Issue no 3, April 2009

From ranks of jobless, a flood of volunteers
The New York Times

"Until November, Lisa Traina had a classic New York glamour job: organising private parties in the Art Deco opulence of the Rainbow Room. Now she spends 10-hour shifts walking down gritty sidewalks trying to persuade homeless people to go to the Bowery Mission for food and shelter...After being laid off, Ms. Traina, 50, enlisted in the growing army of the newly unemployed that have been marching into the offices of nonprofit organisations since the recession hit, looking to do some good, maybe network a little or simply fill the hours they used to be at the office." Read more
 

Opportunities for organisations: Making the most of youth volunteers
The Centre for Volunteering

The Student Community Involvement Program (SCIP), part of the Youth Volunteer Program, aims to connect students, schools and not-for-profit organisations through volunteering. An increasing number of schools run student volunteer or community service programs throughout the year with some schools allocating time over a number of days during school hours for volunteering. This presents a great opportunity for organisations to involve students in any project, event or activity that they are undertaking. If you require one or two student volunteers or a whole team make sure you connect with The Centre's SCIP program or your local high school. Ideally schools are organisations can work together to get the most out of student volunteers. For information, advice or to link to schools email The Centre for Volunteering.
 

Nonprofit squeeze: Donations down, volunteers up
Time magazine, US

For the past few years, Carl Anglesea gave about $400 each year to charity. But he lost his job as a software developer in August, and since then Anglesea, 54, of Chuluota, Fla., hasn't given a dime. What he has done, though, is triple his hours as a volunteer AARP tax counselor helping people fill out tax forms. "I'd like to give cash, but I can't," he says. "So I'm committing to more hours as a substitute." Read more
 

Getting Smart through post-secondary study
Australian Scholarships Group (ASG)

The Australian Scholarships Group (ASG) has produced a free guide that aims to help students and their parents make more informed decisions about whether to pursue further education or take their chances in Australia’s weakening job market.

The Guide aims to provide students and their parents with a comprehensive, plain-language information source aimed at giving students and their parents ready access to the facts about post-secondary study and its various costs.

Download ASG's Get Smart Guide and Get Smart Scholarships Guide
 

What's happening at NSW Sports Federation?
The Centre for Volunteering

The Independent Sport Panel’s Sydney Community Sport Forum was held on Thursday, 2 April 2009. The discussion was relevant and appropriate, with attendees raising the important issues facing sport and the panel asking good questions. The attendance numbers were somewhat disappointing, so the Federation encourages people in Dubbo and Coffs Harbour to attend their community forums. This is a time for the sports industry to rally together and influence change. Read more at www.sportpanel.org.au
 

Associations Incorporation Bill 2009
The Centre for Volunteering

Despite concerns expressed by NCOSS and others, the Associations Incorporation Bill 2009 has recently been passed and will have significant implications for those NGOs incorporated as associations in NSW. It appears also the community organisations will now need to be fully au fait with the Commonwealth Corporations legislation as well which makes one wonder why organisations should just not incorporate under Commonwealth legislation and be done with it! Organisation should make their management committees and boards fully aware of the bill (especially the penalty clauses) and its content and intent. Read more
 

April Networking Event: How Invisible Children Inc. has created successful programs powered by youth volunteers

Tuesday, 21 April 2009, 9am–11am (Please note time change)
Level 2, 228 Pitt St, Sydney

The not-for-profit organisation Invisible Children Inc. has set about motivating a whole generation of young people to make a difference to the issue of child soldiers in Uganda. "Established in 2005, Invisible Children is a social, political, and global movement using the transformative power of a story to change lives, " states the organisation's website. "By inspiring youth culture to value creativity, idealism, and sacrifice, the movement fuels the most effective, adaptable, and innovative programs in the world."

Come along to the networking session to learn about creative and powerful ways in which Invisible Children have successfully engaged young people in their organisation. Discover the possibilities for your organisation to inspire and engage with the next generation!

Email Odessa O'Brien or phone 02 9261 3600 to RSVP.
 

Vibewire's e-Festival of Ideas
Monday–Saturday, 4–10 May 2009
Online

Vibewire is proud to present their six-year running master recipe for young media makers and shapers; with the online conference that is the "e-Festival of Ideas".

Held in conjunction with the national Innovation Festival, The e-Festival of Ideas is a one-of-a-kind event from Vibewire; Australia's leading youth organisation for young creatives and social commentators.

Vibewire's online conference will host some of the greatest thinkers of our time in conversation with young Australians about what really matters to them. Issues from generational difference, politics, the economy, human rights and changing digital technologies will be discussed by leading politicians, practitioners and think-tanks in forums accessible to anyone wanting to join the debate. Podcasts and vodcasts will also be presented by some of Generation Y's most innovative up'n'coming minds. Find out more
 

Connecting Up Conference
The online future of nonprofits: Are we there yet?
Monday–Wednesday, 11–13 May 2009
Novotel Brighton Le Sands, Sydney, NSW

Technology is changing the way nonprofit organisations operate, communicate and engage with stakeholders. Connecting Up 09 conference offers the opportunity for you to explore technology applications and possibilities, the issues and challenges for nonprofits, and the practical steps and solutions for planning through to implementation. Find out more
  

National Volunteer Week
Monday–Sunday, 11–17 May 2009

National Volunteer Week (NVW) is the largest celebration of volunteers and volunteerism in Australia, and provides an opportunity to highlight the role of volunteers in our communities and to say thank you to the more than 5 million Australians who volunteer. How will you celebrate National Volunteer Week?

