Volunteer Title: Financial Business Advisor

Organization: Bryn Mawr Wellesley Book Sale

Description of Duties: Meet with board president and/or a small number of other members to make suggestions about how to improve finance business processes. We have just started offering PayPal, but are there other financial moves we can make to sell more books?

Experience Required: 3+ years in financial field, business background a plus.

Job Tasks: 

1. Review financial procedures for book sale
2. Prepare analysis of strengths and weaknesses
3. Make recommendations for improvements

Expected Outcomes/Outputs of project: Written review and recommendation of streamlined financial processes.

Time Commitment: 6-10 Hours

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Volunteer Title: Volunteer Development Advisor

Organization Name: Bryn Mawr Wellesley Book Sale

Supervisor: Elizabeth Romanaux

Description of Duties: Meet with board president and/or a small number of other members to make suggestions about how to improve volunteer development processes. How can we reach more book-loving volunteers? What amenities or thank-yous should we offer? What do volunteers want from the experience and how can we keep them coming back?

Experience Required: 3+ years working with volunteers or volunteer management; HR/Program management background would be useful.

Job Tasks:

1. Review current efforts to find people to help collect, sort and price books during the year (April – February) and during 10-day annual sale.
2. Establish ways to regularly communicate with volunteers during the year.
3. Establish a way to routinely thank volunteers and encourage repeat engagement with the organization.

Expected Outcomes/Outputs of Project:

Written recommendation to the President and Board for streamlining volunteer process, including how to better recruit, retain and utilize book sale volunteers.

Time Commitment: Approximately 15 hours

Volunteer Title: Business Analyst

Organization: Trenton Community Music School

Supervisor: Executive Director & Board Chair

Description of Duties: Help TCMS strengthen its future by analyzing the current programming and direction of the organization. This should include a thorough SWOT analysis, review of finances, and comparative study of similar programs.

Job Tasks: Meeting with board members, staff, and other music schools as needed, as well as additional informational gather tasks to help strengthen the structure of the organization to use in the future development of an updated strategic plan.

Experience Required: 3+ years in business analysis. Background in finance and strategic planning helpful. MBA or small business experience a plus.

Expected Outcomes/Outputs of Project: Written business assessment and recommendations for improvements given to the executive director and board for review.

Time Commitment: 20-30 Hours

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Organization Mission: To be an important resource for music education within the greater Trenton community, offering high quality instruction and performance opportunities for both children and adults. The school fosters creativity and seeks to enhance the social and intellectual development of individuals of all ages, backgrounds, abilities, and financial circumstances.

About the Trenton Community Music School: The only community music school in Trenton, offering lessons and classes in piano, guitar, bass, clarinet, flute, saxophone, violin, and voice. Our fees are determined on a sliding pay scale based on family size and income.

Organizational Goals and Programming: The current priorities are: Building a larger, more effective board; expanding capacity; finding a permanent location; creating a business that can operate a balanced budget.

REGISTER now for our next quarterly volunteer management workshop!

We will address Volunteers and the Law. This is an important overview of common legal issues when using volunteers at nonprofit organizations.

Should you go? YES! It is appropriate for all nonprofit leaders or volunteer managers that use or work with volunteers in your organization. Bring your questions for our guest speaker to answer directly.

Some topics to be addressed are:

• Background checks and application screening
• Using volunteers under age 18
• Social media concerns
• Employment issues
• Use of interns

The morning agenda will start with a 30 minute networking opportunity followed by the presentation and a question and answer period.

About out Guest Speaker:

Amy Beth Dambeck, Esq., is an Employment and Labor Law expert. She currently works with the firm of Constangy, Brooks & Smith in Lawrenceville. Amy Beth has extensive experience working with nonprofit clients and has spoken on numerous occasions on employment law issues. VolunteerConnect is grateful to have her time and guidance at this workshop.

A light breakfast will be provided.

To register please contact Amy Klein, VolunteerConnect Executive Director at 609-921-8893 or at amy@volunteerconnectnj.org

$25 Registration Fee

See you soon!

The winning team, including Maheen Ahmed, AnnaBorowska, Jarrett Case and Jaclyn Solarski, presented the idea of “Opportunities for Skilled Professionals:  Connect with the Community.” “The concept was very direct and engaging,” states Amy Klein, executive director of VolunteerConnect. “All the student presentations were outstanding and professional, but this team had the clearest message about the benefits of skills-based volunteering, targeting the professionals we’d like to engage.”

VolunteerConnect promotes skills-based volunteering as a way for professionals who are employed, retired, in life transitions or at home with children, to use their skills, experience or education to make an impact at community organizations.  They provide expertise in areas like marketing, finance, strategic planning or website design, saving staff time and allowing nonprofits to direct their funds to client services.

Tina LaPlaca, a member of the Liberal Arts & Communications faculty at Mercer County Community College, has been conducting this student competition with her Advertising Design classes for 19 years.  “The students love having a real-life experience and coming up with creative concepts that can be used by actual nonprofit organizations like VolunteerConnect.” The student presentation included concepts for newspaper ads, brochure designs, transit posters, Facebook, promotional items and more.  The competition encourages students to unleash their creative potentials and to connect them to real world applications.  “Their work can make a difference,” LaPlaca states.

