MINNESOTA ASSOCIATION FOR VOLUNTEER ADMINISTRATION
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Mission Statement
MAVA’s mission is to inspire excellence in leadership of volunteers to impact communities. Nationally recognized for innovation, MAVA unites leaders of volunteers, conducts research, builds capacity for quality and leadership, and provides an energetic, respected voice for volunteerism. MAVA is Minnesota’s only statewide, multi-sector alliance of volunteer resources leaders and dedicates its efforts to improving community problem solving and service. Founded in 2001 as a nonprofit 501(C) 3, MAVA’s strategic goals include increased and diversified membership, strategic partnerships and collaborations, regular and frequent access to training for paid and unpaid leaders of volunteers, and a strong MAVA voice that influences public policy and organizational systems change. Our ability to utilize the skills of our members and MAVA’s philosophy of collaboration and partnership allows us even greater impact.
About This Cause
MAVA’s mission is to inspire excellence in leadership of volunteers to impact communities. Nationally recognized for innovation, MAVA unites leaders of volunteers, conducts research, builds capacity for quality and leadership, and provides an energetic, respected voice for volunteerism. MAVA is Minnesota’s only statewide, multi-sector alliance of volunteer resources leaders and dedicates its efforts to improving community problem solving and service. Founded in 2001 as a nonprofit 501(C) 3, MAVA’s strategic goals include increased and diversified membership, strategic partnerships and collaborations, regular and frequent access to training for paid and unpaid leaders of volunteers, and a strong MAVA voice that influences public policy and organizational systems change. Our ability to utilize the skills of our members and MAVA’s philosophy of collaboration and partnership allows us even greater impact. Current Programs include: 1.Short term volunteerism, a major shift in volunteerism away from long term commitment. 2. A City Initiative to promote and improve volunteerism in government, reflecting a renewed interest in civic volunteerism and a desire to develop best practice.3. A VISTA Corps to build the capacity of volunteerism supported by the Minnesota Office of National Service. 4. Service Enterprise, a program sponsored by the Points of Light, a best practice initiative that documents return on investment. 5. Boomer Volunteerism, research sponsored by MAVA designed to build best practice in working with and understanding the needs and desires of this generation, and to bring their skills forward to impact communities. 6. Volunteer Impact Leadership Training Series a best practice series that promotes quality. This program, delivered by professionals in the field through a “Train the Trainer” model, is nationally recognized for its innovative and effective model. 7. Minnesota biannual conference focused on leadership and excellence in volunteer administration, leadership development and current trends in the field. Attended by 300 -350 professionals typically each time. 8. Research into volunteerism in communities of color and New Americans in Minnesota. MAVA will celebrate 15 years of service to the state this year. In that time, the organization has demonstrated its leadership in building capacity for best practice in the development of quality volunteerism for nonprofit and governmental organizations in every corner of the state. We have generated research into cutting edge issues affecting the field and advocated for volunteerism actively to assure adequate resources to assure good leadership within organizations statewide. We have created a major dilemma for MAVA: how do we provide the level of support statewide to organizations given the confines of only three staff and the distances to the corners of Minnesota. MAVA has 3 staff and a VISTA Leader and a robust board of directors. MAVAs volunteers are rigorous in working to provide the human capital needed to achieve the organization’s ambitious goals. We have no other funding resource to add these staff positions at the current time, but intend to work toward our capacity to provide resources in the future. In the meantime, the ability to demonstrate that this level of support to regions of the state will generate building real capacity for volunteerism will be beneficial to our organization’s strategic planning for the future. MAVA has a unique philosophy of partnership and collaboration that is part of everything we do. We are a small nonprofit with limited resources serving the entire state with a staff of three and an energetic, active board of directors, serving as leadership volunteers in our work. As a result, our 306 partners play a key role in making things happen. This year, 57 partners took an active role in implementing projects and training with MAVA. With unique relationships that foster targeted projects, we are able to share resources that magnify the success of the work. Partners share their expertise; provide marketing and exposure, facilities and consultation. When we are engaging greater Minnesota organizations, we look for collaboration resources to supply space, locate area organizations and co-sponsor training and