VOLUNTEERING NEW ZEALAND FOCUS:

Survey indicates many organisations need more volunteers

This is a finding from a short survey which Volunteering NZ has undertaken of mostly national organisations involved in social and community support services. The purpose was to provide information about what is happening with volunteering services of these organisations as part of VNZ's input to discussions involving several national organisations and Social Development Minister, Paula Bennett.

Minister Bennett invited representatives of seven organisations to provide input in relation to preparation of the 2009/10 budget for the Social Development portfolio. The other organisations participating in this dialogue are ANGOA, Te Kahui Atawhai o te Motu, a national organisation of over 160 Māori providers, NZ Federation of Voluntary Welfare Organisations, NZ Council of Social Services, NZ Council of Christian Social Services and Philanthropy New Zealand.

VNZ's survey was to find out whether the need for and supply of volunteers was increasing or not and it asked four simple questions. At the time of writing 56 replies had been received which is a good response when our main distribution list was something over 80 organisations.

In answer to the question have there been any change in your organisation's need for volunteer, 45.5% of respondents reported an increase. The reasons given for the increase varied but several reflected that either the organisation had expanded its services or was experiencing an increase in demand for particular services. 50.9% reported no change and 3.6% reported a decrease in need for volunteers. One of those in this group said some volunteer roles had been converted to paid positions.

A smaller number of organisations, 28.6%, reported they had experienced an increase in the numbers of people offering to volunteer, with 51.8% reporting no change and 19.6% a decrease in volunteer numbers. One respondent had note an increase in those seeking paid employment and also more people with professional qualifications.

We plan to repeat this survey later in the year to see if there is any change in light of the economic downturn.

Encouraging youth to volunteer a key aim of Volunteer Awareness Week 2009

Volunteering by youth will be highlighted in Volunteer Awareness Week which is to be held 14 - 20 June this year. Young people are potential volunteers for today and into the future and encouraging them to become volunteers is a major strategic aim of Volunteering New Zealand.

The national focus for the week through events and media releases will be on the many ways in which young people already volunteer, demonstrating the opportunities for other young people. A launch function is being planned and a major national event to be held later in the week will be a national communities of interest gathering hosted by the Generosity Hub. This event will provide a report on the work of the Generosity Hub to date and outline plans for the future. The Hub's overall objective is to encourage all New Zealanders to be increasingly generous with their time (volunteering) and their money and other resources.

VNZ encourages participation by all organisations and services who involve volunteers in their programmes and activities. It is an opportunity to celebrate and recognise your volunteers. At the same time you can showcase how you involve volunteers and ways in which new volunteers can contribute. You will be able to let the rest of the community know about what you are planning for the week through a special blog shortly to be set up on www.volunteeringnz.org.nz, VNZ's website.

To assist you make your events go well, an awareness week toolkit will be available mid April on the same website.

VNZ has supplies of the Do a World of Good posters and balloons for use in your events. Send your orders by email to office[at]volunteeringnz.org.nz or fax 04 3843637.

Tyron Love continuing as co-opted Board Member

Tyron Love, Te Atiawa, who was opted to the VNZ Board last year, is being co-opted to continue on the Board. As well as contributing to the overall work of the Board, he will be assisting the Board develop its policy and take action on developing its relationships with Maori. He will be working with Jane Poa who is providing the perspective on VNZ's relationship with Pacific Island Peoples.

UNICEF NZ and Barnardos - new VNZ members

Barnardos NZ and Unicef NZ, two major organisations working to support children and their families, have joined Volunteering NZ as national organisation members.

For more than 30 years Barnardos NZ has worked within the community to help New Zealand children receive the care, education and support they need in order to grow and reach their potential. It provides a range of care, education and support services developed specifically for New Zealand children and their families. The services reflect the commitment to ensuring that all children are able to receive the very best start to life. Volunteers at Barnardos usually help in the area of corporate sponsorship, administration, running Early Learning Centres and staffing library in the Wellington office.