VolunteerConnect used a skills-based volunteer as a consultant for this project.  Marketing professional Ann Kovalick helped the students tailor marketing strategies and plan their presentations.  Kovalick states that as a stay-at-home mom with a long career in professional marketing, “it was fun and rewarding to share my knowledge with the students and to help ensure that VolunteerConnect received a solid advertising campaign.  I would absolutely do it again.”

“We were grateful to be chosen as the focus of this year’s competition,” Klein states.  “The students provided us with designs to promote an important form of volunteering, and we showed these future professionals that their talents are valuable to their communities.”

The winning designs will be used in future skills-based volunteer promotions for VolunteerConnect.

To learn more about skills-based volunteering or open opportunities, go to our Volunteer page or contact the executive director, Amy Klein, at amy@VolunteerConnectNJ.org or at 609-921-8893.

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Photo Credits:

Seated Left to Right – VolunteerConnect Board Members Heidi Joseph, Robin Fogel, Phyllis Frakt, Elsie Sheidler, Friend of VolunteerConnect, Matthew Winkel

Standing Left to Right – Student Jarrett Case, Student Anna Borowska, Skills-Based Volunteer Ann Kovalick, VolunteerConnect Executive Director Amy Klein, MCCC Faculty Tina LaPlaca, Student Jaclyn Solarski, Student Maheen Ahmed

Volunteer Title: Database Consultant

Organization: Every Child Valued

Description of Duties: ECV’s current donor database is an Excel file. Looking for a professional to develop a database structure and guidelines for use of and interaction with the database to ensure data integrity, ease of use, and accuracy of extracted data.

Experience Required: Familiarity with database administration; Experience managing development databases a plus; Proficiency in database administration, prospect and constituent management, data imports and exports, developing reports (preferably using GiftWorks).

Job Tasks: 

• Analyze our current data and develop best practices for our conversion
• Help in the conversion of data from Excel to GiftWorks
• Assist in the development of reporting mechanisms

Expected Outcomes: 

• Manage and supervise data entry for gift records sot that the processing, tracking, reporting and acknowledgement of private gifts are performed in accurate and timely fashion. Ensure that the data derived from these activities is maintained in accurate and up-to-date status, and can easily be accessed
• Develop standards and policies for data entry, and ensure compliance

Time Commitment: 25 Hours

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Organization Mission: Every Child Valued’s mission is to motivate the young residents from Lawrence Township to reach their highest potential as educated and fulfilled adults, to strengthen families, to combat racial, cultural, and socio-economic isolation, and to build a sense of community

About the Organization: 

I urge everyone to take a moment to recognize volunteers by writing thank-you notes, sending flowers, taking them to lunch or posting a tribute on social media.

The Oxford dictionary defines a volunteer as “a person who freely offers to take part in an enterprise or undertake a task.”  Yet being a volunteer is so much more.  It’s about connecting with neighbors, schools, communities and those less fortunate.  It’s about people sharing their hearts, time and knowledge to improve the lives and spirits of those around them.

VolunteerConnect would like to thank our skills-based volunteers, professionals who contribute their expertise and talents to area nonprofit organizations.  Our skills-based volunteers have helped many community organizations advance their missions.  Due to their efforts, the Boys & Girls Club of Trenton & Mercer County has a new Computer Exchange Program, Isles has a stronger communications plan, Habitat for Humanity of Trenton has a new website and Dress for Success of Mercer County has streamlined their technology needs.

I also invite readers to become volunteers in the coming year.  Help a neighbor plant a garden, pass out water at a local 5K, coach a team, become a board member or share professional skills to make a strategic impact at one of the 40,000 nonprofits in our State.  There is a volunteer in all of us – let’s embrace it!

To learn more about skills-based volunteering, please visit the “Volunteers” page or call 609-921-8893.

Amy Klein

Executive Director

VolunteerConnect

When a non-profit organization needs help stuffing envelopes, handing out flyers, staffing a bake sale or passing out water bottles at a 5K run, it usually isn’t difficult to find able volunteers. But when it comes to more complicated issues involving business plans, marketing, and finances, qualified assistance is harder to find…

Check out the whole article HERE!

 Partners in Performance:

Effective Management for the Executive Director

The relationship between the Board of Trustees and the Executive Director is critical for the achievement of any nonprofit community organization. Join VolunteerConnect and guest speaker, Nancy Kieling, President of Princeton Area Community Foundation, as we explore the challenges and successes of this working relationship and how to ensure strategic guidelines for a successful future.

Wednesday, April 17th

8:30am – 10:00am

Graciously hosted at the offices of the Princeton Area Community Foundation

15 Princess Road, Lawrenceville, 08648

Morning Agenda:

8:30-8:50 – Networking & Light Breakfast

8:50-9:55 – Discussion with Nancy Kieling

9:55-10:00 – VolunteerConnect News and Survey

Don’t Miss out! REGISTER now!

Go to: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/3188511925

  ***Due to the nature and sensitivity of the topics discussed in our Executive Director Forums, we ask that only Executive Directors/Presidents/CEOs of organizations attend these sessions***

Questions?  Contact Amy Klein, Executive Director at amy@volunteerconnectnj.org or at 609-921-8893