Triple Bottom Line

Aligning Corporate Goals, Community Needs, and the Professional Skills of Volunteers

Nancy Long Nancy Long Executive Executive

Service Service Corps of Corps of

WashingtonWashington

Erika Tucci Erika Tucci Tacoma Tacoma

Public Public UtilitiesUtilities

Outcomes Outcomes

Provide companies facilitating skills-based volunteer roles for their employees with: – 2 approaches to meeting the needs of

the company, employees, and the community

– Deeper understanding for what it takes to make a successful match between a volunteer and an organization.

Using the professional skills of volunteers to build the capacity of nonprofit organizations and the community.

…pro bono volunteers …highly skilled volunteers

Skills-based Volunteerism Skills-based Volunteerism

Traditional Traditional Volunteerism Volunteerism

“You don’t need to know where you are going. Just keep walking.”

What make SBV different? What make SBV different?

Many SBV opportunities are – For one individual, not for a

group – For a project, not a reoccurring

volunteer role Requires direct management of the

matching and engagement process to ensure a successful project

Two approaches

1. Develop a partnership with a organization(s)

2. Refer employees to volunteer brokers

Option #1: Partner with Community Organizations

Start with a community need: 1. Define a community need consistent with

company/employee goals.2. Identify a partner organization(s)

working in focus area3. Work with the organization(s) to develop

a programmatic approach

Start with employee skills: 1. Assess the skills of your employees 2. Identify a partner who needs those skills

and can provide a well structured and well managed opportunity

Option #2: Refer employees to a volunteer brokers

A 'volunteer broker' matches the volunteer with a community need.

The advantages of working with a broker are:

– More efficient for volunteer and nonprofits– Able to identify broad array of

opportunities – Understands sector-specific needs – Can identify projects that match employer

goals

Volunteer BrokersVolunteer Brokers

Executive Service Corps of Washington

Taproot Foundation (WA) Pro bono legal services (Bar

Assoc.,TACS, WAACO,WA Attys for the Arts)

NPower Volunteer Centers that do the

engagement management.

Two stories:Tacoma Public Utilities

Executive Service Corps

30 employees Opportunity to engage a

population of field workers who are generally not participating in other SBV options

Builds on their job skills/ knowledge such as plumbing, carpentry and electrical wiring

Builds relationships with community

Tacoma Public Tacoma Public Utilities Utilities

Executive Service Corps of WA

250 professionals (business, education, govt., NFP)

All ages: 70% in workforce; 30% retired ESC: Staff and volunteers provide management

support services to nonprofits and schools – Consulting services (not legal/tech) – Leadership Coaches, Trainers, Executive

Advisors– Financial Fitness, Emergency Planning– Cohort model program for arts orgs

Partial service grants/Sliding scale fees

Project: 3 ESC volunteers (experience in hotel management; philanthropy, & state government.) – Reviewed architectural recommendations and budget– Developed case statement for capital funding request– Recommended staffing & infrastructure for

fundraising Outcomes:

– Construction project priorities and stages were defined

– $900,000 for emergency repairs has been raised– Improved fundraising systems, capital campaign

structure initiated

$20,000 worth of pro bono services

Executive Service Executive Service CorpsCorpsEl Centro de la El Centro de la RazaRaza

What are some possible What are some possible benefits to a company or benefits to a company or

government agency ?government agency ?

Business Case

Almost 40% of Americans - letting employees volunteer during work time is the "most impressive" philanthropic activity;

Only 12% - giving money was the most impressive.

74% of companies said volunteering seems to increase productivity

51% strongly agreed that volunteering provides training for employees.

(US Conference Board Study)

Benefits to employees

Challenges and expands employee skills– Opportunity to lead or be part of a new team– Experience in a collaborative decision-

making – Develops new social connections –

intergenerational, across backgrounds/race/ethnicity

Supports their values Increases professional visibility

WWhat are the barriers? hat are the barriers? Results of theResults of the Community Community

Experience Partnership Experience Partnership AssessmentAssessment

Philanthropy is providing very little support for volunteerism of any kind, particularly SBV or older adult engagement

Volunteer management is underfunded and underdeveloped

Barriers to success Barriers to success NFPs do not understand how to

match people NFPs need to assess readiness to

use SBV Need to learn to “contract” with

volunteers NFPs do not know how to tap into

volunteer brokers

Ingredients for impact and success

For a successful project For a successful project – A volunteer has to be identified who has A volunteer has to be identified who has

the right skills/knowledge and can adapt to the right skills/knowledge and can adapt to the nonprofit environmentthe nonprofit environment

– A scope of work must be developed jointly A scope of work must be developed jointly – An agreement or “contract” must be put An agreement or “contract” must be put

into place into place – The engagement must be managed The engagement must be managed

The needs of the employer, employee and the nonprofit must be met.

