VOLUNTEER SERVICE BUREAU OF WESTCHESTER INC

Our most recent strategic planning process, completed in February 2019, set forth the following Priority Focus:

Retention of members of the Volunteer New York! community is the priority focus of this Strategic Plan. The volunteer is the primary stakeholder in our community. Ensuring a positive volunteer experience with one of our nonprofit partners, where the volunteer understands Volunteer New York!’s role and feels connected to us is essential to retaining the volunteer in the community and activating them to become a potential donor as well. Our community extends to other individuals beyond volunteers who are also important to retain. These stakeholders range from Leadership Westchester participants, financial supporters, our professional staff, and corporate partners to web site visitors who enter their email address and those who create a profile and sign up to get our e-newsletter. Under the framework of this Strategic Plan, Volunteer New York! will concentrate efforts to retain community members and strengthen their ties to the organization.

GOALS AND STRATEGIES

In order to promote retention over the next 3 years, Volunteer New York! will concentrate efforts to strengthen individuals' and volunteers' ties to the Volunteer New York! community aiming to increase their participation in our programs and services as well as their overall support (financial, in-kind, or volunteer) for the organization. These efforts will contribute to the overall sustainability of the organization.

Below are the goals and strategies for the next 3 years. An Appendix includes an implementation plan that details actions, implementation timeframe, and who is responsible.

Goal 1: Improve the Volunteer Experience with Volunteer New York!

At the heart of our work at Volunteer New York! is providing access to meaningful and quality volunteer experiences for individuals of all ages and abilities. Volunteer New York! will identify areas for improvement in the current volunteer experience and utilize technology and communications strategies to foster connectedness to the Volunteer New York! community and brand.

Strategy 1-A: Evaluate the current volunteer experience to identify strengths and weaknesses

Strategy 1-B: Implement technology solutions to enhance the volunteer experience and engagement of other individuals with the Volunteer New York! community

Strategy 1-C: Build a more cohesive and consistent communications routine for all programs and initiatives

Strategy 1-D: Implement concrete actions to build on strengths and address weaknesses identified in Strategy 1-A

Goal 2: Convert Individuals with Some Connection to Volunteer New York! to Take Additional Actions

Through extensive outreach efforts, thousands of potential volunteers and supporters are introduced to Volunteer New York! each year, and these connections are maintained in a Salesforce database. Volunteer New York! will concentrate efforts to convert these potential volunteers and supporters into active members of the Volunteer New York! community.

Strategy 2-A: Activate individuals with some connection to Volunteer New York! through predefined points of engagement

Strategy 2-B: Activate individuals with some connection to Volunteer New York! as well as volunteers to take additional action(s)

Goal 3: Strengthen Nonprofit Relationships to Improve Retention and Achieve Goals 1 & 2

Volunteer New York! serves the nonprofit sector by fostering connections and strengthening organizational capacity. Volunteer New York! relies on its nonprofit partners to provide positive volunteer experiences for the Volunteer New York! community as well as provide participation and impact data back to Volunteer New York!. Volunteer New York! will strengthen the nonprofit sector through knowledge exchange and strategic connections.

Strategy 3-A: Collaborate with nonprofits that offer quality volunteer opportunities and experiences

Strategy 3-B: Support volunteer managers to increase positive volunteer experiences

We have a talented and experienced staff and engaged board of directors. Our financials are in order and we have a firm commitment to smart and balanced growth.

Recent programmatic highlights include:

Our Readiness Thru Integrated Service Engagement (RISE) program engages individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in volunteer service to build community and job skills. We partner with several agencies that support individuals with IDD and provide weekly group volunteer opportunities, one-time day of service opportunities and referrals. The program opens doors for these agencies and supports volunteer managers to think about and expand opportunities for everyone to serve. RISE volunteers play an integral part in our internal volunteer program and continue to be a great volunteer source for us.

In the fall of 2018, Volunteer New York! hosted our 4th annual Board Speed Dating event and the 2nd annual board boot camp. This event has grown from an one-day speed dating event to including board member training in two boot camp mornings, so that potential candidates are better prepared to be a board member and evaluate options. Thirty-two people participated in Board Speed Dating and met with representatives from 17 nonprofits, resulting in 123 board connections that the nonprofits are exploring. We followed up with the participants and the nonprofits after three months and learned that 13 individuals have joined boards for 9 nonprofits. We will follow up again at the six month mark to see additional results. The 2017 event resulted in 20 board placements. Previously, our Executive Director would meet with individuals who expressed an interest in joining a board and make connections based on needs and interest. This process was time consuming and results in 7-10 board members placements a year. By focusing on board boot camp and speed dating, we are more impactful while freeing up staff time.