events to increase effectiveness. One example of this is, as we expand our work with cities, we have formed partnerships with the League of MN Cities and the Center for Small Cities at the University of MN at Morris. Currently, MAVA is working with 23 geographic and sector partners and connected to 57 other partners who co-sponsor and provide a range of services. MAVA is also connected to a network of 2,000 organizations that span all budget sizes, geographic regions and activity areas in the state. MAVA is a network of networks. In 2014 alone, participating networks were: Administrators of Healthcare Volunteers, Anoka County Volunteer Alliance, Bemidji Volunteer Director, Community Justice Volunteer Program Managers, Crow Wing County Volunteer Coordinators, Council of Local Organizations for Volunteer Effectiveness, Albert Lea Council of Local Organizations for Volunteer Enhancement, Mankato Directors of Church Volunteer, Ministries Directors of Volunteers Throughout Dakota County, Fargo-Moorhead Directors of Volunteer Services, Minnesota Association for Experiential Learning, Morrison County Volunteer Network, Rochester Area Volunteer Administrators ,Scott-Carver County Association for Volunteer Involvement, St. Cloud Area Volunteer Coordinators, Southwest/West Central Volunteer Connections, Volunteer Bridge, Sherburne County Volunteers United, Red Wing Washington County Volunteer Leadership Network, and Winona Area Volunteer Administrators. MAVA also relies on some statewide partners such as: 1. Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, in which we are also an active partner, using the Council’s staff and resources to complement our work. It is their success on using this part time staff model that has helped us to identify the strategy for our organization. 2. League of Minnesota Cities, an active partner in our volunteerism in cities project. 3. Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota, a partner since MAVA’s founding, and representing an important area of volunteerism. 4. University of Minnesota through the Extension, Center for Small Towns, Humphrey Institute and others. 5. Minnesota’s National and Community Service office. 6. ServeMinnesota. 7. The Committee to Reinvigorate the Public Discussion on Volunteerism, Service-learning and Community Engagement. 8. United Ways in the state. 9 .Initiative Foundations of Minnesota. 10. MAVA also has national partners who recognize and celebrate the many contributions MAVA has made to research and practice in the field of volunteer administration and who publish our research on a national scale. The need for effective, innovative and increased citizen involvement in solving today’s growing social, educational, and environmental and community problems has never been greater. However, statistical reports from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2014 reported a decrease in the number of citizens performing volunteer work, despite national campaigns promoting service. In 2015, Volunteer and Civic Service Engagement in the US reported that only ¼ of residents volunteer, a percentage that has not increased over the past decade. Furthermore, many nonprofit organizations struggle to attract and involve today’s volunteers as strategic partners in addressing significant community and organizational needs. This is of great concern as research from TCC Group discovered in 2014 - when an organization leverages volunteers effectively, they are significantly more adaptable, sustainable and better resourced to do their work. Clearly, individuals charged with directing and supporting volunteer efforts/initiatives are critical to maximizing this human capital, and recent decades have brought increased publications and training options aimed at skill development in volunteer management. But many leaders of volunteers still operate in isolation within their organizations and within the larger field. Their effectiveness is frequently hampered by minimal internal support from executives, resistance from staff colleagues, and general lack of understanding about how to tap the vast potential of volunteer resources. Also of grave concern is that emergent leaders in the field have no clear path to become thought leaders to take this profession to new levels of performance and impact in the future. To enhance the enormous potential of volunteer engagement leadership, those holding these positions must stay current with changes in technology and demographics, practice new methods for engaging citizens and be included at organizational, local, state and national tables where discussions occur that deal with plans to adapt and improve the capacity of organizations to carry out their missions. They need opportunities to strengthen their connection with peers and related professions in order to enhance their own skills and build a more unified presence and voice. For over 10 years here has been no national convening of leaders in the field to share best practices and plan for collective action. Many local and regional networks have weakened. Former mentors, authors and trainers are aging out of the field, and there is a general lack of national visibility and voice for those who are mobilizing, supporting and retaining volunteers on the front lines of our communities.