Partners In Environment

A Collaborative Volunteer Management Strategy

History• Central Coast Sustainability Summit

2012

• Partners in Education Model– Developing since 2008

Why• Based on success of networks

• Win-Win

• Redirects overflow of volunteer interest to groups needing volunteers.

• Connects organizations with Niche volunteers

Success of the Model• Works for all scales

– Small organizations– Organizations that need lots of

volunteers occasionally– Large groups looking to expand their

base

• 6,000 volunteers in 70,000 hours of service at over 110 sites

7 Steps to Success1. Volunteer recruited. (Interests and availability

noted)2. Teacher request received.

Reproduced with permission of Santa Barbara County Education Office

What Volunteers DoMentors

Tutors

Special events

Sports programs

Office/ library support

Facilities improvement

Gardens/ landscaping

Field trip chaperones

Computers/technology

Arts/ music programs

Student club advisors

After school programs

Career Day speakers

Classroom guest speakers

Mock job interviews

Community service fairs

Informational interviews

Resume coaches

Job shadows

Workplace tours

Advisory committees

Teacher externships

Student internship hosts

Reproduced with permission of Santa Barbara County Education Office

7 Steps to Success1. Volunteer recruited. (Interests and availability

noted)2. Teacher request received.3. Volunteer screened, trained and oriented.4. Schedule finalized with volunteer and teacher.5. Volunteer Passport emailed.6. Feedback obtained from volunteer and teacher.

Reproduced with permission of Santa Barbara County Education Office

Feedback

Santa Barbara County Education Office

Feedback system allows Partners in Education to address negative experiences from volunteers/teachers at any site immediately.

7 Steps to Success1. Volunteer recruited. (Interests and availability

noted)2. Teacher request received.3. Volunteer screened, trained and oriented.4. Schedule finalized with volunteer and teacher.5. Volunteer Passport emailed.6. Feedback obtained from volunteer and teacher.7. Recognition of volunteer.

Reproduced with permission of Santa Barbara County Education Office

Volunteer HubPROS CONSConvenient for volunteers (only screened once, lots of opportunities in one place)

Coordination necessary, work to set up information sharing agreements and MOUs

More efficient marketing- one stop shop

Organizations may not feel comfortable sharing volunteers (potential donors)

Each organization may be able to have less/no volunteer managers because of coalition

Each organization gives up a little identity and ownership for the greater good.

Collaborative grants/funding easier to secure

Current managers may feel threatened

Reproduced with permission of Santa Barbara County Education Office

The Big Question

Why is there nothing similar within the environmental

community?

Working Towards an Answer• April 30, 2013

– Open meeting with members from 13 local stakeholders

• Habitat for Humanity

• SB Foundation• UCSB• Auduban• Goleta Valley

Beautiful• Sierra Club• Santa Barbara

Foundation

• City of Santa Barbara

• Westmont College• SBCC Center for

Sustainability• PRformance Group • SBCEO• Fund For Santa

Barbara

April Outcomes• Drafted Goals for program

– Volunteer registration• Screening process• Interests and availability• Guidelines for what is expected of volunteers

– Centralized prerequisites (fingerprinting, release forms, orientation/training, etc.)

April Outcomes• Drafted Goals for program

– Member communication– Exploration of volunteer opportunities– Activity and participation monitoring– Feedback and Recognition

• Formed Working Group to take Next Steps

Working Group• June Meeting

– Pillar Values of Coalition• Environmentalism• Collaboration• Volunteerism

Working Group• June Meeting

– Finding Best Practices • Volunteer Honor Roll• Weekly in-need projects• Family volunteer projects• Staff training for working with volunteers• Roadies – Volunteers dedicated to volunteer

management/behind the scenes

Conclusion• Idea is still in infancy

• Examples of successful networks abound

• Community sees potential

What You Can Do• Attend Working Group Meeting in

November– Leave your email address to be included

in scheduling or to be kept updated

Thank You