UNICEF is the world's leading agency for children aiming to achieve real results - giving children the rights they deserve. To do this, UNICEF brings together different stakeholders and puts them in touch directly with children through the sustainable programmes and effective partnerships. As a UNICEF volunteer one can help out in its Wellington office with administration duties, with fundraising events or use his/her specific skills and experience as an intern.

Sign up for VNZ Update at CommunityCentral

You may recall that our newsletter migrated to a new webspace last December when we started to distribute VNZ Update via CommunityCentral. This is an online space for people in tangata whenua, community and voluntary, public health and other organisations in Aotearoa New Zealand. It is a place to find out what is happening in the community sector, join to receive a range of e-newsletters including VNZ Update, send your own organisation's e-newsletter and in a few months time, start or join a discussion network or private workspace.

Prior to VNZ using CommunityCentral for sending out VNZ Update, we added all existing subscribers to our new CommunityCentral distribution list, inviting everyone to visit the website and register their profile. Everyone on that initial list who later registered on CommunityCentral, giving the email address we had been using, was automatically recognised by the system as a VNZ Update subscriber. His/her profile would be linked with the existing subscription and e-mail address.

If you have regularly been receiving VNZ Update through your email address and hav e not registered on CommunityCentral, we would invite you to do so now. Why? Because by doing so you will be in control of your subscription to VNZ Update and other newsletters. Through your registration on CommunityCentral you can easily subscribe/unsubscribe and change your contact details. For example, if you changed your job and got new e-mail address but would still like to receive our newsletter, you can do so by logging on to CommunityCentral and updating your e-mail address. Or maybe your predecessor was a VNZ Update subscriber and now you would like to continue his/her subscription.

There are four simple steps to follow:
1. Go to www.communitycentral.org.nz,
2. Register/create your profile on the platform,
3. Go to E-newsletter section,
4. Click on VNZ Update and subscribe.

And what shall your predecessor do? Update his/her e-mail address, and unsubscribe if he/she case does not want to receive the newsletter anymore.

Remember that signing up on CommunityCentral puts you in control of your email traffic, saving you time from writing 'please unsubscribe/contact update' e-mails and makes the administration of our distribution lists easier. Finally it makes us all more efficient!!!

Call for information on available research on volunteering in NZ

We are updating the VNZ database of available research publications on volunteering in NZ. We invite you to send us information about any existing or forthcoming research you are aware of in case it is not included in our current database. The revised database will be available through the VNZ website

The research papers listed in the database are categorised under following headings: Managing Volunteers; Government Policy; Volunteering in Particular Localities; Nature and Extent of Volunteering; Motivations of Volunteers; Corporate Volunteering; Health and Social Services; Conservation/Environment; Emergency Services; Maori Perspectives; Ethnic; Youth; Older Volunteers; GLBT; Gender Aspects; Disabilities; Early Childhood; Agriculture; Sport.

The information we need for each research item is: Author; Title; Publishing House or Journal in which it is published; Year; Short summary (up to 100 words); Online link (if available).

For any further information or to send the information on available research please email to comms[at]volutneeringnz.org.nz. We would appreciate to receive your contributions before 25 April 2009.

Martin's Workshop wrap up*

There was a high level of satisfaction reported by the participants who attended the eight volunteer management workshops presented by Martin J. Cowling in late February/early March.

As he has presented in some centres two or more times, his workshop topics varied. However a common focus was the overall circle of volunteer management - recruitment, rewards, recognition and renewal bringing to the participants the most up to date view of volunteer management. His breakdown of the generations focusing on what is special for each age group - Silent (+64), Baby Boomers, X, & Y, appeared to be very pertinent to the participants as many of them followed up on this with their nearest Volunteer Centre.

Participants acknowledged a number of immediate results - new partnerships, wider networking opportunities, new volunteering opportunities as well as refreshed visions about their own professional roles and the volunteers around them.

