June 8, 2012 One less barrier for Alberta volunteers Cost of police information checks for volunteers working with children, seniors, and the disabled will be covered Alberta… Volunteers and volunteer engaging groups in Alberta have one less barrier to overcome thanks to the continuation of the Volunteer Police Information Check Program (VPICP). Under this program,…
A few weeks ago, I attended an interagency meeting where the term “STP” was used in reference to volunteering. I had not heard this term used before, so I was relieved when someone else asked if the acronym could be explained. As it turns out, STP refers to the “Same Ten People” who always volunteer…
Home is where our hearts are, and happiness is where your friends are. But you know you are truly blessed when the two fall under the same roof. I am pleased and proud to announce that I am back with Volunteer Alberta after a three-month absence. Having spent a year as a Regional Capacity Coordinator…
On Tuesday, Volunteer Alberta hosted a two-hour interactive discussion on employee benefits in the nonprofit/voluntary sector! Mike Babichuk, our resident expert, answered questions about employee benefits. Here are the questions, and answers to what people wanted to know about employee benefits: Q – Rachel McBeath Hi Mike! I just started with a small organization (6…
Can you think of all the ways Alberta’s nonprofit/voluntary sector is changing? What about your organization? How is it changing? Like other sectors, the nonprofit/voluntary sector is in a state of fluctuation. Traditional modes of funding and people engagement are becoming less effective. Sector leaders have to face new societal realities and find new ways…
I traveled to Belize last August with the Rotary International Belize Literacy program. I really enjoyed my time in Belize, it was awe-inspiring in its natural beauty and the people were fantastic. I spent time in the Cayo region, which meant I had the chance to see Mayan ruins in my time off. Awesome, right?…
Last week, Rosanne (VA’s Director of Programs) and I attended Volunteer Lethbridge’s annual National Volunteer Week celebration – the Leaders of Tomorrow awards. This event recognizes the exceptional contributions made by youth aged 5-24 years old in the Lethbridge area. I was blown away by the list of hundreds of organizations that Lethbridge youth volunteer…
A few months ago I sat in on a presentation of The Art of Selling the Invisible – one of Volunteer Alberta’s newest workshops, helping organizations market their volunteer opportunities to recruit new volunteers, as well as retain their current volunteers. One of my key takeaways was the need to conduct satisfaction interviews with your…
Being (what I term) a serial volunteer, as well as working in the nonprofit/voluntary sector, has given me some special insight into how to go about managing volunteers. I’m always happy every time a volunteer manager (either by title or by their role within the organization) makes sure that I, as a volunteer, am…
University and college students spend so much time listening to professor’s lecture about what kind of skills they need to attain a successful career. I was tired of listening and was ready to just “do.” In other words, I thought it was about time to put my academic training into action. Gaining valuable work experience…