Building Stronger Organizations (in Ontario's small to medium sized volunteer organizations) through volunteer centre services and engaging newcomers as volunteers.
The Volunteer Centre of Guelph & Wellington County, with funding by the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration, oversaw a two-year project with a goal to strengthening volunteer centre services in Ontario. A particular emphasis was placed on identifying opportunities for volunteer centres to engage new Canadians in our communities.
The Government of Ontario funded “Building Stronger Organizations” through the Ministry of Citizenship & Immigration's Strategic Partnership Program.
This was a two year project (which was announced on June 9, 2007) and it provided the resources to enable the Ontario Volunteer Centre Network to strengthen and support volunteer centre services in Ontario, through environmental scanning of existing resources on engaging volunteers, an analysis of best practices, professional development, networking and conferences.
In addition, this project also positioned volunteer centre services to be a hub of information and volunteer opportunities for engaging new Canadians in our communities. A tool kit was created for small-medium sized non-profit organizations on how best to meet the needs of newcomers, as well as an orientation tool for newcomers, based on the Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement.
The Volunteer Centre of Guelph/Wellington was the administrative lead on this project.
The project was governed by a 10 to 12 member Advisory Committee, made up of volunteer centre representatives, as well as other community stakeholders. Each of the four project components or streams, noted below, was linked to the Advisory Committee and had a 4 to 6 member Working Group that managed its own distinct deliverables.
A Project Manager was hired to oversee this project. In addition, there were a number of “request for proposal” processes for environmental scanning, research and tool kit development, and train-the-trainer development. All job descriptions and RFP notices were openly and publicly distributed.
The project was composed of four distinct but inter-related components.
1. Inventory: Resources related to engaging new Canadians as volunteers
2. Toolkit: Expanding the base of trained volunteers
A resource kit was created, based on the inventory materials noted above, for small to medium sized organizations that summarize best practices and key resources in the field of engaging diverse ethno-cultural populations as volunteers. This toolkit is available, upon request.
3. Volunteer Engagement: Using the Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement
A new tool was produced; a variation of the Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement and supporting training materials, that can be used to educate and orient individuals to the culture of volunteering in Canada, including the benefits and expectations of volunteering. This tool is available, upon request.
4. Strengthening Ontario Volunteer Centres
This project enhanced the current services provided by Volunteer Centres and organizations that provide volunteer centre like services through an exploration of current issues, trends, challenges and successes within the volunteer centre network in Ontario. Specific models for “working differently to work better”, recommendations and tools were developed and compiled in an interactive catalogue that support volunteer centre services in all areas of the province as the local community resource for engaging new volunteers.
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