As corporations jump on the volunteering band wagon, nonprofits are frantically trying to manage the influx. Incidentally, both are finding themselves a little frustrated. Corporations make a lot of (sometimes unreasonable) requests of nonprofits when it comes to setting up the ideal volunteer experience for their employees. The result is often less than satisfying for all involved: the company, the nonprofit, and the employees.

In this seminar we’ll examine why employee volunteering is becoming more important to companies and what nonprofits can offer. Beginning with the “why”, we’ll discover what companies want - and why they want it. We'll also examine what nonprofits need to do in order to become valued parnters to large companies looking to invest in their communities. This process will guide us to the solutions that are better for nonprofits, communities, and companies.

Who Should Attend:

This seminar is beginner to advanced level; It is designed for CSR practitioners/executives and nonprofit volunteer managers who are responsible for their organization's employee volunteer programs. Others who will benefit from this course include: students, government officials (and others) charged with building partnerships with communities, and/or those who have backgrounds in community engagement.

MORNING SESSION:(9am - 12pm)

Effectively Engaging Employees and Communities Through Volunteering (Why It Works....)

Companies that offer corporate volunteering programs are hoping to increase morale and productivity of their employees. Many hope to secure new customers and strengthen the positive view of their brand. But does that really happen?

Nonprofits rely heavily on volunteers for all aspects of organizational operation. Essential programs such as fundraising, administration, program delivery and more are often either run by or heavily supported by volunteers. But it's difficult to leverage many versions of current companies employee volunteering programs to benefit the nonprofit.

It doesn’t have to be this way. The morning session* will examine what it takes to design a volunteer program that offers a transformational journey rather than merely a transactional event.

* Participants of both morning and afternoon sessions will enjoy a catered lunch.

Key Takeaways:

• Receive simple steps to designing exceptional employee volunteer experiences
• Learn how to increase both participation and enthusiasm
• Learn how to create the right space to engage your volunteers at their highest level of contribution
• Become equipped to enable employees to achieve more of their potential
• Examine the latest and best practices for creating high levels of volunteer engagement, discover why they work, and how to reproduce the results in any context

AFTERNOON SESSION*: (1pm - 4pm)

How to Create Strategic Partnerships Between Businesses & Nonprofits (How to Prove It....)

Many companies and nonprofits have formed partnerships in an effort to do good, but is it actually happening? What does a good partnership look like? How can you prove the benefits to the business and the community?

Effective partnerships between businesses and nonprofits require shared objectives, "mirror" leadership teams, solid theory of change models and simple measurement systems. Participants will receive practical steps to building strong partnerships that create real change in their communiites.

* Participants of both morning and afternoon sessions will enjoy a catered lunch.

Key Takeaways:

• Discover how community partnerships are your key to a successful community engagement strategy
• Learn how to identify the right partners for your company.
• Understand the unique dynamics of community partnerships, and how to ensure their continued success
• Learn how to identify outcomes, create measurement systems, and collect meaningful data to prove the value of your employee volunteer program for the business and the community

Workshop Presenter:

Chris Jarvis is the Senior Consultant for Realized Worth located in Toronto, Canada. His expertise is in designing and implementing Employee Volunteer Programs. Over the past 20 years, Chris has worked alongside NPO's across North and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia utilizing a model that elevates volunteerism from a task-oriented activity to a transformative experience. Chris' model avoids the complexity of most popular approaches in Volunteer Management Theory, while increasing participation and satisfaction rates. Participants become more invigorated and productive in their respective places of employment.

Recently, Chris and his partner Angela were advisers in the writing of “Mapping Success in Employee Volunteering: The Drivers of Effectiveness for Employee Volunteering and Giving Programs and Fortune 500 Performance”; produced by Boston College and authored by Bea Boccalandro. Chris and Angela also act as expert writers on several websites and have just finished collaborating on "CSR for HR", a new book providing a comprehensive guide to Corporate Social Responsibility for HR managers.

What people are saying about Chris' presentations:

“I highly recommend Chris as a leader and a speaker. Chris has the unique ability to deliver a hard hitting message with humor and humility. Most importantly, the messages that Chris delivers stay with you long after the speech or presentation. He is in touch with the realities of todays world, the bright side and the dark side, and can help motivate you to action by tapping into all of your emotions.”

Rebecca Hession , Client Partner , FranklinCovey

“Chris is an exuberant presenter and engages his audience from the moment he starts speaking.  His wit and playful approach to teaching and facilitating made attending his workshop a pleasure.  His examples, in particular, made it possible to really absorb and understand the material… as did the anecdotes he shared with the group.  Finally, I got the distinct impression that Chris was there to not only share with us, but to learn from and with us – and I value that highly in a presenter.  I will seek out other opportunities to hear Chris speak – I really enjoyed being a part of his audience.”Kirsten Keil-Mehlenbacher, Manager, Volunteer Programs, Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation

“Chris is a passionate champion of excellence in employee volunteer programs. Through his workshops, consulting, and blogging activity, Chris effectively communicates the need for and value of having a robust and well-thought-out volunteer program in the context of corporate responsibility. Moreover, he is an indispensable resource for anyone trying to develop, implement, and manage volunteer programs. His expertise is not limited to the corporate sector; I recently participated in a workshop delivered by Chris, and appreciated his ability to address the volunteer management issues faced by our non-profit organization. Indeed, we have included Chris as a partner in a proposal to develop community capacity for volunteer management, and I look forward to working with him in that regard.”    

- Celesa Horvath, Owner, Ventus Development Services Inc.

“Chris is one of the most professional, knowledgeable, articulate and positive people I have met in the CSR world of corporate volunteering in the past few years. There are very few experts in this field who have the vision to take coprorate volunteering programs to the next level, and even fewer who can understand the context on all sides of the equation and tanslate that into practical, manageable and successful corporate programs. Chris does this expertly. Chris shares his knowledge generously in his blog which is always a pleasure and an inspiration to read. Chris is the guy who helps you out if you are in a fix, connects people who can learn from each other, and generally brings positive spirit into any interaction.”

“Chris Jarvis' expertise on employee volunteer programs are well-informed, finger-on-the-pulse relevant and just plain wise. Follow his advice and you will elevate your employee volunteering to new levels of greatness– no matter what developmental stage it finds itself. The discipline of employee volunteering is richer thanks to Chris' fresh outlook, keen insight and clear thinking.”

"Chris is a go-to leader in Corporate Social Responsiblity. His vision and practical strategies for corporate volunteering programs will have a lasting impact on how businesses engage in good work in communities far and wide.” 

“Chris delivers amazingly. He has charisma, substance and spirit. His mission is clear, and he is an amazing communicator. People like Chris are few and far between.”

Contact Info:

Chris Jarvis
Senior Consultant, Realized Worth
317-371-4435
chrisjarvis@realizedworth.com
realizedworth.blogspot.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisjarviscan
http://twitter.com/RealizedWorth