Good Works Grapevine

With the economy in a complete mess and donors tightening the purse strings, I think that its more important than ever to say thanks. I am a habitual thanker and I really mean it every time. At restaurants, I thank the waiter for every single thing he does for me. I can’t help it - it’s the way I was brought up. So, in my world, its incredibly important to thank your donors for everthing.

Always thank donors for making monetary donations no matter how small. We try to send a hand written note for every donation we receive. Yes, we are a small organization so its a little easier for us to take the extra time, but I feel that its that important. At the very least shoot them a thank you email or even an online card.

Thank your volunteers every chance you get. They are donors of their time, which is becoming more and more valuable. Check out this post for ideas on how to say thanks.

Thank your business partners with an e-card or a personal phone call. Let them know that you really appreciate their support. This not only reinforces that you are a quality organization but may open up a dialogue for future opportunities.

Recently, the NonProfit Times ran a wonderful article representing the trends in how nonprofits are saying thanks.

Running an all volunteer organization is not easy. It’s hard to get people motivated and more importantly, sustain that motivation. I’ve found that group’s seem to retain a handful of core volunteers, but for everyone else its a revolving door. How do you retain your volunteers? What sort of reward system do you have in place?

The Wild Apricot blog,  has some great suggestions…

• Provide volunteers with a framed photo of their finished product (ex. if they built a home for a family in need, frame a photo of the home and family for each volunteer)
• Give them an engraved gift that represents their work or the organization
• Have a volunteer appreciation night with food and drinks - call out the achievements of key volunteers
• Remember simple things like providing drinks and snacks at events, provide transportation when necessary, give them t-shirts, etc.

Your volunteers are your staff. Remember to treat them well and reward them when they do a good job. Volunteer retention is tough, so increase your chances for success by taking that extra step to say “THANK YOU” to your volunteers!

This entry is part of the Nonprofit Blog Exchange! Please check them out!!

I (or perhaps Cordelia Gothly) was asked today to complete a profile for Nonprofit Commons in Second Life and it forced me to sit down and write out some of the things that tend to sit in my melon until someone forces it out (thanks Megan!) What I wrote seemed helpful, so I’ve decided to share it with you! Enjoy my brain droppings of the day!

Brief summary of your organization

GoodDogz.org is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to educating potential dog owners on dog selection and care and supporting the efforts of rescue groups. We believe that by assisting with good dog-owner matches, we’ll give each family the best opportunity for a life-long relationship with their new dog and help to keep dogs out of shelters.

How did you find out about the NPC and why did you get involved?

I found out through Susan Reynolds initially and since I was new to SL, I had a burning desire to know more! I love finding ways that nonprofits can effectively leverage emerging technology and SL is about a “new and shiny” as you can get! I’ve come to find that NPC is chocked full of great, creative people with a mind for social good. I’m excited to be involved!

Is your work here in Second Life as an individual or are you representing a foundation?
Until my organization becomes a little more technically savvy, I work here as an individual. My hope (and dream) is that I can generate a new volunteer base in-world so that GoodDogz.org can have an active presence.

Some say the professional networking opportunities in SL have been extraordinary. Have you found this to be true? If so, what advice would you give someone for effective professional networking in SL?

Yes! My advice is – don’t be afraid to approach people with your ideas. I’ve met several people that have never chatted with anyone in SL. I may just be lucky, but I’ve found almost everyone I’ve met in-world to be accessible, pleasant and extremely helpful. Find like-minded people and exchange ideas. You’ll make a friend as well as a potential business contact.

Why do you think virtual worlds such as Second Life are valuable for non-profits?

Networking is the obvious answer – but I also think that it gives nonprofits an opportunity to reach out to folks that wouldn’t normally have access to. Some might be next door and some may be halfway around the world. But if they are interested in your initiatives, they may want to get involved. And human resources (in SL or RL) are critical and hard to come by.

Do you think every non-profit should have a presence within SL or is it only appropriate for particular types of organizations?

I think that if a nonprofit can have an “effective” presence in SL, they should be part of the Non-Profit Commons. But, with all initiatives, SL takes resources – time, human, monetary. If you can’t tend to your SL presence actively, I think groups should hold off until they are ready with a strategy and a team.

More than likely you are fairly new to SL. Since there is a learning curve, what advice would you give to make being in SL easier?

Again, talk to people and make friends. Most people in SL are very nice and don’t mind helping new folks out. If you’re just not finding the right people, pull up the map – look for a populated area – and transport. And start chatting again. Eventually, you’ll find folks who are like-minded, fun and ready to befriend you in SL.

Upcoming projects/events

We would love to have a presence in SL. If there are any animal welfare folks out there who would be willing to lend their time and expertise to our organization, we’d love to have you. We are also in our busy season in RL, with a major pet adoption event in November, two fundraisers in October and another in December. So, if you live in the DC area, give me a shout!

Current/On-going Needs (RL or SL)

As always, we need volunteers – both in SL and RL. Ping me if you’d like to get involved!

VolunteerMatch.com is not a social media tool, but it’s a great tool and it’s a solid starting point. VolunteerMatch.com is a free tool that enables non-profits to seek out and recruit quality volunteers. It’s free for most features and is very easy to use. A free account gives you a myriad of tools including…

• An organizational profile
• Volunteer position posting and tracking
• Notification emails
• Online support

For a nominal fee, your organization can become a “Community Leader”. This enhancement adds…

• Your positions are posted in bold
• Your positions are listed higher than non-leaders
• Live feed that allows you to dynamically post positions from VolunteerMatch.com to your website - all you have to do is add a few lines of code
• Listing customization (photos, documents, custom questionnaire, etc.)

At GoodDogz.org, we tend to post our listings in our own zip code, but you have the option to purchase additonal zip codes. This allows you to expand your recruitment area.

We now handle all of our volunteer management through VolunteerMatch.com and have so far been pleased with the results. So, if you have volunteers or need a few more, check out VolunteerMatch.com!