member Gillian Peacock will be joining the group and it was recognised at the meeting there were others who would wish and be able to contribute to this initiative.

The group agreed that the underlying principle was that volunteer services should be well run to be fully effective and this required good management of the volunteer services. They saw two main focuses for the development of volunteer management. One was to raise the awareness of governing bodies, management and others who influenced the delivery of volunteer services about the need for good management of these services and the importance of the role of volunteer managers in achieving this. The other was the provision of education, other resources and effective support networks for those with volunteer management responsibilities. They saw there might be several streams of activity to follow and a range of services needed to achieve these two objectives. The diversity of the ways in which volunteering takes place and the volunteers themselves needed to be recognised.

The group decided on a range of next steps they could take. This will include working with Karen Smith and Carolyn Cordery from Victoria University who are working on a research project which will involve a survey of those who have volunteer management roles. This will provide important base line information.

Planning for 2011 conference underway

With strong endorsement about the value of the 2009 Volunteering Unleashed conference, Volunteering NZ has begun its initial thinking and planning for its next conference in 2011.
This will be a most significant year - it will be the 10th anniversary year since VNZ was established and internationally it will be marked as International Year of the Volunteer plus 10 - a year to reflect on what has been achieved for the development of volunteering in the past decade.

The Rugby World Cup to take place in September and October 2011 with involve a major volunteer programme which potentially could benefit all volunteering in New Zealand.

Timing for the 2011 conference is therefore a first-up key issue to be considered. The appropriate time may be earlier in the year, prior to the World Cup with a linkage to it such as having as a major conference theme "Events Volunteering".

Another factor is that Martin J Cowling and Andy Fryar have proposed holding their 2011 Australasian Advanced Volunteer Management Retreat in New Zealand that year, which VNZ supports. There may be advantages in holding the conference and the retreat close together. The retreat is expected to attract a number of Australian participants who may also choose to attend the conference as well.

There has been very positive feedback about the Volunteering Unleashed conference. Some76 evaluations were received and of these 92% either agreed or strongly agreed that the conference sessions contained important current issues for their area of interest. Over 97% either agreed or strongly agreed the keynote speakers contributed positively to their learning experience with a 96% response in relation to the concurrent or stream presentations.

There was much positive feedback about all the individual keynote speakers. The person who stood out as being more than excellent for many was Marcus Akahatu-Brown, who was the final keynote speaker. Most of the presentations can be found through this link.

Outward Bound for life

by Branka Cicak, VNZ Communications Officer
When Tim suggested me to attend the Outward Bound course earlier this year, my answer was: "Outward what?" The OB might be an institution in NZ and most of Kiwis would say that's what they want(ed) to do once in their life, but for me this was the first time I heard of this term out of the sailing settings. After doing some homework, I realised:
It's about tramping… Oh, I love tramping!
It involves running… Yeah, I run at least three times a week!
You'll be sailing… I always wanted to do that!
They'll leave you alone in the bush… Finally I'd have an opportunity to stay on my own in the nature!
It's going to be tough… well, I did tough things before!
You'll have blisters all over your feet… I never get blisters!

My confidence was high, and before I landed on the jetty in front of the School in Anakiwa, I could not even imagine how quickly I'd be disarmed by the plans my two sport-mighty instructors had. More miraculously, by the time I was back on that jetty three weeks later waving good bye to the bunch of loosing instructors performing the "who's going to do the most stupid dive into the water" show, I could not believe that what I went through is actually possible to go through and be happy afterwards.

The three consecutive days of dawn to dusk off-track navigation of steep ridges (abseiling included) with a too heavy load on my back have made all my previous mountain endeavours feel like some park walks. When the crew raised the main sail on the 34 foot cutter with the tiller in my right hand and 25knots gusts only 10 seconds away, I was rephrasing my statement "I only wanted to sail as a passenger". In the lack of a climbing partner, my rock climbing aspirations were mostly on hold for years, but when I finally got (temporarily) one on the OB course, I was horrified - he was suppose to belay me while I'm climbing the rock blindfolded. I did, as I did the whole bunch of other 'never to do' stuff thrown at me by always enthusiastic instructors. My final day 22km run was a catharsis; I never thought I could run so far and at the end of those 22km feel like I could run even more.

