Matt Altstiel's Academic Life: November 2007

Here is the 2007 MAVA Community Analysis Report for Southern Minnesota, note that all names have been removed to protect confidentiality. This is just an example of some of the things MAVA (the Minnesota Association for Volunteer Administration) does and will accomplish during the 2007-2008 Fiscal year. Enjoy.

2007 Southern Minnesota Community Analysis Report

A region by Region and City by City Look at Volunteerism in Southern Minnesota

INTRODUCTION

This report attempts to summarize the contacts, networks and lessons MAVA has become aware of in the region of Southern Minnesota. While this report has not covered and cannot cover every city in the region, most communities are represented by at least one respondent. The listing of communities has been done alphabetically. This report is on-going and will update to include the most current data and contacts. For any questions, please e-mail Matt Altstiel at maltstiel@mavanetwork.org.

RECOMMENDATIONS (ON A REGIONAL LEVEL)

SECTION ONE – RECOMMENDATIONS[1]

Who are the influential people in this region related to the leadership of volunteers? Additional influential people in the nonprofit community?

The United Way is the chief connector organization in many of the listed communities in this report. Their executive directors are key individuals that have the relationships with important area non-profits. Additionally, United Ways are often well connected to media outlets which can help promote upcoming area VRL series. Specific individuals who bear mention are: (ALBERT LEA) , (AUSTIN), (MANKATO) (NEW ULM) , (OWATONNA) , (ROCHESTER) , (WINONA) .

Top priorities for work in network development:

Winona is the site in greatest need of a non-sector network of volunteer leaders. Other communities have small but sustainable networks that MAVA can help build through our networking and resource capabilities. Albert Lea and Mankato have MAVA affiliated CLOVE networks that have had stagnant or negative growth over the past several years that need additional support. MCN is strong network in Mankato that MAVA should further engage in the future. United Way agency meetings are a great way to take a survey of area non-profits and to assess the need for network alliance or creation.

Priorities for locations to offer the Volunteer Impact Leadership Training series and organizations to work with as co-sponsors:

Winona is a priority location for the Spring as a scheduled Fall series was canceled due to flooding. The series location and co-sponsor is already in place and ready to move ahead. Additional promotion can be done to attract participants from Goodhue, Wabasha, Fillmore and Houston Counties. Austin is another potential location due to its potential drawing power from surrounding counties and Northern Iowa. Owatonna is an excellent potential location due to its centrality in the region. The United Way, SMIF, the Owatonna Foundation and Campesino Central all look to be excellent potential sponsors. Venues in the area will be pursued as in the upcoming months. Finally, New Ulm looks to be a virtual lock to hold a Spring series. New Ulm hopes to draw heavily from communities in two overlapping Minnesota Initiative regions (Southern and Southwest). Additionally, the New Ulm series can potentially draw a greater percentage of rural non-profits than other locations. Finally, the United Way seems to be a committed sponsor which has already offered a free venue for the series.

Opportunities to partner with organizations to get messages to decision makers on the importance of investing in volunteers:

MCN and SMIF already do a great deal of advocacy. Partnering with these organizations to encourage the formation of county independent speaker’s bureaus seems a logical step. Targeting board member meetings as well as business clubs is very important as well. Many board members, as the research from the report has informed, are members of the local community picked as much for their connectivity as passion for the cause. Businesses provide sponsorship and funding opportunities to non-profits, who may already seeking non-profit partners in business initiatives. This is the initial stage of MAVA’s regional advocacy plan, however; the changing nature of Southern Minnesota communities allows for tremendous opportunity.

Key thoughts that emerged from discussion of “vision for volunteerism in their community.”

Non-profits and leaders of volunteers will have volunteers embodying “the typical Southern Minnesota resident.” They will attract hard working volunteers who will take initiative and engage more complicated, but rewarding volunteer positions. Leaders of volunteers will only retain individuals who demonstrate commitment to a program and not simply show up. Leaders wont have to ask for better connections within the community to publicize opportunities through a variety of media outlets, they will already exist. Executive directors will hand select more responsive board members who put their personal politics aside and direct positive organizational growth. Leaders of volunteers will have the methods to tap from an increasingly diverse local populations and know ways to attract new volunteers of all ages. Leaders will know of the training opportunities that will give them the knowledge to better complete their job. Volunteer coordinators are allowed to experiment with grant writing can easily find the best resources to make increased funding a reality. While many program needs are organizationally specific, there is one constant vision: communities with more dispensable resources for non-profits.