Tacoma Public Utilities

Description of the program Participation rates Types of skills based volunteer roles Decision making structure

Meeting the needs of employers

Need to focus involvement in areas that align with corporate values/goals

Need to limit administrative (handling) costs

Need to track what happens/tell the story

Meeting the needs of employees

Need to do work that has an impact/can see the impact

Need to have skills assessed and cross-walked to the nonprofit environment

Need assistance in defining the work Need the opportunity to be structured

so that it works with work and personal life

Meeting the needs of nonprofits

Need to define the scope of work and schedule

Need to have control over the engagement

Step #1: Matching Step #1: Matching Volunteers Volunteers

Square peg in a round hole?

Determining a good “fit”

Typology for Matching Volunteer Requirements with Organizational Needs

Volunteer Organization

Volunteer’s values about who they want to help

Focus/mission; staff/board diversity; who is served

Volunteer’s values about workplace culture

Organizational culture

Volunteer’s preferences about using/developing their skills

Organizational needs (what needs to be done; what expertise is needed)

Volunteer’s preferences about the structure and benefits of a volunteer opportunity

Structure and benefits of the volunteer opportunity

No “shotgun” matches

Typology - The volunteer “typology” interview tool helps match a volunteer with a specific need defined by the organization. – The volunteer must have the option not

to engage– The nonprofit must have the option not

to accept the volunteer

Typology Exercise Typology Exercise

Choose a partner One plays the role of the volunteer One plays the role of the nonprofit Read the description of the project

and the profile of the volunteer and attempt to determine if there is a good match

Typology for Matching Volunteer Requirements with Organizational Needs

Volunteer Organization

Volunteer’s values about who they want to help

Focus/mission; staff/board diversity; who is served

Volunteer’s values about workplace culture

Organizational culture

Volunteer’s preferences about using/developing their skills

Organizational needs (what needs to be done what expertise is needed)

Volunteer’s preferences about the structure and benefits of a volunteer opportunity

Structure and benefits of the volunteer opportunity

Challenge: Cross walking skills

From the corporate to… the nonprofit sector

Pro Bono Action Tank www.probonoactiontank.org Competencies Map

– A catalog mapping needs to expertise   – 76 opportunities and the occupations

that can have the needed competencies– Select

By project By occupation

Select By Project Select a category: Fundraising Select a project: Fundraising

Management Process A fundraising management process

project helps a nonprofit define a process for managing fundraising activities to increase efficiency, effectiveness and predictability.

Project Viability

Pro Bono Project Viability: Time Sensitivity Risk Scope Creep Risk Sector Knowledge Risk

Relevant Occupations General and Operations Managers

General and Operations Managers 1,663,280 potential pro bono consultants Plan, direct, or coordinate the operations

of companies/organizations. Duties and responsibilities include formulating policies, managing daily operations, and planning the use of materials and human resources. Include owners and managers who head small business establishments whose duties are primarily managerial.

Step #2: Contracting Step #2: Contracting with SBVwith SBV

Defining the project:•Scope of Work (what, how, to what end?)•Deliverables (products/outcomes)•Timeline•Resources needed •Accountability/Evaluation process

Contracting ExerciseContracting Exercise Develop a scope of work for role you

defined – Problem to be solved – What will be done – Generally how it will be done– Where will the resources come from

Develop a list of deliverables – Products – Outcomes

Contact InformationContact Information

Nancy Long, Executive Director, Executive Service Corps of Washington

execdir@escwa.org 206.682.6704www.escwa.org

Erika Tucci, Community Relations Specialist,

Tacoma Public Utilities(253) 502-8225 etucci@cityoftacoma.org