the full Member Benefits Guide

2016 Volunteer Lethbridge Member Benefit Guide
HISTORICAL AND MISSION STATEMENT
The roots of Volunteer Lethbridge go back to 1981 and we have had a Volunteer Centre in Lethbridge
continuously ever since. In 1981 the YWCA started the Lethbridge Volunteer Bureau as a three-year
federally funded project under what eventually became Human Resources & Skills Development Canada.
At the end of the funding in 1984, the YWCA facilitated the transformation of the project to the independent
not-for-profit status that we currently maintain.
The first home of the Lethbridge Volunteer Bureau was in the McFarland Building, where the YWCA
administration and program staff resided during the construction of the new facility at 604 8th Street S. The
Volunteer Bureau moved, with the YWCA, into the new building in 1983 and lived there until it became
independent, at which time it moved into a north side location with the Lethbridge Shopper. Renamed the
Community Volunteer Centre in the late eighties the organization moved to the Bill Kergan Centre. In 2000
the organization was renamed Volunteer Lethbridge and in 2011 it moved to Deveta Place. A partnership
struck with the University of Lethbridge saw a move in November 2013 to 324-5 Street South, Dr. Foster
James Penny Building.
Over the years Volunteer Lethbridge has established a strong reputation as a leader in the voluntary and
non-profit sector. Our services have grown and evolved over the years to meet the needs of our member
agencies and individual volunteers in the community. Our core funding comes from FCSS (Family &
Community Support Services) administered through the City of Lethbridge. We supplement our funding
base with grants and fundraising projects. Volunteer Lethbridge has a strong partnership with the City of
Lethbridge in order to provide support to the Voluntary Sector in our community.
Our Vision
Volunteer Lethbridge strengthens and sustains a healthy, vibrant community through support and
advancement of volunteer excellence.
Our Mission
Volunteer Lethbridge builds connections and empowers individuals and organizations to enhance
volunteerism and grow volunteer capacity.
WHO’S WHO? STAFF OF VOLUNTEER LETHBRIDGE
Diana Sim
Executive Director
Chelsea Sherbut
Development Coordinator
Courtnay Spoko
Volunteer Coordinator
Shelley Ducheminsky
Administrative Assistant
Call her when you want
to talk about BIG IDEAS
Call her about your member
benefits or new partnership
development
Call her when you need
volunteers or have
volunteers
Call her about invoices,
bookings, website updates
and promotion
1|Page
 Support for your Volunteer Program
 Quick Start Guide for new Volunteer Managers
 Resources, Professional Development & On-Call Advice for your
Volunteer Resource Person
 Recognition programs and awards for your Volunteers
 Promotion of your Volunteer Opportunities
 Volunteer Referrals
 Networking Opportunities
 Support for your Executive & Board
 Access to more partnerships & initiatives
 Professional Development Opportunities
 Board Governance training & development
 Advocacy for Non-profit issues & concerns
 Networking Opportunities & Focus Groups
 Discounted Meeting Space Downtown
 Support for your Marketing Program
 Membership Directory profile
 Featured Agency of the Week
 Representation on your behalf at Community Events
 Promotion on our Calendar of Community Events
 Brochure display at Volunteer Lethbridge
 Support for your Fund Development Program
 Exclusive Software access & one grant report per year
2|Page
Quick Start Package for Brand New Volunteer Managers
First time managing volunteers? Come in for a package of essential information to get you
started. We’ll also provide ongoing support via phone and email for all your burning questions.
Recognition programs and awards for your Volunteers
Volunteer Recognition is a BIG DEAL to us. Let us help you recognize your volunteers! We hold
an awards ceremony just for youth volunteers (Leaders of Tomorrow), and we will help you with
cost-effective tips, events and other ways to recognize your volunteers especially during
National Volunteer Week in April.
Promotion of your Volunteer Opportunities
Send us your volunteer opportunity (details in the Resource section of this package) and we will
help you spread the word. We post to our website, our social media profiles and in our weekly
Volunteer Opportunity column in the Lethbridge Herald. The weekly column is also distributed
to educational institutions for their websites as well as to the Lethbridge College “LINKS”.
Volunteer Referrals
We have a steady pipeline of incoming volunteers who don’t know where to start. We meet
with them, assess their skills and interests, and then refer them to those member agencies that
might be the best fit. The better we know your needs, the better we can pre-screen and direct
the most appropriate volunteers your way.