Although this all sounds like some outdoors adventure rat race, it was actually far from that. The Outward Bound builds its courses around the five objectives: self development, social development, values, environment and service - all integrated in the every little activity of the course in a safe and supportive atmosphere.

At the end of the course the message was clear; the actual Outward Bound is just about to begin. Everything I experienced and learned faced the greatest challenge the moment I turned my back to Anakiwa and made my way back to the real world - all this will only matter if I don't forget the a-ha moments of the last three weeks. The concern of every OB graduate is still echoing in my mind - will I succeed?!
At least, I'm sure now I never get blisters, not even on the Outward Bound. That might help…

*Branka was able to have this great experience thanks to the generosity of the Outward Bound Trust who sponsored her participation.

NEW ZEALAND NEWS

Teenage boys increase their volunteering and other giving

There was a marked increased in the numbers of teenage boys volunteering between 2007 and 2008 according to the research report "How do New Zealanders Give?" 2008 Update.

The report showed that volunteering by males aged 10 to 19 increased as a percentage of their total population group from 14% in 2007 to 22% in 2008. This also put them on a par with girls in the same age group. It was also pleasing to see a similar lift in their numbers making financial donations.

The data came from the Nielsen Media Research Panorama survey which collects information from 12000 people annually. The report is obtained by the Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector and is a major information resource for the Generosity Hub.

The research showed that the overall volunteering rate is stable. An estimated 1,241,000 people aged 10 and over volunteered in the previous 12 months for 2008 (34% of this population group) compared with 1,217,000 in 2007 (33.8%). The change is statistically insignificant.

While the overall rate was stable, at the same time it showed an increase in volunteering across all the different sectors in which people can volunteer. This indicates that people volunteered in more subsectors on average in 2008 than in 2007. There is more than one possible reason for this. One is that people who volunteer are spreading their volunteering to more organisations. A second reason is that as media coverage of volunteering has increased and people become more conscious of the diversity of volunteering opportunities, they are recognising the diversity of their own volunteering.

There was statistically significant movement in some of the age groups other than young males. Volunteering by males aged 20-29 declined from 30% to 25% and in the 40-49 age group, female volunteering increased by 9.2 percentage points while for males it declined 6.7 percentage points.

The research also measured rates of ad hoc donations and committed donating. Ad hoc donations are typically those given in street appeals and similar forms of fund raising. Committee donations are those given to organisations on a regular basis.

Ad hoc donating increased a little in 2008. The percentage of people 10 years and over who gave in this way increased from 47.4% in 1007 to 49.6% in 2008. Committed donations remained stable - 33.4% in 2008 compared with 33.6% in 2007.

IHC launches new website for volunteers

IHC has launched a new website for volunteers with a competition for stories about volunteering. To mark International Volunteer Day (5 December) people with intellectual disabilities and volunteers are being encouraged to write in with their stories.

The best stories will be featured on the new website www.volunteer4IHC.org.nz and prizes include a 2009 Hewlett Packard laptop sponsored by Datacom Systems, Wellington, and a Sony Digital Cybershot W Series digital camera with starter kit and carry bag. The website features personal accounts of friends and friendships and is designed to raise the profile of IHC's volunteer programme. The site is for existing volunteers and people who want to get to know someone with an intellectual disability.

"It has real life stories that are regularly updated," says IHC's National Manager of Volunteering, Caroline Barnes. The site also provides a moderated forum for volunteers to exchange information. She says this provides a way for volunteers to chat. They can share experiences and perhaps even learn strategies from one another.

The forum will be open so that prospective volunteers can find out first-hand what it's like to be a volunteer. "IHC can tell people about being a volunteer but ultimately it's those who do it who understand what it's really like," she says.

The IHC Volunteer Programme is a one-to-one programme that operates in local communities. It's about making friends with a person with an intellectual disability.
"The programme is flexible," says Caroline Barnes. "How that friendship develops is worked out between the volunteer and the person with the disability."

There's a potential benefit to all volunteers from better networking, including new opportunities. By getting to know other volunteers online, they might find another pair in their community that they and their friend can link up with and do things together.