Insights into needs of volunteer leaders in the area:

If the “vision of volunteerism section” presents ideal scenarios for leaders of volunteers, the needs of volunteer leaders presents a much more accurate reflection of the complicated realities facing non-profit leaders. Many have stressed the need for greater networking capability, whether through MAVA connections or simply being aware of local networks which may help them. Additionally, most leaders of volunteers are looking for the time effective training sessions that will impact their skill set, but not their wallet. The resources for effective volunteer management are out their, however; many beginner level leaders of volunteers are unaware of local, state and federal reference sources. As gleaned from leaders of volunteers, organizational problems were almost always expressed in the form of a need. Therefore, the issues facing many non-profits and leaders of volunteers are more pressing than simply “wants” or “desires”.

Key anti-poverty organizations in the area and how MAVA can work with them:

The majority of non-profits seeks to combat some form of poverty either directly or indirectly through their programming. Southern Minnesota non-profits, while many of the organizations this representative visited did not have poverty aim as their expressed purpose; many collaborated with larger benefit organizations such as: the United Way, Red Cross, Salvation Army, HRTs, and SEMCAC. MAVA can work directly with these organizations by promoting best practices through the VRL series as well as using these well known organizations as vital community speakers bureau members. These larger anti-poverty organizations may already have excellent connections that smaller, less known non-profits are looking to share.

Recommendations you heard for the future direction of MAVA. Ideas or comments that should be taken into consideration for MAVA’s planning for the next three years. Any tensions identified that MAVA is experiencing.

As will be covered in greater depth in the “Final Thoughts” section, MAVA is an organization with tremendous potential that must be realized quickly. Organizations that do not grow remain stagnant and eventually die. Therefore, leaders of volunteers desire steady, well articulated growth that observes local goals and boundaries. Leaders ask for greater networking capability through MAVA resources, but not specifically for the formation of MAVA led networks. Non-profits would like MAVA to expand its curriculum to offer more training opportunities while still offer the same high level of material. Non-profits genuinely enjoy personal networking and making those new connections in person. MAVA must work for and with local non-profits and not cede too much control to its Twin Cities headquarters. MAVA must develop individual strategy each region, as each requires a unique presentational style to an impact.

Any additional recommendations for MAVA work in the area

The execution of new networks and series is crucial to the reputation of MAVA in the region. A poorly run series or network could make affiliation appear a less inviting option. However, a sustained and expanded presence in the region depends on laying the ground floor through regional connections. Therefore, a greater base of MAVA trainers must be recruited that are personable, articulate and representative of their communities. Additionally, MAVA must develop local speakers bureaus to create a forum for discussion between non-profits and city leaders. These individuals likewise must MAVA ambassadors of high character. Like a well crafted volunteer message, MAVA must be willing to find proper individuals for the job and develop their skills according to shared motivation.

Follow up you plan to do with individuals and organizations over the course of term of service

Clearly, the remaining course of the year will be following up with original contacts, following up with new leads and following up with evaluation. Successful growth requires following up with individuals that have the vision and personality to advance MAVA. Such individuals have been mentioned already in “Influential People in the Region” section as well as individual community descriptions. The large connector organizations certainly require additional collaboration. However; many of MAVA’s best potential advocates may come from small organizations who truly understand their communities. MAVA will target growth in a three pronged strategy. First, host organizations and series locations will be chosen. Then, speakers bureaus will be formed in series locations and surrounding communities to help advance MAVA and their organizations in advance of the series. Finally, the sustained interaction provided by series planning, speakers bureaus and series attendance will create the basis for cohesive, broad based network.

ALBERT LEA

Section 1. RECOMMENDATIONS

In Albert Lea, those who are most influential are usually the leaders of the largest organizations. These leaders have access to community resources, media outlets and have the ear of civic leaders. CLOVE and other area networks, while not highly developed do provide the infrastructure to coordinate and publicize MAVA events. Although relatively new within his position, , the director of the United Way of Freeborn County, is a great community resource. The amount of partnering organizations and area initiatives make this an important starting place within Albert Lea. works with a three county RSVP program that also is well connected and has a pulse on the volunteer community. is new to the field of Volunteer Administration, but has the ideas, the drive and the inter-personal skills to really grow her program and aid in network development.

Albert Lea itself has networks, but not the large scale or organization of other Southern Minnesota communities. A current lack of cooperation beyond specific sectors as well as non-progressive population may make network development difficult. MAVA should focus on aiding existing networks that are already lead by MAVA members and attract new members through 1 hour “mini-module presentations. Encouraging the buy-in from civic leaders and county services appears to be a key sector for network growth in the community.

