Three tips for dealing with corporate partners

There are four things you need to know before pitching a corporate partner. Here's how consumers feel about the products of companies that support charity. To summarize:

1) A company that does good is perceived to have better products
2) Consumer mindset dictates when “good” matters
3) A socially responsible company trumps socially responsible product
4) Consumers smell self-interest a mile away

So what are your takeaways?

1) Companies benefit from working with nonprofits. Remember, you give companies a brand halo. And if the partnership is positioned well, people will perceive the company’s products as superior. Assert and know your worth to the company - and have high standards for your partners.

2) Companies do best when focusing on their firms’ work to advance social good as a whole company, not necessarily how each product is a reflection of those policies. So encourage company-level support - it’s better for their business - and for your organization because of the broader support.

3) Companies don’t want to appear self-serving with their corporate social responsibility, because that can backfire.  So if your partners have genuinely advanced your cause and made a difference, help them tell that story. You’ll be a good partner - and encourage more support over time.

By Katya Andresen, 2006 - 2011

VCCV Weekly Volunteer Opportunities

·         October 4 is Family Fun Days at the Phelps Youth Pavilion. Volunteers are needed to help families in the art room working on the make and take activities and to help staff with upkeep of the Pavilion through out the day. Shifts are usually 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. and 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

·         Strayer-Wood Theatre needs volunteers to serve as ushers for Lysistrata, October 4 – 6 from 6:30 until 9:30 p.m., October 7 from 1:30 until 4:30 p.m., October 11 – 13 from 4:30 until 6:30 p.m., and October 14 from 1:30 until 4:30 p.m. Volunteers age 18 and over are welcome.

·         Allen Hospice is offering a five-part volunteer orientation and training course for volunteers beginning Thursday, October 11^th and running consecutive Thursdays until November 8^th from 8:30 – 11:30 a.m. Attendance is required at all five sessions to complete the training. Volunteers age 18 and over are welcome.

·         Pathways Behavioral Services is looking for volunteers age 15 and over for the 9th Annual “Run, Walk, and Roll for a Drug Free Community. Volunteers will be cheering runners on at checkpoints throughout the trail, helping with registration and at the finish line. Volunteers would need to be at Pathways on October 27th at 8:15 am.

Call 272-2087 to volunteer.

Recognize Youth Participation with the Prudential Spirit of Service Awards

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program is the United States' largest youth recognition program based exclusively on volunteer community service. The program's goals are to applaud young people who already are making a positive difference in their towns and neighborhoods, and to inspire others to think about how they might contribute to their communities. Over the past 17 years, more than 345,000 young Americans have participated in the program, and more than 100,000 of them have been officially recognized for their volunteer efforts.

To learn more, see http://spirit.prudential.com/view/page/soc.

Deadline November 6.

The Job Foundation’s First Annual 5K/PiK Tutor Trot on Saturday, September 29th

The Job Foundation is a local non-profit working to end the cycle of financial disadvantage by empowering youth in Waterloo and providing them the tools for wise financial decision-making and leadership development. The First Annual 5K/PiK Tutor Trot 5K is a fundraiser on Saturday, September 29 from 8:30 to 1:00 p.m. to benefit the Financial Stewardship Mentoring Program. Volunteers are needed to prepare race bags, assist at the beginning of the race, hold signs for distance, offer words of encouragement during the race, help at water locations, at the finish line, and with the food and beverage tables afterwards. Volunteers will also assist during the award ceremony and with cleanup.

There are no training requirements or limitations for volunteers at our 5K. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome. 
 

CodeRED no longer available, residents are urged to sign up for Black Hawk Alerts

The Black Hawk County Emergency Management Commission has ended its contract with CodeRED beginning July 1, 2012. Residents are urged to sign up for the new system in Black Hawk County called Black Hawk Alerts which is powered by Everbridge®. The database from CodeRED is not transferable to Black Hawk Alerts and therefore residents that have signed up for Weather Alerts with CodeRED will have to sign up in the new system. The new system will allow residents to determine the method they wish to receive the alerts such as home phone, fax, pager, TDD, mobile phone, text alerts or a combination of all.

In addition, there are new features of Black Hawk Alerts include allowing residents to sign up for additional community alerts of that may be of importance within the city they reside. These alerts include water alerts, missing person alerts, power outages, road closures and other alerts. Residents may sign up for both weather alerts and community alerts by going to the several websites in the County they are www.co.black-hawk.ia.us ,  www.bhciaema.com  or their local government website. Residents that do have access to a computer may sign up by telephone by calling the Emergency Management office 319-291-4373, Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 4:30pm.