IHC has more than 450 volunteers working in communities through the country. There are many more people with intellectual disabilities in those communities who would like a volunteer. All volunteers receive full training and ongoing support is provided by local volunteer coordinators. If you would like to join the IHC Volunteer Programme contact IHC on 0800 442 442 or volunteering [at] ihc [dot] org [dot] nz.

VOLUNTEERING PEOPLE

The Centre for Social Impact looses one of its key employees

Mark Lyons, CSI's Director of Research, died peacefully in the early hours of Wednesday, 4th November. Mark was extraordinarily brave as he fought his illness and continued to work productively at CSI until he was forced to retire last month. His final paper on measuring social impact in the third sector, written with Gianni Zappala, was published by the Centre shortly after his death.

He had a significant involvement in the research and production of Giving Australia, a major research work on all forms of giving, including volunteering, published in 2005/06. His book Third Sector - The Contribution of Nonprofit and Cooperative Enterprise in Australia (2001) was the first comprehensive study of Australia's community/voluntary sector.

VOLUNTEERING RECOGNITION AWARDS

Computer Access New Zealand Trust wins Supreme Award in Wellington

Wellington Airport, in association with The Community Trust of Wellington, awarded the Supreme Award for voluntary work in the community to Computer Access New Zealand Trust at the 2009 Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards.

Computer Access New Zealand Trust runs an annual e-Day where electronic equipment waste is collected, assessed and separated for reuse, refurbishment or recycling. e-Day raises awareness of the benefits of recycling computers and the hazardous nature of electronic waste while offering households and schools an easy way and sustainable way to dispose of old computers and mobile phones. The event has grown to now include 39 centres across New Zealand, and has gone from collecting 54 tonnes of e-waste in 2006 to 976 tonnes of e-waste diverted from landfills in 2009.

The Category winners are:
Heritage and Environment: Computer Access NZ Trust
Health and Wellbeing: Mary Potter Hospice
Arts and Culture: Vincent's Art Workshop
Sport and Leisure: Kapiti Community Recreational Turf Trust
Education and Child/Youth Development: E-Learning Porirua Trust

Westport Fire Brigade wins Supreme Award at Buller Trustpower Community Awards

The Westport Volunteer Fire Brigade has won the Supreme Award at the TrustPower Buller Community Awards. The 32 members of the Westport Volunteer Fire Brigade give more than 1,100 hours of their time every month to ensure the safety of their community. They meet nearly every week of the year for training, as well as running a cadet unit for 12 to 16 year olds. They also take a vital role in fire safety education, through a programme run in schools as well as live demonstrations at public shows.

The catergory winners were:
Heritage and Environment Te Wai Pounamu Foundation Trust
Health and Well Being Westport Volunteer Fire Brigade
Arts and Culture Westport RSA Highland Pipe Band
Sport and Leisure Westport Amateur Swimming Club
Educational and Child/Youth Development Joint Winners: Westport Early Learning Centre Inc and Big Brothers, Big Sisters

Link Pathways Project Marlborough Winner

The Link Pathways has won the Supreme Award at the TrustPower Marlborough Community Awards. The Link Pathways team has just finished stage three of the Link Pathway, which aims to connect the communities between Picton and Havelock with a series of walking and cycling pathways. Stage three of the project has seen a pathway between Anakiwa and Linkwater Straight created, effectively extending the Queen Charlotte Track a further three kilometres. The group's volunteers also maintain all three stages of the pathway by clearing, spraying and replanting.

The category winners were:
Heritage and Environment: Picton Historical Society
Health and Well: Being St John Ambulance, Marlborough District
Arts and Culture: Waikawa Marae
Sport and Leisure: Marlborough Junior Cricket Board
Educational and Child/Youth Development: Marlborough Tagata Pacifika Project

Marlborough Youth Spirit Award winner announced

Lana Hawkins from Rai Valley Area School has been named as the winner of the inaugural TrustPower Youth Community Spirit Award for Marlborough.

The two Runners Up were Jessica Cooper from Queen Charlotte College and Olivia Hogg from Marlborough Girls College.