CLOVE already has helped sponsor the Mankato series and has provided two of the three trainers. MAVA should continue to work with CLOVE as potential sponsors for future events. The United Way should be targeted as a potential sponsor and further exploration into area facilities will be done. St. John’s Lutheran Home has been mentioned as a good location for a future series. While Albert Lea has an advantageous location at the southern end of 35-W and proximity to I-90, it does not appear to be an especially good location for a series.

In regards finding partner organizations to advocate with decision makers, more work must be done in order to establish to target major community leaders and business employers. An organized, MAVA speakers bureau as part of extension of CLOVE (or organized separately) appears to be a logic step in order to advance volunteerism. The community’s lack of a volunteer center (they share with the United Way of Mower County) prevents agency collaboration.

To summarize respondent information from the “vision for volunteerism” section, Albert Lea’s non-profits must be more successful at informing the public about the necessity of volunteerism. They must have greater media access to promote opportunities and have greater collaboration with civic and business leaders. Government’s refusal to subsidize training programs has had a detrimental effect on area HCP (Health Care Provider) NPO’s. The establishment of a “one stop shop” like a volunteer center would greatly enhance local non-profit infrastructure. Developing more community wide events involving multiple partners would help bring new volunteers into the fold, which would hopefully create long-term volunteers.

There is a lack of knowledge about other training opportunities and which other resources are on the ground. The insular nature of area NPO’s must be changed and collaboration must start. One individual even remarked “if I shared my volunteer information, other volunteer leaders would steal my volunteers and I would be back at square one.” The mindset of volunteer leaders and community members alike (in my opinion) is the most important barrier to explosive NPO growth. Leaders need a way to find out about training, networking, collaboration, and available volunteer pools (generally ways to access and combine knowledge). NPO’s need greater funding and expressed a desire to take grant writing courses. Albert Lea leaders appear to be a hard sell, but targeted presentations and a speaker’s bureau can start changing the institutional culture.

The United Way of Freeborn County works with many organizations focused on eliminating poverty in the area. Unfortunately, during the interviewing process, MAVA was unable to identify organizations that dealt directly with the issue. However, this is not to say that organizations such as the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and the Albert Lea School district were not contacted. Further work must be done to reach these type of organizations as well as area service clubs which add to the volunteer pool.

The respondent’s recommendations alluded to MAVA “keeping up the good work” in the area. MAVA is well known within a small number of local circles, but does not have the name recognition that it should. MAVA’s ability to publicize events at a state-level was cited as an important resource that should be further developed at a local level. Furthermore, one respondent suggested MAVA develop more curriculum devoted to establishing tracking systems for volunteers and learn about volunteer related computer programs. Numerous respondents remarked that it was “about time” MAVA had an area representative. There is obviously underlying tension between Southern Minnesota and the Twin Cities in the fight over resources. Therefore, MAVA should work with leaders of volunteers to create a larger funding pool and attract more local leaders to local problems and opportunities.

Albert Lea is experiencing stagnant population and economic growth. There is a higher incidence of relative poverty in Albert Lea, so MAVA should particularly reach out to anti-poverty and elder care organizations.

is passionate about her vision for volunteerism in the community. After hearing about MAVA at the August CLOVE meeting, she has taken the modules in Rochester and will complete her certification. She looks to be an excellent trainer, area organizer and will become well connected. has connections because of his position with the United Way. The United Way already employees a speaker bureau, so MAVA presentation made to partner organizations, board members and employees seems to be logical step for MAVA. Further CLOVE attendance will important as well as expanding the local contact base for the organization. While the potential for network development and series hosting in Albert Lea is not as great, attracting members to a close, regional MAVA Connections is a good avenue to start with.

AUSTIN

Section 1. RECOMMENDATIONS

Austin is a community with a unique population demographic relative to Southern Minnesota. For its small town size, it boasts exceptionally well developed networks, leaders and the benefit of a growing Fortune 500 company. In town, its United Way lead by, is quickly growing the size and scope of its mission. Those whom are partner agencies are often the most engaged in volunteerism and committed to connections with Hormel and its large corporate volunteerism program. Its monthly Mower County directors meetings, facilitated by bring together a mix of large and small; and old and new non-profits. Organizations on many different levels seem to growing the size of their programs, and organizations like Habitat for Humanity make excellent use of their volunteer programs because of staff and community buy-in.