One participant summed up:
"I expected to be reinspired - I was. I expected to be updated - I was. I met some new inspiring colleagues and the variety of approaches and interacting opportunities were invaluable. Many ideas will be very helpful to me and the centre I work for."

*VNZ would like to thank Beverly, Jenny and Julie for generously sharing their reports.

NEW ZEALAND NEWS

Volunteering - 'giving time' as valuable or more so than giving money says PM

Volunteering - 'giving time' as valuable or more so than giving money says PM The time that is donated, and the expertise that comes with that time, can be more valuable than a cheque to a community or voluntary organisation Prime Minister John Key said in his recent address to the Philanthropy NZ conference.

He was speaking about the importance for New Zealanders to be generous and to celebrate their generosity. He said that New Zealanders tend to be very modest and self-effacing about their generosity.

"Our Maori and Pacific peoples see koha - gifts of money, time, food or effort - not as something that should be highlighted, but as a regular part of honouring their responsibilities. So when we give money or time to help or support others, we don't tend to sing it from the rooftops", he said

"Perhaps that needs to change a little. Perhaps we need to get more used to speaking about giving, and making it a part of our common conversation."

This would not only help to publicise the good causes in our communities. It would emphasise just how widespread individual generosity is and how critical philanthropy is to the organisations that benefit. It would also inspire others to give. He said we also need to acknowledge that philanthropy is not just about money. It is also about time.

"Much of the time and effort you put into your work is unrewarded, as is the time and effort of over a million New Zealanders who volunteer their time every year. In fact, to a voluntary or community organisation, the time that's donated and the expertise that comes with that time, can be more valuable than a cheque."

He added that as companies cut back on donations in the downturn, they need to know that their time and expertise could be worth as much as their money and sponsorship. He noted the growing number of businesses that were teaming up with voluntary organisations where they share particular expertise that can benefit them both. Many others support paid leave for their staff, where employees spend a day on good works in the community.

"And hundreds of professional firms - accountants, lawyers, and PR agencies - do thousands of hours of pro bono work for voluntary and community organisations. Much of this goes unreported.

All of it is priceless to the organisations that benefit. If we are to promote a culture of generosity and giving in New Zealand, we need to celebrate volunteering in all its forms, and make it something that people do out of habit."

"Of course, volunteers don't donate their time for recognition. They do it because they want to make a difference. But recognising their service doesn't just acknowledge them or the work they have done, it helps build a culture of service and volunteering throughout our communities. It helps to inspire others to make their own contribution."

Volunteering Waikato fresh online face

New website for Volunteering Waikato emerged highlighting several new and user friendly features. If you are looking to volunteer in Waikato region, there are opportunities and information for individuals, groups and corporate initiatives. Members can have their profile on the website's member section, organisations looking for volunteers are offered an in depth information pack. Both volunteers and hosting organisations can benefit from volunteer role database and online volunteering recruitment and referral features.

There are the sections with up-to-date news, events and workshop, as well. And if you are curious who the volunteers actually are, try their new online photo gallery. If you have not checked out the site yet, have a look now at www.volunteeringwaikato.org.nz.

New brand for SCOUTS New Zealand

On Saturday 4 April SCOUTS New Zealand launches its new brand 'Adventure Plus'. This large volunteer-based organisation supports over 16,000 Scouts (young people aged 6-26) across New Zealand. Learning & leadership training programmes for these young people are made possible by a volunteer base of over 5,000 people, and this is growing every day.

Hon. Paula Bennett, Minister for Youth Affairs, hosted SCOUTS at Parliament on Friday 27 March, where she championed the work of the organisation in providing positive role models and activities-based learning opportunities for young New Zealanders, challenging them to be active, extra-ordinary, and adventurous.