Professional Development
Every month (usually the third Thursday) we offer professional development sessions
(discounted or free for members) on topics relating to Volunteer Management (recruiting,
retention, recognition, performance management, tracking), or other non-profit sessions (board
development, leadership development, etc.). Come, learn some great stuff, keep on top of
trends & best practices and connect with your peers from other agencies.
Support on Metrics Tracking
Need help tracking and reporting the hard facts of how great your volunteer program is? We
can help with that! Let us know and we can provide you with some best practices, resources
and help you puzzle through your process. We LOVE to know your organizational volunteer
hour stats and will do anything we can to help you track them more easily and consistently.
Ongoing support (seriously just call anytime: 403-332-4320)
Writing a proposal and need some stats on volunteering? Situation with a volunteer and just
not sure how to handle it? Need to revamp your screening? Need volunteers IN AN HOUR? No
question too big or small – if it’s about volunteers, we’ll help however we can.
3|Page
Access to more partnerships & initiatives
Because we spend a lot of time with agencies, at events and in the community, we often hear
about trends, emerging issues and potential collaborations. The more we know what you have
going on, the better we can keep you in mind when we hear about other potential
opportunities.
Professional Development Opportunities
Every month (usually the third Thursday) we offer professional development sessions
(discounted or free for members) on topics relating to Volunteer Management, or other nonprofit sessions (board development, leadership development, etc.). Come, learn some great
stuff, keep on top of trends & best practices and connect with your peers from other agencies.
We also co-host a one-day HR Conference called Minds in Motion which is designed to give
small organizations access to good, relevant HR and management information. Members
receive a discount to this conference.
Board training & development
We work with Alberta Culture & Tourism to host Board Governance training. Please contact us
for the date of the next session. These are full-day sessions that go over the responsibilities and
risks of being on a board, the basics of reading financial statements and further resources. It’s
excellent for new board members, or those considering joining your board. Even experienced
board members often learn new things! Sessions for your individual Board may be scheduled
by contacting the Board Development Program at bdp@gov.ab.ca
Advocacy
We help give a collective voice to the Voluntary Sector. We’ll keep an eye on local, provincial
and national trends, initiatives and issues and keep you in the loop. We often have the
opportunity to consult with government and alliances on behalf of the Voluntary Sector, and
we’ll make sure your voice is part of that chorus.
Networking Opportunities & Focus Groups
We believe in promoting and strengthening relationships within the voluntary sector in
Lethbridge & area.
Discounted Meeting Space Downtown
As a member, you are entitled to a discount on the two meeting rooms in the University of
Lethbridge Dr. Foster James Penny building (the building our office is in) downtown. The room
capacity for each space is 60 people and is equipped with wifi, teleconference & webinar
capabilities. The member discount price is half of the regular rental fee; please contact us for
current pricing information and booking. *Caterer of choice is welcome.
4|Page
Promotion and Advertising
Let us help you get the word out! We dedicate a ton of time to our social networks, our
exclusive media presence, our website and being out in the community. Just send us your
volunteer opportunity, job posting or event and we will make some noise. Here’s what that
looks like:
o Member Profile in our Online Directory
o Agency of the Week; featured in the Sun Times as well as on the front page of our
website, and all of our Social Media outlets
o Promotion of your volunteer opportunities via: Facebook, Twitter, our website, and
our exclusive weekly Volunteer Opportunity column in the Lethbridge Herald
Membership Directory profile
Your membership includes a profile on our website that outlines your organization’s mission,
vision, contact information and links to any Volunteer or Employment Opportunities that are
posted on our boards. The directory is a great place for potential volunteers to learn more about
your organization.
Featured Agency of the Week
We will feature your agency on our website, social media and in the Lethbridge Sun Times as
our “Agency of the Week”. We will include a brief description of what you do, as well as how
the community can support you. Ideally, we would like to feature your organization at a time
that works best for you and that highlights an important event or time of year for you. Let us
know when would be a great time to feature you, and we will do our very best to
accommodate.
Representation on your behalf at Community Events
We attend events in the community throughout the year, where we set up and staff a table to
promote organizations and volunteer opportunities. We are proud to be your ambassadors at
these events, and to share your promotional material, and direct interested community
members your way.
