:Title:    o-Net Conference Topic: Increase workplace fund raising that supports volunteer-based charities
:Author:   Daniel F. Bassill (CCAL30)
:Date:     Mon, 20 Jun 2005 12:10:46 PDT
:URL:      http://www.omidyar.net/user/u715126713/news/2/

I lead the Tutor/Mentor Connection and maintain a database of volunteer-based tutoring/mentoring programs serving the Chicago region. You can find this in the Program Locator section of www.tutormentorexchange.net

I posted an o-net conference topic that focuses on volunteer recruitment. It's at http://www.omidyar.net/user/u715126713/news/1/

This is a parallel topic, but I'd like to treat it seprately, because it may attract many more charities than volunteer-based organizations.

Here's an article that I encourage everyone to read as a starting point for this discussion: It's titled, The Looking-Glass World of Nonprofit Money: Managing in For-Profits’ Shadow Universe, and was written by Clara Miller 
http://www.nonprofitquarterly.org/section/704.html 

Anyone who leads a small non profit is  going to relate to this. I want to use our common understanding to build a commitment to innovate new ways to increase revenue for volunteer-based non profits, and I want to find ways to teach volunteers to seek programs based on where they are located, what they do, and what information they provide on their web site.

One of my goals is to encourage more businesses to add "write in" options to their workplace fund raising campaigns so that non-United Way charities can be supported with workplace donations.  Then I want to increase visibility and value perception of tutor/mentor programs so that more workplace donors will choose to contribute to a tutor/mentor program, based on what they know about effective volunteer based tutoring/mentoring, and what programs exist in the neighborhoods/city where the donor wants to provide support.

I want to engage business and professional groups as partners. Many business people already serve as volunteers in tutor/mentor programs, or as board members or donors. Many people in business have been helped by mentors themselves.

Thus, I'm inviting o-net members to brainstorm strategies that would lead more of these people to become advocates within their business and professional groups, who open the doors of workplace fundraising to volunteer based organizations who may not be listed as United Way charities.  

If we can teach more businesses to encourage volunteerism and philanthropy, and point to on-line databases that illustrate who does different kinds of charity in the city where the donor works or the company does business, I feel we can increase the flow of flexible dollars to many non-profits, without increasing the costs to charity of generating this result.

Please add your comments here, or come to the July 29th conference prepared to discuss this idea face-to-face.

We'll continue this conversation in sessions of the November and May 2005 Tutor/Mentor Leadership Conferences and eConferences (http://www.tutormentorconference.bigstep.com), as well as in this forum.


Dan Bassill
Tutor/Mentor Connection
http://tutormentor.blogspot.com