For more information please contact Lorie Glover or Mike Tompkins, at (319) 291-4373

URGENT VOLUNTEER NEED! Golf Tournament Volunteers Needed

Cedar Valley Hospice needs volunteers to help with a Golf Tournament. Cedar Valley Hospice is seeking volunteers to help with the hole events at the Bill Colwell Golf tournament on Sunday, September 23.

The tournament will start at 9 a.m., but volunteers need to arrive at 8:30 a.m. to get the day's assignments.

Date: Sunday, September 23
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Extras: Lunch will be provided

No specific training is required.

Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

Please contact Shannon Melcher, Cedar Valley Hospice Development Associate at (319) 272-2002.

VCCV Weekly Volunteer Opportunities

·     October 4 is Family Fun Days at the Phelps Youth Pavilion. Volunteers are needed to help families in the art room working on the make and take activities and to help staff with upkeep of the Pavilion through out the day. Shifts are usually 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. and 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

·     Allen Hospice is offering a five-part volunteer orientation and training course for volunteers beginning Thursday, October 11^th and running consecutive Thursdays until November 8^th from 8:30 – 11:30 a.m. Attendance is required at all five sessions to complete the training. Volunteers age 18 and over are welcome.

·      Parkview Nursing and Rehab Center needs volunteers to become a "buddy" and provide regular visits and one-on-one activity. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

·      Pathways Behavioral Services is looking for volunteers age 15 and over for the 9th Annual “Run, Walk, and Roll for a Drug Free Community. Volunteers will be cheering runners on at checkpoints throughout the trail, helping with registration and at the finish line. Volunteers would need to be at Pathways on October 27th at 8:15 am.

Call 272-2087 to volunteer.

In the Spotlight - Jesse Cosby Neighborhood Center

The Jesse Cosby Neighborhood Center is dedicated to keeping and enhancing the quality of life for our neighborhood families—through stewardship of resources and shared responsibility.

Services are designed to assist persons by helping them with crisis funding and by sharing information about employment and asset development that will begin to improve their overall quality of life.

The Cosby Center in conjunction with Hawkeye Valley Area on Aging (HVAAA) delivers meals to the sick and shut-in of our community. They are always in need of volunteer drivers and runners. They deliver over a hundred meals five days a week, Monday through Fridays. Drivers can drive on day a week or several times a month.

Drivers must have a valid driver’s license and insurance. There are four routes that  drivers are trained on. Some drivers are paired with a runner who delivers the meal to the home.

To volunteer, call 272-2087.

In the Spotlight - Alzheimer's Association - East Central Iowa Chapter

The mission is to eliminate Alzheimer's disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer's disease.
 
The Alzheimer's Association is the leading, global voluntary health organization in Alzheimer's care and support, and the largest private, nonprofit funder of Alzheimer's research.

When Alzheimer's disease touches your life, the Alzheimer's Association is here to help. We are the trusted resource for reliable information, education, referral and support to the millions of people affect by dementia, their families and caregivers, and healthcare professionals.

The Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s needs volunteers on September 22 from 8:00 until 11:00 a.m. to assist with day-of-event duties such as check-in, registration, parking directors, route directions, banking and tear-down at Hawkeye Community College. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

To volunteer, call 272-2087.

Iowa Volunteer Hall of Fame Candidates Sought

Nomination Deadline is November 9

The Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service has released 2013 nomination materials for the Iowa Volunteer Hall of Fame - the most prestigious state-level honor volunteers can receive.  The people selected are those who have forever changed their community, the state, the nation or the world with their volunteer service and action.

"Each year we ask members of the public to nominate the people who so richly deserve special recognition for their volunteer efforts and the impact they have made," stated Adam Lounsbury, Executive Director of the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service.  "Volunteers are amazing, and we are very glad to offer this opportunity to honor the most outstanding volunteers in our state."

Nominations must be postmarked by November 9 and can be submitted in one of several categories: individual; national service member (AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, Learn & Serve); family; group; organization/nonprofit; or business/corporation.  Details and nomination materials can be downloaded at

www.volunteeriowa.org/promotion/volunteer_recognition.aspx.

Since the Iowa Volunteer Hall of Fame was established in 1989, 142 names have been added to plaques on permanent display in the State Historical Museum.  Following are just a few examples of the types of activities from past honorees:

·        Starting a school foundation and professional development program for teachers to support education beyond the usual outlets of sports, music and PTA as well as helping uninsured and underserved children receive free eye care in order to improve classroom performance

·        Helping develop, design and implement a Human Services Campus (HSC), which now houses 13 nonprofits and 130 staff

·        Providing long-term leadership for numerous civic, government, cultural and educational committees and co-founding a private nonprofit rehabilitation agency that provides job skills and independence for citizens with disabilities

·        Designing, building and modifying devices to aid persons with disabilities in addition to helping schools teach K-12 students about science with everything from rocketry programs to robotics and building equipment

·        Creating safe before and after-school activities and mentoring programs as well as developing activities to cover gaps in service for low-income and at-risk youth

·        Sharing the story of a dramatically transformed life to inspire and motivate others to serve as mentors and creating programs that expand mentoring and raise awareness of youth homelessness

Beginning a project at age 11 with a simple desire to collect and distribute personal items to children in peril in Central Iowa.  The project went on to become a nationally recognized nonprofit organization that provides services to thousands of children worldwide.