The United Way directors meetings as well as Mower County Social Agencies meetings are well set-up networks. Austin also benefits from the recent creation of an on-line Volunteer Center, which it shares with the United Way of Freeborn County. The Mower County Social Agencies meeting allows the majority of time for agency presentations in attempt to inform other NPO’s of activity and encourage further collaboration on mutually beneficial projects. Attending these meetings has given MAVA visibility in the area where almost none previously existed. Training opportunities are regularly discussed and community invitations are passed along to attendees. However, Austin also boasts many smaller sector based networks which would be beneficial for future attendance and participation.

The aforementioned groups could be possible sponsors in a future MAVA VRL series. However, the city may not be a priority location for a future VRL series due to its proximity to Rochester and location well south of most regionally important cities. If MAVA is looking to draw in communities from Northern Iowa and actively promoting cities in that region, Austin seems like a logical choice. The United Way seems to be a logical sponsor for training opportunities as has been particularly helpful thus far.

In terms of advocacy, the area has much to offer. The presence of a large immigrant and elderly population means that there is large need for social services and a potentially large gap in volunteerism that may be unfulfilled. Currently, there are seven NPO volunteer coordinators and executive directors who have received national recognition and training in Volunteer Leadership independent of MAVA. These individuals, who this representative is currently in the process of contacting, would be excellent to help create an Austin area speaker bureau. The creation of NPO, Civic, and Business presentations will work as long as bureau members are also allowed to pitch their own programs in the process.

Respondents have cited the need for more young volunteers and the need for parents to instill volunteerism as a family value. Others have expressed the vision that volunteers will improve on the follow-up aspect of volunteerism, not simply showing up for one job, but making a commitment to an individual program. Some have mentioned the need for staff buy in for their programming and the ability to create more sustainable, time specific projects. There already are immediate volunteer support networks in place such as (Crisis Nursery), but they must be more highly developed and pro-active to counter community issues before they become large problems. Ideally, non-profits here will offer better job descriptions for volunteers and share resources in greater recruitment pushes.

Although some members of the non-profit community are highly trained and knowledgeable in Best Practices. A large Austin contingent attended the SMIF sponsored “Asset Based Style” training series and other SMIF training events. However; for many, the idea of MAVA and the VRL series was completely new. Many leaders of non-profits seemed particularly interested in more training opportunities as they were struggling with many of the issues covered in the VRL. , a MAVA member, cited a lack of collaboration between seemingly compatible non-profits. This suggests that, while network development in Austin is greater than in similar sized communities, there is still much to be accomplished.

The United Way is the principal connector organization as identified in the community analysis report. The majority of non-profit selected programs aim to combat poverty in someway, although that may not be their particular focus. While the respondent rate was higher in Austin than other communities, there are still many non-profit leaders who must be reached to fulfill this particular section and offer more insight into poverty in Mower County.

Similar to Albert Lea, there is little knowledge of MAVA in Austin. Therefore, respondents have recommended increased visibility and attendance of area events. Austin’s close proximity to the home base of Rochester makes this suggestion more possible. Sector specific organizations also want ways to connect to larger state based networks and are looking to MAVA to help connect them to greater Minnesota. This can be accomplished through regional event, training and network listing pages on the MAVA website. Other connector organizations offer directories similar to MAVA, but the development of region specific sites devoted to individual regions would help set MAVA apart. The presence of a region specific MAVA representative was also a key recommendation as MAVA should not simply promote its services, but engage in active relationship building, so MAVA has a face and a literal presence in the area.

Austin is an open community the nevertheless requires personal relationship building to form successful, sustainable partnerships. Therefore, the key players in Austin should be given a role to promote MAVA, see the tangible benefits of association for themselves, and be given the necessary resources to make MAVA their own. More so than other communities, there is general feeling that state organizations and government have let them down and are more committed to local based networks.

FARIBAULT

Section 1. RECOMMENDATIONS

Faribault and Northfield engage in a high level of collaboration, but benefit from the dual resources of separate United Ways and independent networks. As in other places, a small, but growing United Way office lead by unites funding and resources for area NPOs. An expanded Day of Caring campaign and network meetings may be an excellent way to have MAVA become a well-known name in Faribault. The Three Rivers Community Action is another crucial community organization that encompasses important housing and educational initiatives. at the Welcome Center is an excellent starting point into the various needs of the sizeable Latino population that represents a virtually untapped community base for volunteers. , a founding MAVA member (who has since moved to Duluth) is an excellent source of contacts and appears to still have her finger on the pulse of area networks and resources. However; MAVA has not yet identified an individual that has the dynamic personality to be a reliable and appropriate MAVA liaison. The area’s unique services catering to people with disabilities and proximity to college students implies that additional contacts must be generated.