Promotion on our Calendar of Community Events
When you have special events, let us know about them and we will promote them on our
website calendar, as well as on our social media.
Brochure display at Volunteer Lethbridge
We will proudly display your promotional material at Volunteer Lethbridge for our visitors and
for building guest access.
5|Page
Exclusive Software access & one Grant Report per year
In our office, we have access to a Fundraising & Prospect Research software program that we
hold a license for. It is a made-in-Canada program that is a very thorough grant research
database based on CRA data. Book an appointment with us to find other potential funding
sources for your events, programs and services. (see Resource page at the back of the book for
more information)
Call us if you need anything. We’re not joking. If we can be totally clear on one point it is this:
If a voluntary sector agency needs something* in order to thrive, to
actualize an idea or to solve a problem, we would like to be your partner
to help you succeed.
*something could include volunteers, information, capital, partnerships,
physical assets, board support, training, answers, a shoulder to cry on,
marketing ideas, a focus group... you get the idea
We are not experts on all areas of non-profit management, and we are certainly not experts on
your specific services or programming. What we are is well connected and good problem
solvers. Our goal is to get you the right information or introduce you to the person with the
right information.
** EXPERT TIP: When your organization becomes a member or affiliate, your whole staff, your
board and even your volunteers can take advantage of our workshops and other benefits.
6|Page
 Read this booklet, then share it with your staff so they know what’s available to
them for services & support
 Ensure you are on the BUZZ Newsletter email list to stay current on workshops,
networking functions and government invitations; your staff can sign up as well.
Call Volunteer Lethbridge if you are not receiving these emails monthly.
 Book an appointment for you (or your Fund Development person) to come and
explore grant research opportunities
 Add Volunteer Lethbridge to YOUR mailing list;
outreach@volunteerlethbridge.com This way, if you send out information on special
events or volunteer opportunities, we will be able to post them quickly without you
having to take an extra step.
 Add a reminder to your calendar to review your profile page on Volunteer
Lethbridge monthly. Let us know if your Volunteer or Employment Opportunities
need to be refreshed, or if anything has changed. Check our calendar and ensure
your events are posted.
 Attend the BUZZ sessions, workshops and professional development sessions
whenever time and interest allows. If you cannot attend, invite another staff
member, volunteer or board member to attend.
 Drop off updated marketing materials/pamphlets. We do inventories periodically of
our marketing materials, but if you have something fresh that you’d like promoted
at community events, by all means drop it off!
7|Page
 Key Sections in a VOLUNTEER MANAGER HANDBOOK
 10 Steps to VOLUNTEER SCREENING
 Volunteer Police Information Check Program (VOAN)
 Sample VOLUNTEER POSITION TEMPLATE
 Submitting your VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES to us
 SCiP TIPS
 Using the Grant Research program
8|Page
1) Agency Mission, Vision and Objectives
2) Volunteer Recruitment Processes
a. How do we advertise our positions?
i. Is there a budget for advertising?
ii. Newspaper, bulletin boards, other media, Volunteer Lethbridge, events, etc.
b. Guidelines for first contacts (if someone expresses interest, who fields the calls? How
soon will we get back to them? Do we let them know what to expect next?)
3) Volunteer Screening Process
a. Assess each volunteer position. Include:
i. Job description for each role
ii. Level of risk (does the role work with vulnerable persons or handle cash or
confidential information?)
iii. Screening Process needed for each position. This might include:
 Volunteer Enrollment Form
 Oath of Confidentiality
 Media Release
 An initial interview
 Reference Checks
 Police Check
 Youth Intervention Check
**Best practice to remember; use any screening tools necessary to ensure safety, confidentiality and best service
provision, but don’t make the process so onerous that it creates unnecessary barriers and dissuades volunteers.
Also, remember that screening doesn’t end at enrollment. Keep alert to issues and concerns and deal with them
promptly**
4) Volunteer Orientation
a. Once a volunteer has been selected, what will you need to go through with them?
i. Tour of building(s) & staff introductions
ii. Emergency procedures
iii. Training checklist
b. VERY IMPORTANT: How will you record their hours? Do you have a sign-in/out sheet?