For more information, contact: Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service, icvs@iowa.gov, 515.725.3094 (toll-free, 800.308.5987)

VCCV VALU Training

The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley (VCCV) invites non-profit member agency representatives to attend the next VALU meeting on Wednesday, September 19, 2012 from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

Topic: How to Develop and Use Skills-Based Volunteers will be presented by Lauren Finke. The location: Meeting Room 1 at the Kimball Ridge Center.

VALU is open to anyone interested in volunteer management. Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley member agency representatives attend free of charge. Others may attend for $5 per person.

This is a "Bring Your Own Lunch" event. Dessert snacks provided. The training will be no longer than 1 hour. RSVP to Anne_Nass@vccv.org.

 

Weekly Volunteer Opportunity Update

·    Volunteers are needed to bus tables, assist the grillers and provide table service during a fundraising event at HuHot on September 20 from 5:00 –9:00 p.m. Family & Children's Council will earn 10% of the event proceeds and 100% of the tips for the grillers. Volunteers must physically be able to stand, walk, lift and carry while maintaining a smile and courteous attitude. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

·    The Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s needs volunteers on September 22 from 8:00 until 11:00 a.m. to assist with day-of-event duties such as check-in, registration, parking directors, route directions, banking and tear-down at Hawkeye Community College. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

·    Northeast Iowa Food Bank needs volunteers to inspect and process salvage products, stock shelves, weigh record and dispose of bad product, weigh products going out to an agency, and help sort & box up bakery goods to be sent out to sites. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

·    Operation Threshold is looking for a motivated volunteer to file documents and assist with large mailings. Hours are flexible. A volunteer is needed to assist at least 10-hrs per week. (Monday-Thursday only). Volunteers should be able to lift less than 5 lbs. and must be able to read, write, and alphabetize. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

To volunteer call 272-2087!

Volunteer Iowa: A Call to Service announced. What's Your 50?

Yesterday Governor Terry E. Branstad announced Volunteer Iowa: A Call to Service; an initiative that reaches out to all Iowans to volunteer at least 50 hours each year. This initiative is a public-private partnership that aligns with the State of Iowa goals to become the healthiest state, to be at the forefront of education and improve our economy, all through volunteering.

Iowa has been recognized for the second highest state volunteering rate in the country according to the past two annual Volunteering in America reports. From 2008-2010, nearly 900,000 thousand volunteers served 93.4 million hours contributing $2 billion in services to our great state.

The "What's Your 50?" campaign goal is to increase volunteering from an average of 34.2 hours per year to 50 hours per individual. The Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service is working with the Governor's Office, partner organizations and businesses to encourage more Iowans to serve and to make it easier for charitable, nonprofit, and government organizations to utilize volunteers effectively.  

The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley is the “Volunteer Iowa: A Call to Service” facility for Waterloo, Cedar Falls and surrounding communities. The VCCV works with nearly 90 nonprofits with over 150 volunteer opportunities. To volunteer or join the VCCV as a nonprofit agency call 272-2087, or visit the VCCV web site at www.vccv.org.

Commemorate 9/11 by VOLUNTEERING!

The September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance was created to provide a positive way to forever remember and pay tribute to the 9/11 victims, honor those that rose in service in response to the attacks, and to remind people of the importance of working more closely together in peace to improve our world, and just as importantly our great state of Iowa. Across the country and around the world, there will be opportunities for hundreds of thousands of volunteers to paint and refurbish homes, run food drives, spruce up schools, reclaim neighborhoods, and support and honor veterans, soldiers, military families, and first responders. To find volunteer opportunies visit www.vccv.org.

Upcoming Money Smart Classes

The Waterloo Housing Authority will be conducting a series of Money

Smart Financial education classes based on the curriculum developed by the

F.D.I.C. These classes provide basic financial education, with modules

covering budgeting, checking and savings accounts, identity theft, credit

reports and credit cards, and loans (other than mortgages). Local experts

from agencies and financial institutions in the community teach the classes.

Money Smart is a prerequisite for participation in the Section 8 Voucher

Homeownership program and is open to all interested individuals in the

community.

Classes will be held Tuesdays, September 18 and 25, and October 2, 2012

from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Waterloo Center for the Arts. To register,

please contact Julie Snider at the Waterloo Housing Authority (319-233-

0201) by no later than Friday, September 14, 2012.