The Rice Co. HRT meeting is one sector specific network that is an important entry point into community NPO. Network attendees seemed genuinely interested in MAVA and in additional ways to share resources. Even respondents who did not currently have volunteer programs or used minimal volunteer resources were glad to see a statewide organization taking initiative in their community. The United Way has board and agency meetings that meet with regularity. So How Are the Children focuses on the youth sector, bringing together a large number of organizations. This network will be a focus in the upcoming months as a potential series is explored in Rice County. Despite the high number of overlapping networks, there is no well developed “one-stop” network such as a MAVA Connections. This may be a prime location (along with Northfield) for a regional MAVA network.

The United Way and Three Rivers Community Action would be excellent sponsors of MAVA VRL series and their visibility in the community would allow for instant MAVA credibility. A well planned series and heavy Conference promotion could create a strong MAVA base within Faribault. Sites must be explored in the area in the near future, but area colleges look like an excellent place to hold a MAVA VRL.

While the United Way has mentioned a lack of civic engagement and dialogue, the participation of local leaders in NPOs seems at first glance to be higher in Faribault. The number of city and county leaders at the Rice Co. HRT meeting and the familiarity of NPO programming is unique in the region. A speaker’s bureau will encourage further collaboration, but posting additional training opportunities and growing membership can through network attendance seem like the most logical first steps.

The high number of citizens with special needs offers tremendous opportunity for growth. Bringing in college and high school students who require service learning opportunities in a priority for many NPOs. Creating sustainable relationships between the non-profit and educational sectors seems to be a common vision. Reaching non-traditional volunteers, so that they may help other in similar situations is also a desired objective. Growing existing networks to encompass a wider spectrum of NPOs and civic resources is also high on the priority list.

Potential barriers to success for leaders of volunteerism (according to one respondent) is the effectiveness that large well known non-profits have had within a limited volunteer pool. Greater sharing of resources between large and small (and newer) non-profits would help foster a culture of cooperation. Non-traditional volunteers have been difficult to obtain due to language barriers and a lack of (culturally) meaningful volunteer opportunities. Another potential barrier to success is the high stress and burnout factor of volunteer coordinators who have not “secured their legacy to pass onto their replacements.”

The Welcome Center, the United Way and Three Rivers Community Action all address poverty through their programming that seeks to further integrate marginalized communities into the city and county pool of resources. Additional organizations such as the Community Leadership Collaborative offer anti-poverty workshops that seek to educate community leaders in poverty alleviation strategy.

MAVA has the potential to be the most important resource for leaders of volunteers in state and can accomplish that mission by expanding curriculum to include sector specific trainings. One respondent used the phrase “keep your ear to the street.” Grassroots organizations such as neighborhood associations perhaps need more training than any other group, but could pay huge dividends because the passionate nature of their leaders and the connections they provide within the community. Additionally, funding is always one of the principal concerns of any non-profit and developing grant writing workshops (or providing the connections to MCF trainings at a discount) would be another reason for potential members to join.

The large list of contacts that each respondent was able to provide will require additional follow up. In addition, the large number of sector specific networks necessitates greater engagement than communities containing more broad-based collaboration. Faribault (and Northfield’s) close proximity to MAVA headquarters may allow members from the Twin Cities to make speaking engagements and promote Twin Cities MAVA events.

MANKATO

Section 1. RECOMMENDATIONS

Mankato has several strong leaders and an opportunity to reverse the disintegration of community volunteer resources. While she no longer lives in Mankato or works with SMILES, (a MAVA member) has developed excellent connections and helped continue the Mankato CLOVE network (a MAVA affiliated partner network). Her replacement (name needed) appears to the personality necessary to help advance MAVA in the area. of MCN has already provided MAVA with the opportunity to expand in the region and with credibility through her excellent facilitation through community Brown Bag and training opportunities. is a well articulated new-comer to the community who is interested in helping MAVA develop volunteer infrastructure curriculum and has like-minded contacts. The Mankato series has also shown promise in several participants whom could make excellent trainers.

The MCN Brown Bag draws a diverse group of leaders of volunteerism through its variety of guest speakers and topic generated type meetings. This approach (similar to MAVA connections) appears much more effective in creating sector independent solutions and collaboration than the “infomercial” type networks seen in other communities. The MCN-MAVA sponsored “How to Engage Volunteers”, seemed to be a success with many attendees eager to meet and gain more information about MAVA. CLOVE on the other hand has gone through somewhat of a “crisis of leadership.” One respondent went as far as to say “CLOVE meetings do really get more than 5 or 6 people showing up, and even then it is more out of obligation.” Further networks need exploring. The huge percentage of college students out of the general population makes engagement of college service learning programs essential to MAVA success.