TrustPower Community Relations Co-ordinator Pip Tschudin said Lana stood out for her initiative to take on leadership roles and her instinctive community involvement. Lana is the only year 13 student at Rai Valley Area School and over the last few years has shone as a true leader. She has been the student representative on the Board of Trustees and helps coach and supervise younger students. She has organised and participated in many cultural events at the school and led the charge in the organisation of the school formal - even working to fundraise $1,000 towards the cost of the formal to ensure ticket prices were affordable for all.
Lana is also an active member of the local western riding club, running riding lessons for children and regularly assisting at club events.

Search and rescue receives funds from award winning student volunteer

Westport Land Search and Rescue (SAR) has received a $250 donation from Sharon Haarsma from Buller High School the winner of the inaugural TrustPower Youth Community Spirit Award.

Search and Rescue spokesperson Ross Cocker is thrilled Sharon has chosen to donate the funds to their local SAR group as the group has no assured funding source and $250 is a lot of money for them.
Sharon has recently joined Search and Rescue and has already been involved in a number of weekend SAR tracking training courses to add to her bushcraft skills.

"It is important for all voluntary organisations to attract young members. We are delighted that Sharon has chosen to volunteer her time to help Search and Rescue and that TrustPower is recognising Sharon for her enthusiasm in helping her community," says Mr Cocker.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

IYV+10 meeting at UNV Headquarters

Source: IAVE News
The International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE) was one of the volunteer organizations invited by UNV to attend a consultative meeting to discuss preparations for 2011, the tenth anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers (IYV+10). The dialogue took place at UNV headquarters from 22-23 October 2009.
The meeting brought together volunteer organizations, governments and international organizations, along with UNV and other UN partners. Peace Corps, the Scout movement, YWCA, the Red Cross, CIVICUS and CCIVS were some of the organizations represented. UN delegates came from UNDP, UNHCR, UNICEF, WHO, ILO and other related agencies and offices. Attendees also include representatives of the European Commission and the German, Japanese and Korean governments.
UNV executive coordinator, Flavia Pansieri stressed from the start that the 2011 was everyone's year, and that it was everyone's responsibility to promote IYV+10. UNV plans to recycling the four goals, or "pillars" from IYV - Recognition, Promotion, Facilitation and Networking. She also stressed working to move beyond the anniversary, saying that wants to bring the voices of volunteers to the attention of policy makers.
Reviewed the progress made since 2001, Pansieri noted:

• The move away from the "charity model" of volunteering;
•
• Recognition of the "value of volunteering" ;
•
• The expansion of IT volunteering;
•
• The value of culture differences and the commonality of motivation;
•
• The desire for professional volunteer management;
•
• The expansion of CSR.
•
She hoped that other countries/regions would follow the model of CEV in getting the EU to declare a European Year of Volunteering in 2011.

Stephan Agerhem from the Red Cross outlined their future plans, not necessarily for the anniversary, but for 2025, around "new world citizens", climate change, and the Red Cross's work with companies. Agerhem also talked about Red Cross's partnership with Lion's Clubs worldwide, and mentioned working with AVS in Lebanon on the planned IAVE Arab Nations regional conference in 2010.

Five organizations spoke on their plans for the year-

• CEV - Markus Held talked about the European Year of Volunteering.
•
• UNV - On December 5, 2010, at the UN General Assembly there will be a resolution and then again in 2011. In 2010 there is a committee for Volunteerism for Development of Social Inclusion.
•
• CCIVS talked about their support of UNESCO World Heritage sites.
•
• The Scouting Movement have their annual world conference on January 14, the week before the IAVE World Volunteer Conference in Singapore.
•
The challenges, opportunities, needs, expectations, and rolls of national or regional committees were also covered. Group discussions in preparation for an action plan included the issues of social inclusion and communication strategies.

Volunteering levels almost unchanged in England

Source: Third Sector Online
Volunteering levels have remained almost static over the past year in England, according to the Communities and Local Government department's latest citizenship survey, which was published last month.

Forty-three per cent of adults questioned between April and June - the first quarter of the 2009/10 survey - said they had volunteered formally at least once in the previous 12 months, compared with 41 per cent in 2008/09. Figures for informal volunteering at least once in the previous year fell from 62 per cent in 2008/09 to 57 per cent. The figures have remained similar since they were first collected in 2001.

