Four key practices under Be Organization Ready were outlined in Part One. These included: examining your past history; how youth-friendly your organization is; saying NO until you are ready; and having an advocate or champion for youth initiatives in your...
I have been a volunteer at an agency for four years. In that time it has grown and I feel like a part of that and have particular insight where my volunteer function is concerned. Yet the organization does not...
Many people would not look upon working with 'youth' as a gift, especially adults with teenagers still living at home. I know many who would like to ship them out until they have matured and bring them back as adults!...
Dr. Lester Salamon, author, professor and director of the Center for Civil Society Studies at Johns Hopkins University Institute for Policy Studies was the keynote speaker at Imagine Canada's Symposium "Learning from the World: Canada's Charitable & Nonprofit Sector through...
Picture this scene: a new principal at the school, with the best of intentions, wants a big volunteer appreciation event to cap off the school year. Volunteers play a significant role in this elementary school, so instead of the understated...
This is the final in a series of articles on best practices for engaging youth. The first four covered questions to consider under the headings of 'Organizational Readiness' and 'Youth Opportunities and Relationships'. You are now ready to look at...
You're at a party, mixing and mingling with friends, and someone happens to mention that they volunteer with the board of a charity. You've heard that this is a good way to beef up your resume, perhaps acquire some new...
Polluted lakes, climate change, extinct species, toxic land, water, food, and air - it's enough to make you want to run for the hills. As characters on the CBC comedy This Hour Has 22 Minutes recently exclaimed, "We get it...
Are there ideas, objects, or even people weighing down your volunteer program? "Spring Cleaning" is a great excuse for dealing with some of these issues. Take a good look around you. You probably see at least one thing that needs...
Just as there are "introduction" processes volunteers and staff members go through, there should be processes for when individuals end or complete their volunteering. After an individual leaves, the agency should know why she or he left, and get some...