CLOVE and MCN are already well established VRL series partnerships and it is in MAVA best interests to continue collaboration with each. MCN serves the surrounding communities of New Ulm, Waseca, and St. Peter; among others. MCN can and should serve as a co-sponsor in a potential New Ulm series. Mankato drew a larger than predicted number of attendees to the Fall VRL series, however; MAVA should not over-saturate the community with more than one series per year. The Snell Motors Community Room was an inexpensive, if merely adequate space for the series.

Mankato needs advocacy. A speaker’s bureau should be organized in collaboration with MCN as an extension of MAVA. The almost entirely new face of civic leadership provides tremendous opportunity for leaders of non-profits to push their needs to the forefront of influential members of city and county government. and of Civil Air Patrol seem ready to launch a Mankato area speaker’s bureau. Including members of the local university and college also looks to be a logical step. Many service learning programs are looking for connections to NPOs, and NPOs are looking to draw from the vast potential pool of volunteers.

Leaders of volunteers would like to see better event management in the future as well as more authentic opportunities that serve all three motivational types of volunteers. Many volunteers look to volunteering opportunities to provide career advancement, so it is important to cater to highly motivated volunteers with accurate expectations. Greater retention is also a stated goal of most volunteer programs and many are interested in additional training to provide ideas. Mankato, as in many communities, has experienced a high-degree of turn-over for both executive directors and volunteer coordinators. This creates a crippling lack of continuity and a loss of relationship dependent partnerships.

The large anti-poverty organizations are present in Mankato as well. However, larger organizations seem to have a somewhat insular culture and have not reached out to smaller organizations which could be mutually beneficial. Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity and Mankato area HRT organizations all combat poverty issues. MCN, CLOVE and the United Way are all connector organizations. The Red Cross is another agency to pools together community resources in times of crisis. As mentioned, reaching these connector organizations is especially important as they have the greatest potential of influencing policy in a relatively new city government.

MAVA, despite its CLOVE and recent MCN – Mankato connections is still a relative unknown in the region. Those attending the series and respondents in personal interviews all would like to see an expanded curriculum that is more capable of dealing with specific concerns. A “menu” of choices that would be pre-selected by community volunteer leaders would allow attendees to really take ownership of the series. MAVA members would like to see a regional page that would list current networking and training opportunities within the region for a broad spectrum of sectors. The development of speaker’s bureaus to advocate the needs of leaders of volunteers was also cited as a step MAVA needs to take in Mankato.

Mankato appears to be growing in terms of population and business development. However; many community member (leaders of non-profits included) have a profoundly negative outlook on the future of Mankato. The dissolution of the area Volunteer Center, lack of responsive city government, post-college flight of MSU graduates and concentrated core of wealth all pose formidable problems to leaders of volunteers. It is perhaps most important to tackle advocacy and create a speakers bureau in Mankato because of the high percentage of newly elected officials and growing (but still lacking) cooperation with the city’s some 23,000 college age students!

As mentioned previously, the region does have potential as the series has shown. AmyJo is a great contact and an excellent way to draw more community organizations to MAVA. could be an excellent presenter and would like to develop curriculum. The United Way, Red Cross and Mankato State all will require additional follow-up to promote a regional series and offer best practices to volunteer leaders.

NEW ULM

Section 1. RECOMMENDATIONS

New Ulm, the most distant community featured in this report has emerged as a prime location for a Spring series. This is largely because of, despite her outspoken comments on the Mankato series; has attended series, invited MAVA as a guest speaker at United Way quarterly meetings and already offered a suitable venue for Spring. replacement at Faith in Action is also another good place to start because of their use of volunteers and interest in developing Elder Care Volunteer Care Curriculum. Brown County and surrounding communities are primarily rural in nature and historically not well connected to the larger region. Establishing contacts in these communities is important and no doubt, key individuals will emerge.

Faith in Action has local and regional networks throughout Southern MN, and VINE Faith in Action generally makes use of volunteers. The United Way Agencies meeting of Brown County is also a great resource to get the pulse on area non-profits and a chance for MAVA to continually inform agencies (in a live setting) the local progress that is being made. Currently MAVA is not well known in the region and will do well to find out more about Brown County and surrounding community networks.