Formal volunteering is defined as giving unpaid help through groups, clubs or organisations to benefit other people or the environment. Informal volunteering is defined as giving unpaid help to people who are not relatives.

People aged under 25 were most likely to volunteer informally, while 64 to 75-year-olds were the most likely to volunteer formally. Levels of formal volunteering were highest in the south east.

Mike Locke, director of public affairs at Volunteering England, said he was happy to see levels of formal volunteering back up to 43 per cent. He also noted that the percentage of 16 to 25-year-olds who had volunteered at least once in the previous year had increased from 38 to 44 per cent.

"However, we should always look beyond the year-on-year figure to assess trends," he said.

Bill Garland, deputy executive director of CSV, said the challenge was to shape opportunities to match people's availability. He said better volunteer management would help.

"We would also want to examine the possibility of citizens being given the right to participate in the delivery of local authority services such as parks, schools, libraries, children's centres and care homes," he said.

A spokesman for CSV added that the charity had noticed a significant increase in demand from 16 to 35-year-olds for full-time gap-year placements.

NATIONAL EVENTS

Community Economic Development Conference

9-11 February 2010, Waitakere, Auckland
This inaugural New Zealand community economic development conference is aimed at people from not-for-profit organisations, government agencies and councils who wish to explore international best practice in the fields of community-led local economic development, social enterprises, social finances, asset transfer and enabling support mechanisms.
The conference has attracted a wide range of international and New Zealand presenters who will challenge conventional approaches to community economic development, explore new ways of thinking, encourage entrepreneurship and inspire participants to engage in actions that will enhance communities well-being. Prior to the conference two specialist two day workshops will be run on Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) and Cultural Planning led by two leading overseas specialists. For further details and to register for the conference and workshops, go to: www.cedconf.org.nz.

The National Not-for-Profit Sector Conference: The Way Forward: Inspiration + Skills

11-12 March 2010, Waipuna Conference Centre, Auckland
This conference focusing on management and governace of the not-for-profit sector will feature number of interesting speakers including Hon Tariana Turia, Trevor Taylor and Margareth Wheatley. Earlybird registration rates are available until 1 December.
For further information visit http://nfpconference.co.nz/ or contact events [at] grow [dot] co [dot] nz.

INTERNATIONAL EVENTS

2010 Australian National Conference on Volunteering

27 - 29 October 2010 Sebel Albert Park, Victoria, Australia
The dates for the conference were just announced and further information will follow in the next couple of months. For further announcement on the theme, programme and registration keep an eye on www.volunteeringaustralia.org.

Dates announced for the IAVE 2011 World Conference

IAVE's 21st World Volunteer Conference is firmly scheduled for January 24-27, 2011 in Singapore at Sentosa, the new Resorts World hotel. A youth volunteer conference will immediately precede it, January 21-23, taking place on the campus of Singapore Management University.

Make plans now to be in Singapore in January 2011 to help IAVE and its partners throughout the world kick-off our celebration of IYV+10.

The Value of Volunteering: Its Social, Economic and Political Impact

3 December 2009 Morrison Hotel, Ormond Quay, Dublin, Ireland
Volunteering Ireland and PAVMI proudly present this conference on the value of volunteering.
Eilis Lawlor, New Economics Foundation, and other distinguished speakers will talk about the social, economic and political value of volunteering. Workshops will cover the European Year of Volunteering, IT for Volunteer Management and more.

NFP 2010 Generational Change

This is an inaugural non-profit leadership conference on the theme of generational change. Using Open Space format those participating will set the agenda for the weekend in either Auckland on May 21-23 or Melbourne August 13-15. Details are available here. Places are limited for each event. To register, email to admin [at] johncoxon [dot] com [dot] au.

2010 Joint world Conference on Social Work and Social Development

10 - 15 June Convention and Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong, China
This first ever consortium offers a unique platform for more than 2,000 professionals, academics, practitioners, social planners, policy makers and advocates from East and West to meet, exchange, and develop an action agenda for social work and social development in the next decade. The even will put an emphasize on the systematic application and generation of knowledge and intervention to result in evidence-based outcome in social work and social development.
There are three Conference themes:
1) Life Course Challenges & Actualization
2) Social Inclusion for Whom? Equity for What?
3) Sustainable Environment

For further information and registration visit the official conference website www.swsd2010.org.

