A Road Map to Mission Based Volunteers (Session 1A)

Time: 8:45 am - 10:15 am
This workshop best fits the experience level and category of: Intermediate

With so many agencies vying for the same volunteer base, it is necessary now more than ever before to develop volunteers who are deeply invested in the overall mission of your agency. These volunteers are cultivated to donate their knowledge, passion, time, contacts and assets to a primary charity--yours. This presentation will begin by examining to see what leads an individual to volunteer. Participants will learn to identify volunteers' variety of gifts--from available time, skills and knowledge, to community contacts and more. Attention will be given to matching a volunteer with the right opportunity, taking a detailed look at cultivating the volunteer into the overall mission of the agency, and learning when to approach the volunteer for further engagement. Catholic Charities statistics from the past year will be used to illustrate how each step worked with actual volunteers and how the cultivation process led to mission based volunteers.

10 minutes: Volunteers--Where do they come from and what motivates them to give of themselves?
10 minutes: The Volunteer as a donor--What does the volunteer have to offer?
15 minutes: Matching the volunteer's knowledge, passion and skills with the right program
15 minutes: Cultivating a passion for your agency
15 minutes: Making the volunteer a working advocate for your agency
15 minutes: Cementing the relationship: Making your agency their charity of choice
10 minutes: Question and answer

Learning Objectives:

• Outline process of moving the volunteer from interested to active and engaged.
• Motivate the volunteer to become a working advocate for your agency.
• Cement the relationship; make your agency their charity of choice.

Presented by:
Cindy Casey: Manager of Volunteer Services
Amanda “Missi” Cowart: Coordinator of Volunteers Community and Child Welfare Services
Catholic Charities Fort Worth
www.catholiccharitiesfortworth.org

Cindy Casey
As Manager of Volunteer Services of Catholic Charities Fort Worth, Cindy Casey oversees the recruitment of approximately 2,000 volunteers annually. With more than 20 years experience in volunteer management with schools and non-profits, Cindy specializes in innovative recruitment strategies to engage volunteers who are deeply invested in the work they do. She works extensively with students, corporations, individuals, and church and community groups concentrating her efforts on retaining volunteers throughout the agency’s programs.

Amanda “Missi” Cowart
Amanda “Missi” Cowart was raised in Mississippi and graduated from Blue Mountain College with a BS in English Education. After graduating college she pursued her dreams of travel and living overseas and spent two years in China as a University teacher to English majors. Following those two years Missi moved to Fort Worth to pursue a Masters in Christian Education. It was her love of internationals and social service that led her to work for Catholic Charities Fort Worth. She spent four years in Refugee Employment Services working with newly resettled refugees. For the past two years Missi has been Volunteer Specialist for Catholic Charities. She recruits, trains, places, and manages volunteers throughout Catholic Charities 43 programs.