SCOUTS New Zealand equips young people aged from 6 to 26 with life skills of problem-solving, teamwork, citizenship and healthy living. We provide our young people with access to a large range of adventurous outdoor activities, including specialised aviation, caving, photography, flying, mountaincraft, canoe and snow schools.

There are a huge number of ways for people of all ages to volunteer with SCOUTS New Zealand: from internships and work experience placements, to one-off events or ongoing leadership roles. With over 100 years experience working with volunteers, the organisation actively seeks to advocate the benefits of volunteering.

On Saturday 4 April, SCOUTS New Zealand will gather at the Auckland Harbour Bridge, where young members and leaders will bungy-jump off the bridge with Guinness World Record-breaking bungy-jumper Mike Heard (an ex-Scout). Other Scouts will be climbing over the bridge, with others sailing around it, so there will be Scouts everywhere - on land, sea and in the air!

National Development Manager Murray Charlesworth says: "This is a wonderful opportunity for us to get our message 'out there' and to publicly celebrate the fine examples of youth leadership and the benefits of volunteering of which SCOUTS is such a fine example."

VOLUNTEERING PEOPLE

New Volunteer Co-ordinator at Volunteering Waikato

Source: Volunteering Waikato Update

Elena Tilton joined Volunteering Waikato few weeks ago as their new Volunteer Coordinator. Originally from the US, she moved to Hamilton with her husband last June. She is joining the team with the extensive experience in Human Resources and a passion for community involvement. Elena will be looking after the volunteers in the Centre as well as ensuring the processes around recruitment and referring volunteers are a great experience for both the volunteer and hosting organisation.

VOLUNTEERING RECOGNITION AWARDS

Wairoa Community Development Trust wins Trustpower National Community Awards

Wairoa Community Development Trust wins Trustpower National Community Awards The Wairoa Community Development Trust, representing Wairoa District, has been named Supreme Winner at the TrustPower National Community Awards. The Awards were announced on Saturday 14 March at the 2008 TrustPower National Community Awards Dinner, held at Wharerata, Massey University in Palmerston North.

The Runner-Up was the Kukupa Dove Charitable Trust, representing the Tauranga City. A Special Award was also presented to the Murchison Sport Recreation and Cultural Centre Inc Committee, representing Nelson City/Tasman District.

The announcement came after a full day for the 24 participating regional teams when each of teams gave an eight minute presentation on their activities or project and were judged by a panel of independent judges which included VNZ Board member Dianne Denny and Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector Hon Tariana Turia. Peer voting contributed to the final decision as well by making up to 50% of the final judging score. The teams were judged on their presentations and on the 1,000 word summary each group provided to the judges prior to the event.

The Wairoa Community Development Trust runs a CACTUS course for the region's young people. The eight week programme aims to challenge young people and to help them achieve their potential through a series of physical and mental challenges.

Otago volunteer lawyers win 2008 NZ Law Award

Source: Voluntary Chat…

Dunedin Community Law Centre won the Best Community-Funded Centre award as well as the College of Law Community Service in Law Award for their great service to the local community. The awards were presented at the 2008 New zealadn Law Awards celebration which honoured centre's 80 volunteer lawyers, 120 volunteer law students and 8 paid staff all of whom give legal advice to 8000 people a year.

Recognition awards for Waitakere volunteers

Source: Impact

Watakere City Council honoured its civil defence and rural fire volunteers at a ceremony held in Council Chambers. The award initiated in 2007 recognises volunteers who have spent five years in continuous service with the appreciation medal. Also, a two year service bar is presented for each additional two years service. In this year's ceremony eleven medals and thirteen service bars were presented. In addition to the council service medals, there were also presentations of United Fire Brigades service medals.

Waikato Volunteer Excellence Awards - Open for nominations

Deadline: 10 April

Volunteering Waikato is calling for nominations of individual volunteers and volunteer teams such as project teams, board of trustees or a group of volunteers who have provided an outstanding contribution to the community organisations and wider Waikato community. These Awards are a wonderful opportunity to recognize achievements of volunteers for their work undertaken in 2008.