The Role of Community in Economic and Disaster Recovery

25-28 July, 2010 New Orleans
This conference will offer an excellent opportunity for community development practitioners and scholars to meet and discuss successful ways to promote all facets of community development. They invite participation on all aspects of community development, including economic and social programming. New Orleans is an ideal site for this conference because it launched major new programming under extremely difficult conditions. In a literal sense, many communities in New Orleans had to be rebuilt. The conference is designed to learn from the New Orleans experience and to compare and contrast that work with similar experiences world-wide.

The deadline for submitting abstracts is October 30, 2009. More information available from info [at] iacdglobal [dot] org.

RESOURCES and EDUCATION/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

A resource to read!
Sue Vineyard: Recognizing Volunteers and Paid Staff: The Art, the Science, and a GAZILLION Ideas!

Revitalize volunteers and paid staff by thanking them in new and creative ways. This update of the classic Beyond Banquets, Plaques & Pins is written with today's fast-paced world in mind. Recognizing that each person is an individual, Vineyard describes how to tailor your recognition ideas to fit the "Achievers," "Affiliatiors," and "Empowerers" in your organization. Outlines 10 keys to recognizing volunteers, including being timely, creating an appreciative organizational climate, and embracing diversity. Ends with a list of lots and lots and lots (!) of actions you can take to say thank you.

This book is available from www.energizeinc.com.

***excerpted from Recognizing Volunteers and Paid Staff: The Art, the Science, and a GAZILLION Ideas! by Sue Vineyard, © 2001, Heritage Arts. Found in the Energize, Inc. Online Bookstore at http://www.energizeinc.com/store/2-211-E-1

The most difficult concept to get across to people as I discussed recognition with them was that it was not an event or gimmick...it was an attitude that had to be present in everything the organization did. It is critical that recognition, which is simply a way to express appreciation and respect, is apparent in every aspect of the group's interaction with others, paid or volunteer.

From honest recruiting, to clear job designs, to realistic expectations, effective supervision, training and fair evaluation, we need to constantly monitor how we treat our workers. All of these things are part of a positive organizational climate, also known as "the feel of the workplace."

Positive climates enhance and enable good work, positive relationships and satisfaction; negative or poor climates inhibit, hinder and very often fail to attain goals as they leave their workers dissatisfied. We cannot thank folks on the one hand while they have to put up with the withholding of support and information on the other. We cannot expect that a plaque, pin or nice letter from the CEO will offset having to work with Byzantine rules and/or energy-wasting procedures.

If your organizational climate is negative, wastes time and energy, is disrespectful, bigoted, refuses to change, rejects anything never done before, is run by an "elite" group or dictatorial tyrant or has its head in the sand as to clients' and volunteers' changing needs, no amount of praise and reward will overcome its nasty character...

It must be obvious, therefore, that the climate is greatly influenced by how people are recognized and honored; what norms determine appreciation, how it is earned and expressed; how fair and widespread it is. How folks "feel" in a program is very often in direct proportion to how they are recognized!

We are in a highly competitive business; that of recruiting and RETAINING volunteers. There are thousands of volunteer opportunities at hand, and getting and keeping folks is a full time job.

Keep in mind that volunteers always have the key to the front door and can depart as quickly as they came. In interviewing exiting volunteers, the only reason that comes close in explaining why a person is having to leave to that of "not enough time" seems to be: "it just didn't feel right."

Feelings are facts. Life is challenging enough without adding to stress by having to fight your way through an unhealthy, inhibiting or hindering climate. People who want to help a particular cause can probably find another agency addressing it that can offer them a job they can handle AND a healthy climate in which to work.

Final Publication from Study of the NZ Non-Profit Sector available

The final paper from the Study of the NZ Non-Profit Sector is now available. The NZ Non-Profit Sector and Government Policy examines the relationship between the non-profit sector and government, and the public policy environment in which the sector operates in Aotearoa. In particular, it explores the impact of government policy on the sector and how current issues facing the sector are linked to interactions with government.