MBA program seeks clients for Capstone Experience

The MBA program at the University of Northern Iowa is seeking potential clients for its annual Capstone Experience. The Capstone Experience is a comprehensive, end-of-program application of the UNI College of Business Administration graduate curriculum, during which MBA candidates undertake strategic management projects for client organizations across northeast Iowa.

Potential clients are drawn from both the business and non-profit sectors. Projects are developed to meet the specific needs of the client, but typically they address strategic planning, marketing analysis, process analysis or feasibility questions. The work is completed in the spring of each year.

MBA candidates work in small consulting teams formed with sufficient diversity to successfully analyze a business problem from a strategic perspective. Each team includes members with expertise across a range of business functions, business cultures and analytical methods. Teams work with a mentor from the business graduate faculty who has expertise in the topic of the project.

Projects are selected each fall. Organizations that would like to propose a Capstone Experience project for the upcoming year are encouraged to contact Capstone Coordinator Dale Cyphert at 319-273-6150 or dale.cyphert@uni.edu.

Weekly Volunteer Opportunity Update

·         Ridgeway Place Assisted Living need assistance with their family picnic on September 15 from 8:00 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Volunteers will help with games, face painting and food. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

·      Individuals are needed between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday, September 15th to assist with the Arboretum's annual Fall Harvest Festival. There are many opportunities available from set up and tear down to assisting with games and crafts, the Scarecrow Silent Auction, Sprout’s Space Activities, parking, and selling merchandise. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

·      The Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s needs volunteers on September 22 from 8:00 until 11:00 a.m. to assist with day-of-event duties such as check-in, registration, parking directors, route directions, banking and tear-down at Hawkeye Community College. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

·      North Star is always on the look out for new, fun and innovative ideas to get the people served involved in something new. People with interesting hobbies, talents, or stories to tell are always welcome. If volunteers have something to share with adults with a wide range of disabilities (physical, intellectual, developmental, age-related), then North Star needs you! Volunteers age 18 and over are welcome.

To volunteer call 272-2087.

Meet VCCV Board Member - Bev Degenhardt

Bev Degenhardt has been employed by Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare for the past 32 years. She feels extremely honored to have such a challenging, fun and rewarding position. The volunteers at Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare range in age from 14 to 99 years of age. As the Volunteer Coordinator, Bev has enjoyed guiding volunteers through the years, witnessing growth of the department and in the individuals who so selflessly choose to give their time to assist patients, family members and staff. One of the most rewarding aspects of her job is the special relationships that have evolved with the volunteers.

Bev’s family members include her husband Al, two sons James and Nick who live in Waterloo, and her daughter Jessica and son-in-law Chad who live in upstate New York. They are blessed with four grandchildren; MaKenzie, Kennedy, Addison and Brodie.

For relaxation, she enjoys spending time with my family and friends, reading, walking, and biking.

Bev Degenhardt is honored and looks forward to serving on the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley Board and will do her best to serve the interests of our

community.

Thanks for all you do Bev!

September 11 National Day of Service & Remembrance

The September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance is the culmination of an effort originally launched in 2002 by 9/11 family members and support groups, who worked to establish the charitable service day as a forward-looking way to honor 9/11 victims, survivors, and others who rose up in service in response to the attacks.

In 2009, Congress designated September 11th as a National Day of Service and Remembrance and charged the Corporation for National and Community Service with supporting this effort across the country. For the anniversary, CNCS is working with numerous organizations to implement one of the largest days of charitable service in U.S. history.

On the anniversary of the September 11th attacks, Americans will unite in service in the same remarkable way that so many came together following the attacks.

As in years past, we anticipate service and remembrance activities in all 50 states, at which there will be opportunities for hundreds of thousands of volunteers to paint and refurbish homes, run food drives, spruce up schools, reclaim neighborhoods, and support and honor veterans, soldiers, military families, and first responders. To find opportunities to serve during this year’s September 11th Day of Service and Remembrance, you can visit http://www.serve.gov/toolkits.asp.

The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley will be partnering with many agencies to provide opportunities for those to provide service and remember this important day. Here are a few examples:

Allen Hospital – greet and guide someone to their destination, provide hospitality in a waiting room or assist in the gift shop.

Cedar Valley Arboretum – assist with fall grounds preparation.
Catholic Worker House – prepare meals at home to be frozen and brought to the Catholic Worker House.
Hartman Reserve Nature Center – walk the trails and pick-up trash and assist with mulching.
Country View Care Facility – play games with residents.

Northeast Iowa Food Bank – help stock shelves in the pantry and put together food packs for various programs.
Salvation Army – prepare and serve a noon meal.

You can participate in activities by contacting the VCCV at 272-2087 or visiting www.vccv.org for a complete listing of available opportunities.