For further information please contact Denise Ross at services[at]volunteeringwaikato.org.nz or call 07 838 3449.

EVENTS

"Volunteering Unleashed" - the Volunteering New Zealand National Conference

28-29 October 2009, Wellington Town Hall
'Volunteering Unleashed', the title of the 2009 volunteering conference, will reflect the even greater contribution volunteering can contribute to New Zealand if properly resourced and supported. The imperative that this happen is even greater in this challenging time of economic downturn.

This conference will look at volunteering today and openly discuss new directions for the future. It will also explore the advancement of the volunteer management profession. Through a combination of plenary sessions, short presentations, workshops, posters and networking, participants will explore new ways to inspire people to volunteer and the tools for successful programme development.

• There will be two main themes for the programme
• Volunteering Tomorrow: new opportunities - new ways for volunteering
• Advancement of the Profession of Volunteer Management

Volunteering Tomorrow will be an opportunity to reflect on the diversity of volunteering and volunteers and the new ways in which they are being asked to volunteer. Over the two days this would include keynote presentations, short papers and workshops on:

• Cultural diversity
• Generational diversity
• Episodic and major events volunteering
• Volunteering in community development
• New and interesting ways of doing volunteering
• Changes in response to economic conditions

In the focus on advancement of volunteer management, the conference will hear about and discuss what this means, why it matters and what are the different models which could be used. Through workshops and facilitated discussion the conference participants will be asked to consider which path New Zealand should follow and how might this be made to happen.

A formal request for expressions of interest in presenting at the conference will be sent out in the next few weeks based on the above themes and topic areas. Registrations will be open a little later in the year. The early bird registration fee will be $350 GST incl. VNZ is also planning to offer a number of reduced registration fees to enable those who cannot afford or fund the full fee to attend. Details will be released when registration formally opens.

12th IAVE Asia Pacific Regional Volunteer Conference

26-29 November 2009 Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Workshop proposals deadline: 1 July 2009
"Volunteerism as a Lifestyle for Social Solidarity" is the theme of this regional IAVE conference hosted by IAVE Taiwan and Kaohsiung City Volunteer Association. The conference will be an opportunity of NGOs, governments, and the corporate sector to work together on the issues such as volunteer participation in large-scale international events and conferences, corporate social responsibility, application of ICT use in volunteer programs, diversity and community engagement: volunteering and immigration in the community, collective work of volunteer action and intercultural volunteering service. Call for workshop proposals to be presented during the conference is now open. For further information on workshops and registration please visit http://iave.npotech.org.tw or e-mail iave.2009[at]gmail.com.

Social Services - National Organisations: Presenting their models of inhouse training

28 April, 9.30am - 3pm, The Social Services ITO
Several national organisations will present their models of inhouse training. The presentations will include an outline of their training system and programmes - design and development, structure and resources. The Presentations will come from New Zealand Federation of Family Budgeting Services, Royal New Zealand Plunket Society and National Collective of Independent Women's Refuges. Other presentations may be added to the programme.
Please RSVP by 5pm, Friday 17 April to Jac Lynch, jac.lynch[at]tkaito.co.nz or phone 04 915 7711.

NZ Bluelight Ventures conference

7 - 10 May 2009 Queenstown
This conference aims to provide information and training to the police service agencies and community groups dealing with 'at risk youth' and 'youth offenders' by bringing to the attention the variety of programmes used internationally with young people.

Topics covered: programme planning and risk management; team building; youth at risk projects; youth justice and community relationships; Blue Light programmes; sponsorship For further information and registration contact Jill Johnston at jill[at]bluelight.co.nz or visit www.bluelight.co.nz.

"Volunteers, camera, action: different world is possible" - Solidarity Film Festival

4-9 May 2009 Granada, Spain
This first time festival is organised by the Andalusian Volunteer Agency in cooperation with Fábrica Onírica Cinematographic Productions. The programme will consist of screenings in documentary, short film and Andalusian work categories which will highlight the everyday work of volunteers all over the world. For further information please contact sugerencias.cgob[at]juntadeandalucia.es.