Non-profit organisations are affected by laws and regulations that determine their legal forms, tax treatment, and the ways in which they can act. Government agencies' operational policies, particularly in relation to the manner and extent of funding for non-profits, also have a major impact. This report represents one of the first attempts to analyse recent developments across the whole sector.

It notes that the state's relationship with the non-profit sector is constantly changing, nuanced and complex. Historically, some government agencies have had more comfortable relationships with the sector than others. The report observes that "the state is a conflicting ensemble of institutions rather than a monolith" - resulting in a multitude of relationships between different organisations.
Download the report from the Study of the New Zealand Non-Profit Sector research section of our website www.giving.org.nz.

New Free Resource for Volunteer Managers

OurSharedResources.org, a new resource clearinghouse for the volunteer sector was unveiled at the recent Administrators of Volunteer Resources - British Columbia conference. This free-to-use website is one where those who work in the field of volunteer management will be able to add useful resources and others in the field will be able to access them. Resources could be;
Downloadable, real-world examples of forms, manual or position descriptions, templates & tools for creating resources, tips, ideas and how-to articles…

Most managers of volunteers are happy to help their peers. Many of the resources needed by volunteer managers are very similar, even when each organization's volunteer program is unique. Rather than starting from scratch, managers will be able to search for resources similar to what they need, download an example or a template for it and then just modify it to meet their specific needs.

Although there are websites out there that contain advice for those who manage volunteers, this is the first site to be built around the concept of peer-contributed content and the first to include downloadable examples in its focus. The founders and managers of the volunteer sector's online VPM groups see the potential of OurSharedResources.org.

All resources added to the clearinghouse will cite the contributor's name. Anyone will be able to access these resources and download the files that their peers have added for the purpose of sharing them. With a free registration, those that make use of the resources will be able to comment back into the site how it helped them.

For those that would like to contribute to the clearinghouse, the process is very simple. Go to www.OurSharedResources.org and register as a contributor. You will have immediate access to be able to start adding anything that you feel could help others in the field. Your content will begin to appear on the site as soon as the site administrators confirm it to be a legitimate contribution.

This resource was programmed and funded by Volunteer2, (www.volunteer2.com) creators of the volunteer management software, Volunteer Impact. For additional information about Our Shared Resources, contact Tony Goodrow at tony [at] volunteer2 [dot] com or visit www.oursharedresources.org.

Volunteer Management Education Books for Sale

Volunteering NZ has for sale copies of four books written by Linda Graff on developing policies and risk management for volunteering programmes. The titles and prices are:

Best of All - Quick reference Guide to Best Practice $46.00
Better Safe - Risk Management for Volunteer Programmes $46.00
Beyond Police Checks - Screening Guidebook $46.00
By Definition - Policies for Volunteer Programmes $36.00

We also have copies of Mary Woods' book
Volunteers, A guide for Volunteers an their Organisations $25.00

Postage and Handling
Up to 2 publications $5.50 3 or more publication $10.00

All the prices are GST inclusive.

Posters "Do a World of Good - Volunteer" suitable for general promotions and recruiting volunteers are available free from VNZ.

Orders for all may be faxed to 04 3843637 or emailed to office [at] volunteeringnz [dot] org [dot] nz.
Payment may be made by cheque or credit card. If wishing to pay by credit card we will send you documentation to complete and return.
You're receiving this newsletter because you signed up at CommunityCentral.

CommunityCentral is an online space for people in tangata whenua, community and voluntary, public health and other organisations in Aotearoa New Zealand to work together, share and converse online. Find out more...

Please forward the VNZ Update to anyone you think might be interested.

ends

© Scoop Media

Volunteering New Zealand

Leaders of Volunteering

Volunteering New Zealand (VNZ) is an association of New Zealand organisations that have a commitment to volunteering, such as volunteer centres, national and other organisations.

Volunteering New Zealand's mission is to promote, support and advocate for volunteering.

Contact Volunteering New Zealand

• Website - volunteeringnz.org.nz
• Facebook
• Twitter - @VolunteeringNZ
• Linkedin
• YouTube
• Phone - +64 4 384 36 36
• Media Contact - comms@volunteeringnz.org.nz
• Postal Address - PO Box 25333, Featherston Street, Wellington 6146