In challenging times, using volunteers gives communities the power to both increase meaningful engagement with residents and discover creative ways to meet expanding needs for local government services with limited resources. The successful implementation of volunteer programs can accomplish these dual goals, as many recent local government initiatives have shown. Yet there is an overall lack of focus on utilizing volunteerism, not only to meet service needs but also as a strategy for positive citizen engagement. Build a Successful Volunteer Program to Drive Growth and Recovery describes how communities can establish a management plan to incorporate and engage volunteers in local government.
In order to effectively and consistently provide services to citizens, local governments have had to come up with creative ways for offering services demanded by their citizens. One popular approach became the creation of volunteer programs as local governments became increasingly reliant on volunteers. Volunteers are one means by which local governments help to increase meaningful engagement with citizens and help meet the increasing needs for public services with limited resources. On a broader scale, volunteers in public agencies provide a variety of services to fill gaps in creating and sustaining collective societal goods that otherwise might have been limited due to fiscal stress on local governments or eliminated. Public Sector Volunteer Management: Best Practices and Challenges adds to the understanding of how management practices may affect retention of volunteers. It provides an opportunity to add much-needed data to any discussion concerning volunteering at the local government level from the perspective of volunteer coordinators and aims to provide in-depth research on local government volunteer management practices. This book focuses on best practices identified as necessary for successful volunteer management in the public sector, specifically in a local government setting, making it a valuable text for researchers, academics, and students in the fields of public and nonprofit management, leadership, and human resource management.
Measuring the Impact of Volunteers: A Balanced and Strategic Approach focuses on the long-accepted principle that simply counting “heads” and hours served does NOT give a full picture of the value of volunteer engagement in an organization. The authors adapt the concepts of the “balanced scorecard” performance measurement tool (developed by Kaplan and Norton in the 1990s) to the needs and challenges of volunteer resources management, creating a unique Volunteer Resources Balanced Scorecard (VRBSc). What results is a method for evaluating and planning a volunteer engagement strategy that aligns with the priorities and goals of the organization and the needs of its clients. As a planning tool, the VRBSc helps leaders of volunteers ensure that volunteer service is in sync with the overall goals of the organization. As an evaluation tool, the VRBSc allows decision makers to take an honest look at all aspects of volunteer involvement, balancing four different perspectives that, together, lead to success. Directors of volunteer resources can assess where volunteers are having the most impact and what they should be doing next. As a reporting tool, the VRBSc shows progress and achievements to stakeholders in concrete ways that are meaningful to them. Using illustrations, worksheets, and a comprehensive appendix including survey tools, this book takes readers step by step through the process of creating and using their own VRBSc. Readers will: • See how traditional measurement tools for volunteer engagement do not effectively demonstrate the value and extent of volunteer service • Follow the evolution of the balanced scorecard concept from businesses, to nonprofits, and now to volunteer resources • Develop their own Volunteer Resources Balanced Scorecard • Write meaningful reports that spark action from organization leaders
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists is the premier public resource on scientific and technological developments that impact global security. Founded by Manhattan Project Scientists, the Bulletin's iconic "Doomsday Clock" stimulates solutions for a safer world.
EBONY is the flagship magazine of Johnson Publishing. Founded in 1945 by John H. Johnson, it still maintains the highest global circulation of any African American-focused magazine.
The Washington Information Directory (WID) is a topically organized reference resource that lists contact information for federal agencies and nongovernmental organizations in the Washington metro area along with a brief paragraph describing what each organization does related to that topic. In addition, The Washington Information Directory pulls together 55 organization charts for federal agencies, congressional resources related to each chapter topic, hotline and contact information for various specific areas of interest (from Food Safety Resources to internships in Washington), and an extensive list of active congressional caucuses and contact details.
The Washington Information Directory (WID) is a topically organized reference resource that lists contact information for federal agencies and nongovernmental organizations in the Washington metro area along with a brief paragraph describing what each organization does related to that topic. In addition, WID pulls together 55 organization charts for federal agencies, congressional resources related to each chapter topic, hotline and contact information for various specific areas of interest (from Food Safety Resources to internships in Washington), and an extensive list of active congressional caucuses and contact details. WID has two appendices, one with thorough information on congresspersons and committees, and the second with governors and embassies.