ConnectingUp: The Online future of the Nonprofits, Are we there yet?

11-13 May 2009 Brighton Novotel, Sydney
This is Australia's National Nonprofit Technology conference gathering variety of stakeholders to discuss the issues of ICT in voluntary sector. They are looking for great stories about how your organisation or community has used technology which would be presented in a workshop during the conference. Further details and expressions of interest at www.conectingup.org/conference or www.connectingup.org/blogdoug.

2009 US National Conference on Volunteering and Service

22-24 June, San Francisco, USA
The 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service, co-convened by Points of Light Institute/HandsOn Network (POLI/HON) and the Corporation for National and Community Service, will provide the opportunities to learn, connect and be inspired. This year's theme is "Civic. Energy. Generation." For more information, visit www.volunteeringandservice.org.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Corporate Community Partnership growing in Australia

The new report called Relationship matters: not-for-profit community organisations and corporate community investment examines barriers to corporate community partnerships in Australia, differences between NFPs and corporations, identifies positive and negative factors at play in these partnerships, and focuses also on trends and developments.

The report finds that the direction of corporate community partnerships - supported by most NFPs - is towards an 'integrative' stage of collaboration, in which partners create new services and activities as a result of their collaboration. The corporate community partnerships continue to grow rapidly in Australia. About 10 per cent of the income of the NFP organisations contributing to this report is derived from corporations.

Almost all NFPs indicated they partner with business to secure a funding source that is often more reliably available over time than funds available from governments (which remain the prime source of NFP funding). Three-quarters of NFP organisations partner with business also to get access to specialist corporate skills, and assist build their capacity. Consultations undertaken for this report illustrate the importance of skills-transfer for both NFPs and also business.

For the full report please visit www.policypointers.org/Page/View/8959.

Weak Anti Fraud Measures for NFP

The UK's independent watchdog, the Fraud Advisory Panel has released a report on the NFP sector's vulnerability to fraud called Breach of Trust. The findings reveal that even though reported fraud in the UK is still less common among charities than mainstream business, the impact on individual organisations and the sector as a whole can be devastating in terms of financial loss, and damaged reputations.

Despite this the survey found that many charities (especially smaller ones) still have no serious anti-fraud measures or training programs in place. Anecdotal the survey found that there is a widespread assumption that fraud is something that happens only to someone else.

The report is available for download from www.fraudadvisorypanel.org.

Unusual volunteer effort - 'The Economist' translators

Source: NY Times
Every day, Chinese fans produce unauthorized translations of Western pop culture products such as movies and TV sitcoms and put them online, but a group of volunteers calling itself the Eco Team has picked a more cerebral target: the British newsweekly The Economist. Every two weeks, the online Eco Weekly carries two issues of The Economist translated by their Eco Team volunteers. With each new issue, the group's members work together to sharpen their language skills by translating the magazine from cover to cover.

The group meets on a message board at ecocn.org/bbs that is led by Shi Yi, a 39-year-old insurance broker in Beijing. "Different people come from different backgrounds with their own purpose," Mr. Yi said. "But we all like the style of The Economist. So far, neither the Chinese authorities nor The Economist has tried to stop this non-commercial, volunteer effort.

Volunteers in action in East Asian Games

Source: E-IAVE
Another big sport event is going to benefit from the support of volunteers. The 5th East Asian Games (EAG) which are going to be held in December 2009 in Hong Kong, have recruited more than 3,000 volunteers, in total, to provide reception, technical and logistics support for the preparation and implementation of the Games.

Agency for Volunteer Service (AVS) was appointed as the co-organizer of the 5th EAG Volunteer Programme. To encourage community participation, volunteer recruitment has started widely in the region in May 2008, which received tremendous response from the public. Around 11,000 people had submitted their applications up to 30 November 2008, and approximately 1,300 of them have been appointed as volunteer leaders and members.