The United Way of Brown is the most promising series sponsor. Not only does the United Way want to help out with the series, it has offered the use of facility in the central business district for free. The venue is already used for concerts and would make an excellent location for the series. Additional partner may help expand the scope of potential attendees, but promotion should start soon in order to explore and engage previously untouched communities like Sleepy Eye of Sibley. New Ulm is also a great location to draw in over-lapping regions such as Redwood Falls, Fairmont and Windom. MAVA collaboration will likely involve representatives from the Southern and Southwestern regions.

New Ulm seems to have a diversified business sector that has largely not been highly involved in volunteerism. Advocacy on the part of non-profit volunteer leaders could great enhance the level of participation. The presence of traditionally large non-profits in town and the presence of a small Lutheran college proves that volunteer resources can and should be further developed in New Ulm.

During the United Way Agencies meeting attendees were asked informally what their vision for volunteerism was. Attendees mentioned that they had a relatively difficult time attracting young and retired volunteers. New Ulm has many recently relocated retirees, many of whom do not stay in town on the weekends. Volunteer coordinators also mentioned they would like to have greater staffing to allow themselves more time to concentrate on volunteer administration. In order to accomplish this, they cited the need for additional training to engage business leaders and civic organizations. Like Austin, their vision for the community was increased inter-dependence and self reliance. The professionalism within the field advanced by MAVA did not seem important to them, rather than belonging to a state-wide organization, they would rather receive the training to be more effective in their job.

Potential barriers to success are the lack of cooperation and distrust between neighboring communities. New Ulm is the hub of Brown County, but communities wish to maintain their independence and may not join local networks as a result. Volunteer leaders are generally unaware of best practices and may use outdated systems. mentioned the need for a rural curriculum. Operating out of Mankato, but within Le Sueur and New Ulm mentioned the need for MAVA to stress the individual benefits of membership, rather than associative benefits. A way to counter this traditional resistance could be area learning conversations or forums to allow many organizations and communities the chance to voice their opinions on an equal footing. New Ulm in many ways is the gateway to rural Southern and Western Minnesota and it is important to establish local leadership.

The traditional anti-poverty organizations operate in New Ulm. Service clubs also seek to address community issues but are largely already tied to particular projects based on organization initiatives. Further exploration of anti-poverty and connector organizations must be done in the near future.

New Ulm presents MAVA an enormous opportunity to develop rural focused curriculum (or at least specific training for MAVA representatives before entering the field.) From personal experience, this MAVA representative changed his approach from slick presentations to more or the “friend in the business” type approach. A series in the area would draw upon surrounding communities, but a county (or multi-county) pre-series forum could help create a network of volunteer leaders prior to the series start. The presence of a strong regional network would help decrease mistrust between volunteer coordinators and give them a voice within a Twin Cities based organization.

and contacts provided during the Agencies meeting provide a good basis for expanding MAVA’s presence. , if her name were associated with the series, would do an excellent job in promotion. The New Ulm area will receive extensive follow up in anticipation of the upcoming series to ensure its success. will also be able to establish connections in surrounding counties to encourage further promotion.

OWATONNA

Section 1. RECOMMENDATIONS

Owatonna has a well developed network of local and regional organizations headed by several excellent leaders who could allow MAVA a centrally located base in Southern Minnesota. from SMIF, a critical connector organization seemed receptive to the idea of MAVA. She said she would help promote MAVA through e-mails and mailings, and already hosted MAVA at a SMIF event free of charge. Additional contacts provided by SMIF, while unresponsive thus far, and could give MAVA important access into the recruitment of non-traditional volunteers. is hopeful to launch a brand new volunteer program and MAVA should be interested in following up and using her program as a true litmus test into the success of our programming. has not yet been contacted, however; numerous community members have mentioned her boundless energy and commitment to organizational improvement. While non-specifically interviewed, provided MAVA with an opportunity to meet new AmericaReads volunteers, and no doubt would be an excellent individual to help promote the series.

The Steele County Directors meetings, led by, is supposedly an excellent network closely resembling the format of the aforementioned Mower County meetings. While attempting to find said meeting, this representative encountered another network similar to the Rice Co. HRT but lacking the participation of civic leaders. The United Way of Steele County would no doubt be another excellent source for regional networking.

SMIF is already a regional partner for MAVA and happens to cover the same geographical region as this MAVA representative. While SMIF is an excellent connector organization and funding resource, their training focuses primarily on facilitating economic development. As such, despite its partner relationship status, SMIF would be a hard sell to obtain program funding in the region. Further connections and ways to collaborate should be explored, especially if Owatonna is chosen as a host site for a MAVA VRL series. The Steele County Directors network and the United Way of Steele County agencies, if properly approached would be excellent potential sponsors for an upcoming series.