The Centre for Volunteering will open the 2009 NSW Volunteer of the Year Award for nominations at its National Volunteer Week launch at Westpac on Monday, 11 May 2009. Stay tuned for more information in The Voice of Volunteering May issue.
 

International Volunteer Manager's Day
Thursday, 5 November 2009

Thank your Volunteer Manager on International Volunteer Manager's Day for the support they provide your organisation and its team of volunteers. Find out how by visiting www.volunteermanagersday.org
  

12th IAVE Asia Pacific Volunteering Conference
Volunteerism as a Lifestyle for Social Solidarity
Thursday–Sunday, 26–29 November 2009
Kaohsiung, Taiwan

The conference will be an opportunity of NPOs, governments, and businesses to work together to promote volunteerism as a lifestyle for social solidarity. For more information phone Debbie Huang on +886 7 343 8100.

 
SVM's Short Courses: April–May 2009
The schedule of Short Courses for April and May 2009 is now available. It contains a range of personal and professional development courses, including the popular SpeakerBank Speak Up! Speak Out! courses. Read more
 

School awarded major DET project
The School has been awarded a major project by NSW DET to make access to nationally recognised qualifications easier by using Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) easier. Read more
 

Single pathway for students announced by Federal Education Minister
Julia Gillard announces closer links between the vocational education sector and universities. Read more
 

On the road with Strategic Skills Program information sessions
School staff visits the Illawarra, Hunter and Northside to brief organisations on access to low-cost training through the Strategic Skills Program. Read more
 

Partner with the School to deliver registered training courses
Has your organisation considered partnering with the School to deliver Registered Training Courses for your staff and volunteers, allowing them to achieve nationally recognised qualifications, such as the Certificate I in Active Volunteering, in-house using your own resources? Find out more

World Environment Day Awards
10th United Nations Association of Australia

Nominations for the United Nations Association of Australia World Environment Day Awards 2009 ARE NOW OPEN. The World Environment Day Awards is a national awards program which recognises businesses, local governments, organisations, community groups, individuals, schools and the media whose work serves to protect, manage or restore the environment.

For complete guidelines, entry criteria and nomination forms, please visit www.unaavictoria.org.au. Nominations close Friday, 1 May 2009.

Youth Program Report: March 2009
Maia Giordano, Youth Volunteer Program Manager

Out and about: March program activities
The Youth Volunteer Program Manager, Maia Giordano, conducted SCIP seminars at MLC School in Burwood for Year 10 and William Clarke College for Years 7 and 8 respectively. Students were entertained with inspiring and informative presentations from a variety of not-for-profit organisations, including Red Cross, St Vincent de Paul, Invisible Children, Special Olympics Australia, Vision Australia and Books in Homes Australia. Thank you to the teachers and presenters for making these seminars successful.

Maia partook in the quarterly State Peak Bodies Youth Volunteer Teleconference. This meeting is invaluable in allowing states to share program information, upcoming projects and develop opportunities to collaborate on youth volunteer issues common to all states. Each state program has a slightly different focus and is at varying levels of development.

The Centre held its first SCIP Networking Event for Teachers and we will certainly be running this type of event in the future! Teachers who attended the event found the discussions, ideas and information very useful for their respective student volunteer or community service programs. The opportunity to network and share ideas with other teachers was a rare opportunity but it had the whole room buzzing! We hope it was a reminder that The Centre is here to help to connect and inspire schools who run Student Community Involvement Programs.

SCIP membership and service fee changes
The Centre is making changes to the fees for services provided by the Youth Volunteer Program. These changes reflect the amount of time, love and resources that goes into the preparation of seminars and presentations through SCIP. These changes will ensure The Centre can continue to provide a quality, much-needed service for students whilst also building resources and guidelines for schools. For more details email The Centre or phone 02 9261 3600.
 

Research & Policy Report
Tony Frew, Research & Policy Manager

Recently Tony Frew, Research & Policy Manager, attended a seminar hosted by Peter Holdsworth, Director, Pathways Australia titled "How to raise funds from Philanthropic Trusts and Foundations".

Stacey Thomas, National Coordinator, Telstra Foundation presented advice on how to get a slice of the philanthropic pie. She covered issues concerning how to find information on trusts, their decision making processes, writing your application and the best way to approach the trust manager. A good piece of advice was that you should investigate the trust and its guidelines fully to ascertain whether your project fits within their funding priorities. Another was that the trust managers are mostly happy to discuss an application to determine if it will fit within the guidelines of the trust. This will save a lot of time on your behalf as well as theirs. She also mentioned that many of the trust managers share information about applications, therefore you should be honest and up front when submitting an application for funding.

John McLeod, Director of Philanthropy, Goldman Sachs JBWere Foundation provided information of how and where money is raised from and used in the not-for-profit sector which indicated that individual donations and bequests are the major source of funding. He also presented an analysis of the likely outcome of the current economic downturn. He had analysed previous drops in financial activity which indicated trends were very similar and seemed to indicate that this fiscal event will do the same.  The most likely outcome is that while there will be little impact on funding there will be a significant rise in requests for not-for-profit services. This is likely to put additional pressure on the already resource poor sector.
 

© The Centre for Volunteering 2008 | ABN 28 002 416 024
Level 2, 228 Pitt St, Sydney NSW 2000
T: 02 9261 3600 | F: 02 9261 4033 | E: info@volunteering.com.au | W: www.volunteering.com.au
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