To well prepare volunteers for the mission later this year, specially designed trainings on generic and specific aspects have been started in December 2008, and will persist till November 2009.

For details of the volunteer programme, please visit the website at www.2009eastasiangames.hk/volunteer.

New initiative for youth volunteering in Wales

The GwirVol project is the name of the new initiative aiming to boost youth volunteering in Wales. This project, which launches on 6 April, is made up of a partnership from the voluntary and community, public and private sectors and led by the views of young people in Wales. The initiative exists to take forward the recommendations of the Russell Commission accepted by the Welsh Assembly Government. It will offer youth volunteering organisations a share of a £500,000 grant aimed at supporting youth volunteering projects in Wales.

The partnership will be advised by a panel of Welsh volunteers, called GwirForce and aged between 16 and 25, who will discuss ways of promoting youth volunteering in Wales. The hope is to obtain accurate volunteering statistics and create a website for young people and organisations that offers volunteering opportunities. The group will also seek to establish targeted advice, training and grant facilities for disadvantaged groups of young people. Ideas will then be fed back to the GwirVol partnership bodies for implementation. For further information on this project please visit www.gwirvol.org.

Volunteering increases employability

Source: ThirdSector
Almost 90 per cent of volunteers believe volunteering has helped to boost their job prospects, according to a new survey conducted by the Community Service Volunteers (CSV) in the UK. Eighty-nine per cent of people who had volunteered with CSV between 2000 and 2009 said their employment prospects had improved as a result. CSV asked 261 participants whether volunteering had improved their employability or helped them develop skills, and whether volunteering could help unemployed people during the recession and distinguish them from other jobseekers. The survey results will be publicly available at the beginning of April from www.csv.org.uk.

The US Senate and House of Representatives pass the GIVE Act/Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act The Act, which was passed earlier this March, reauthorises and strengthens the programs of the Corporation for National and Community Service and provides funding for new innovative programs such as US$ 20 million for Summer of Service (SOS). It also puts AmeriCorps on the path to grow from its current level of 75,000 to 250,000 members per year with the special focus on a Clean Energy Corps, a program that was supported by a broad coalition of community and environmental stakeholders. The legislation also prioritises programs that address educational, health, and veteran needs, increases the amount of educational awards received by AmeriCorps members after their term of service and links future award amounts to the other grants.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates the cost of the legislation at about $6 billion over the next six years. The benefits of national service far outweigh the costs; every $1 spent on AmeriCorps results in between $1.50 and $3.90 in direct measurable results according to cost-benefit analyses of AmeriCorps. Federally funded volunteer programs help leverage thousands of hours of additional volunteer service as well. Service-learning programs including SOS increase the number of students graduating high school and college, an important long term benefit. This legislation is a smart investment in strategically rebuilding America's future.

RESOURCES and EDUCATION/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

In this issue we continue to focus on the aspects which in current times matter the most - NFP funding and finances. Therefore, we are bringing you an article from Blue Avocado, an American non-profit resource site, on why tracking volunteer time can be valuable, in raising funds or protecting the organisation. The section also gives details of two professional development opportunities one with NFP financial updates and other on arts&culture.

Learn why and how to report volunteer contribution

*extract from D. Walsh: Tracking Volunteer Time to Boost Your Bottom Line: A Complete Accounting Guide
Why track volunteer time?