This lets you assess how much time you need to allocate for different activities, and can
be extremely beneficial in grant-writing activities
5) Volunteer Recognition and Performance Management
a) How do you recognize and celebrate your volunteers?
b) Do you review their work periodically? How will you do that?
c) What is the discipline procedure if something goes wrong?
9|Page
Volunteer Canada has prepared an outstanding guide to Volunteer Screening. The complete guide
can be found at:
http://volunteer.ca/content/2012-screening-handbook
1. Determine policies & risks | Set standard policies and identify potential risks to
participants/organization.
2. Write clear volunteer position/role descriptions | Set guidelines and behavioural standards for
volunteer positions, and clarify roles and responsibilities.
3. Establish a formal recruitment process | Commit to a thorough recruitment process and make
this commitment clear to potential volunteers by informing them of your recruitment process
up front.
4. Use an application form | Limit the collection of information to what is necessary to carry-out
an interview for the volunteer role, and ask for permission to call references.
5. Conduct interviews – get to know the volunteer | Communicate your organization’s
expectations and assess the suitability of the candidate for the role. Ask about past employment
and volunteer positions. Remember to use your intuition!
6. Follow-up with references | Always do more than one reference check. Be sure to explain the
position/role, the potential vulnerability of participants, and ask for open comments.
7. When necessary, request the appropriate Police Information Check | If you have determined
a Police Information Check is necessary for a volunteer role, contact your local police service to
clarify which type of check you need. Be sure to include the volunteer role description for the
benefit of the police service, your organization, and the volunteer during this process.
8. Conduct orientation & training sessions | Ensure that the candidate is aware of organizational
structures and policies, and assess their approach, work style and skills. At this point, you may
still decide if they are the right person for the volunteer role or not.
9. Supervise & evaluate| Using the position description as a reference point, evaluate the
volunteer at least once a year, and preferably 2-3 times a year. Clarify expectations and identify
challenges.
10. Participant/recipient follow-up & feedback | Listen to feedback about the service provided by
the volunteer. Ensure that volunteers are aware that follow-ups will be conducted.
10 | P a g e
The Volunteer Police Information Check Program allows eligible nonprofit / voluntary sector
organizations to receive Police Information Checks free of cost for eligible volunteers.
When approved, organizations receive a Voluntary Organization Authorization Number (VOAN) to
include on their Police Information Check forms to indicate that they should not be charged.
BEFORE APPLYING:



Consult the eligibility criteria to ensure that your organization and volunteer positions are
eligible
Look up your 9-digit Registered Charities number or your Corporate Registries number.
Have your Volunteer Screening Policies and Procedures document ready (they require a
document that outlines all the steps you take for screening – this should include positions
descriptions, interviews, reference checks and police information checks, as well as
orientation, training and evaluation.
**Important! If an organization does not have comprehensive screening measures in place, they will
be supported to improve their policies; if they are unwilling or are unable to do so, their application
may be rejected.**

Prepare a detailed description of each volunteer position for which you intend to apply,
indicating how this role fits the eligibility criteria
ORGANIZATIONS MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA:
1. The organization must perform a community service within Alberta.
2. The organization must be a registered nonprofit organization, under the Alberta Societies Act,
the Alberta or federal Business Corporations Act, Part 9 of the Alberta Companies Act, or a
Special Act of the Alberta Legislature and therefore have a Alberta Societies Number or
Charitable Registration Number.
3. Individual chapters or local sections of a province-wide or national organization must each
apply on their own behalf.
VOLUNTEER POSITIONS MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA:
a) Volunteers in these positions engage in volunteerism with individuals who are at greater risk of
being harmed than the general population because of: age (those under age 18 and those 65 years of
age or older) AND/OR disability (including a physical or mental disability, or a mental illness)
b) They are in a position of direct authority or trust over these individuals, with the potential to
cause harm.
11 | P a g e
Position title
Brief title to describe the position
Reports to
Staff or Volunteer Supervisor
Position purpose
Describe the main purpose of the position and who the person reports to.
Duties and responsibilities
Categorize the areas of responsibility and list in point form the duties and responsibilities. Some
categories may be: Administration; Coordination; Finance; Human Resources; Marketing
Qualifications
Qualifications include:






Education:
Specialized knowledge:
Skills and abilities:
Personal Characteristics:
Experience:
Other:
Physical requirements
Where does the activity take place? Onsite? Off-site?