1. We volunteers appreciate appreciation. We count what we value, so tracking is recognition that volunteer time is important. Recognition is a good investment; it pays off spectacularly.
2. Funders and donors want to know what resources your nonprofit already receives and from whom. "Our funders see volunteer inputs as a measure of effectiveness," says Donna Newton, director of the Guilford Nonprofit Consortium, a network of 140 community-based nonprofits in Guilford County, North Carolina. "Reporting volunteer contributions is essential in securing funding."
3. Funders, donors and the community want to know if you have the people in place to get the job done well. "This becomes a real problem when the nonprofit attempts to cost a program," according to Kevin Gray, a program officer with the Weaver Foundation in Greensboro, North Carolina. "Too often volunteer inputs are not factored in properly, giving a false sense of the true cost."
4. Volunteer time can help you meet requirements for matching funds. Some funders may stipulate that the nonprofit must match a percentage of grant funds and that the value of volunteer time may qualify toward satisfaction of the match requirement.
5. Documenting volunteer time can help protect volunteers and the nonprofit. Requiring volunteers to log activity creates a record that may become important evidence in defending the nonprofit or volunteers from allegations of misconduct.

What financial value to give to volunteer time?
For volunteer service involving specialized skills, it is appropriate to value the services at the vendor's customary charge. For example, if you bring in a board trainer who charges $150 per hour, this would be the appropriate hourly rate for valuing a pro bono session. In some situations you will be able to obtain this information from the pro bono donor or from a similar business. In other instances you may need to estimate.

In the case of services that do not involve specialized skills, including much of the volunteer help nonprofits receive with program activities, office tasks, or special events, a composite hourly rate may be a reasonable indicator for estimating the value of services reported in annual reports, newsletters, and grant proposals.

*To read the Guide in full please visit www.blueavocado.org/node/330.

Topical update for not-for-profits

A course offered by the Institute of Chartered Accountants Representatives from not-for-profit organisations a special price of $230 to attend this course. To take advantage of this special rate, add the code "NFPSR" to their registration forms.

The course is designed to address some pressing concerns in the current economic climate: how to hold income at last year's level; how to look beyond the next twelve months to plan 24 to 36 months ahead; the financial reporting standards that could be applied, and the critical role of governance in touch economic times.

Palmerston North	Wednesday 1 April	Palmerston North Convention Centre
Wellington	Thursday 2 April	Quality Hotel Wellington
Hamilton	Monday 6 April	Waikato Stadium
Auckland	Tuesday 7 April	Rendezvous Hotel Auckland
Christchurch	Tuesday 28 April	Holiday Inn City Centre
Dunedin	Wednesday 29 April	Dunedin Public Art Gallery
Invercargill	Thursday 30 April	Ascot Park Hotel

More information on this course can be found in flyer enclosed or online at www.nzica.com/courses by entering the key words: NFPs.

Workshop/Hui People, Places, Art and Community

Auckland 6-7 April and Wellington 8-9 April 2009
Just a few places are left for these hui which will bring community leaders and artists together in a professional development opportunity to enhance our respective communities engagements. Participants will be able to explore the many ways art can be utilised as an effective tool to enhance a community development process. Registration for the day & half Hui, including food and accommodation is $195 for Local Government staff and $155 for members from the community. If interested in this event please ring 0274 853 128 or email SpiritOfRangatahi[at]ihug.co.nz.

Volunteer Management Education Books for Sale Volunteering NZ has for sale copies of four books written by Linda Graff on developing policies and risk management for volunteering programmes. The titles and prices are: Best of All - Quick reference Guide to Best Practice $46.00 Better Safe - Risk Management for Volunteer Programmes $46.00 Beyond Police Checks - Screening Guidebook $46.00 By Definition - Policies for Volunteer Programmes $36.00 We also have copies of Mary Woods' book Volunteers, A guide for Volunteers and their Organisations $25.00 Postage and Handling Up to 2 publications $5.50 3 or more publication $10.00 All the prices are GST inclusive. Posters and other promotional suitable for Volunteer Awareness Week as well as general promotions and recruiting volunteers are available free from VNZ. Orders for all may be faxed to 04 3843637 or emailed to office[at]volunteeringnz.org.nz. Payment may be made by cheque or credit card. If wishing to pay by credit card we will send you documentation to complete and return.