Are there specific expectations? (Lifting, standing, sorting)
Specific Section added for this position



Key indicators
Hours required
Specific deliverables
Approved by:
Name, Position
Date approved:
Month/date/year
Reviewed:
Month/date/year (schedule for an annual review cycle)
12 | P a g e
This information adapted from www.joinscip.ca – make sure you check it out!
SCiP is a non-profit internship program for Post-Secondary students in Alberta. Your
organization has the opportunity to bring on a student intern, who can receive a $1,000 bursary
from Volunteer Alberta at the end of the internship.
ORGANIZATION ELIGIBILITY
To participate in SCiP, your organization must be a nonprofit/voluntary sector organization.
This means your organization:
 Is self-governing and exists to serve the public benefit
 Does not distribute profits to owners, members, directors, shareholders, or managers
 Is voluntary (benefits to some degree from voluntary contributions of time or money)
 Is currently operating in the Province of Alberta and has been for at least one year
 Is independent or institutionally separate from the formal structures of the federal and
provincial government and the profit sector (municipal programs and services DO
qualify)
HERE ARE THE STEPS TO SETTING UP YOUR SCIP INTERNSHIP
1) Apply to the program (www.joinscip.ca); your organization will be approved or denied
within 5 business days 10 minutes
2) Create an internship (familiarize yourself with your responsibilities, create a role
description, post the internship) 1-2 hours
3) Hire an intern and complete a Letter of Agreement 2-4 hours depending on your
hiring/screening process
4) Complete the internship (submit final Declaration, student will have a form to submit as
well as proof of enrollment) 1 hour
*REMEMBER, EVERY SCIP INTERNSHIP MUST BE A MEANINGFUL, SKILL-BASED OPPORTUNITY
THAT OFFERS MUTUAL BENEFIT TO BOTH YOUR ORGANIZATION AND YOUR INTERN. IT ALSO
MUST BE PART-TIME AND FLEXIBLE AROUND A STUDENT SCHEDULE.
PLEASE NOTE: YOU MAY NOT OFFER A WAGE, HONORARIUM, OR ANY OTHER COMPENSATION
FOR A SCIP INTERNSHIP. ALSO, YOUR INTERN CANNOT USE A SCIP INTERNSHIP FOR COURSE
CREDITS.
13 | P a g e
You have access to the Fundraising & Prospect Research software program that we hold a
license for. It is a made-in-Canada program that is a very thorough grant research database
based on CRA data.
Because the license is tied to our IP address, you will need to come into our office to use the
program. Call us to book a time (403-332-4320); plan on about an hour to do your preliminary
research. You may book as many follow up sessions as you’d like; there is no limit on your use
of this program.
What you will need to bring:
 A list of programs and events in your agency that require funding (just so you
remember them)
 A USB stick
 Your agenda (for recording granting deadlines if needed)
When you arrive:
 You will get a quick tour of the building so you know your way around (bathrooms,
emergency exit, where we are if you need us).
 We will log into the program on the computer that you will be using.
 We will give you a tour of the program. There are two main ways to search:
a) By Funder (based on funding focus, target client group, etc.)
b) By Charity (by finding agencies similar to yours, and researching how they
are funded)
We encourage you to save your notes and relevant information to your USB or to take notes of
Foundation names, etc. The printer is available for your use if needed, but please be thrifty with
your printing!
14 | P a g e
You can submit volunteer opportunities to us by:
 email (office@volunteerlethbridge.com)
 fax (403-332-4321)
 stopping by in person (324 – 5th St. S, Lethbridge, AB)
 phone (403-332-4320)
We need the information that appears on the form on the next page. You can fill out the form, or
send us an email that contains the same information.
NOTE: TO HAVE YOUR OPPORTUNITY APPEAR IN MONDAY’S
EDITION OF THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD, WE MUST RECEIVE YOUR
VOLUNTEER INFORMATION BY THE PREVIOUS WEDNESDAY AT
NOON.
** EXPERT TIP: If you include your volunteer opportunities in a regular e-newsletter or
mailing list email, add us to your list! If your opportunity includes all of the details we need, we
will go ahead and post it – no additional steps necessary!
15 | P a g e