SMIF does an excellent job providing for coaching for community advocacy and reviewing grant applications. SMIF could be approached for their advice on these subjects to better reach leaders of volunteers and conversely, their potential volunteers. SMIF workshops actively engage leaders of volunteers in what called “asset based style”, in other words, focusing on regional collaboration based on individual organizational strengths. A speakers bureau may be explored, but further research into area networks and non-profits must be completed first.

Respondents mentioned strong communities that are effective in creating and sustaining economic growth and creating a social climate of success; implementing additional steps in volunteer programming and would like to eliminate poverty through sharing greater resources. Funding is also a large concern and so SMIF reflected that they would like provide volunteer leaders with the skills to know how to properly apply for grants, what to ask for and what to do once they receive those funds to maximize their spending power.

Potential barriers to success currently are the lack of connections within Steele County. Owatonna is a dynamic community that has an organizational capacity more typical of a Rochester sized community. Owatonna and Southern Minnesota have their own distinct identities, so initially; a state-wide organization like MAVA may be a tough sell. Town-hall meetings and individual contact generation are essential to opening up the potential of this county to MAVA resources and affiliation. Decisions are often locally based, consistent with the funding culture of the Minnesota Initiative Foundations’ funding policies. Therefore, finding local leaders who will advance local non-profits in their advocacy work is important.

SMIF is a unique connector organization due to the size of its funding pools, the quality of the trainings offered and the multiple programming focuses featured in its mission. The Owatonna Foundation funds many more local non-profits through community first initiatives. Centro Campesino works actively with the Migrant Council to provide resources and connections organizations serving Latinos. As mentioned, other large, national NPO’s and service organizations in Steel County will be targeted for MAVA membership.

Owatonna a growing, increasingly diverse population that can be reached more effectively than other communities through the numerous connector organizations. If MAVA wishes to develop a Working with Diversity curriculum, Owatonna and Rochester are excellent places to start. Owatonna benefits from its centrality. A straight drive between Rochester and Mankato; and right between Faribault/Northfield and Albert Lea along the 35-W corridor, Owatonna also boasts excellent meeting facilities, the appearance of good leadership and the region’s largest funding organization. There is tremendous opportunity in Owatonna and the proximity to Rochester makes visiting this city even easier.

There will be follow-up on contacts that have provided through personal interviews and attendance at the Steele County directors meeting. The United Way will also receive follow-up as MAVA explores the possibility of an Owatonna series. , who is in a unique position should she successfully launch a program, would provide an excellent bench mark to gauge the success of VRL best practices during their most initial phases of implementation.

ROCHESTER

Section 1: RECOMMENDATIONS

Rochester is by far the largest of the Southern Minnesota communities explored in this report. Non-profits also expect far greater results and have much more developed evaluative techniques as a result. The large corporate base and resulting volunteer programs, along with a highly educated workforce have created a culture of volunteerism. Among the many individuals interviewed within Olmsted County, several of them stood out. , the Senior Community Impact Specialist, spearheads a number of programs for the United Way and has streamlined efforts through a well run volunteer center. is the Executive Director for the Rochester Foundation which may be an excellent source of grant money for MAVA and also oversees their FirstHomes program which utilizes volunteers. , an Americorps Promisefellow is currently taking the series and has successfully engaged a wide-spectrum of volunteers through the RNieghbors initiatives. Through, additional contacts for Channel One, the local food bank, have emerged as good candidates for VRL trainers. The three current VRL VRL trainers: have all done an excellent job and really advanced MAVA’s reputation in the area. This MAVA representative is most familiar with Rochester, but the sheer size of the community requires additional contact generation.

Rochester has several networks that have a specific sector focus; nonetheless, they could be beneficial to MAVA. Member mentioned the Mayo Auxiliary Network as well as HCAM as good places to introduce MAVA and receive feedback on healthcare specific modules. AFP (American Fundraising Professionals) is also another good network to engage provided MAVA is properly prepared and can clearly illustrate its value. The United Way and Century 21 funded programs have comparable network sizes and will eventually be approached for presentations. Networks of service club leaders, more numerous in Rochester are additional networks that are worth noticing. Additionally, BNI, a business networking meeting is not a bad option to alert this particular sector the benefits of MAVA membership.

The United Way of Olmsted County has been the principal sponsor for MAVA events thus far. The space is well sized and centrally located for Olmsted County based leaders of volunteers. The 96 listed agencies on the Volunteer Center’s Volunteer Solutions website can all receive invitations through community news items and an e=mail list serve. However; MAVA would do well to examine additional sponsorship within the non-profit community. Various former partner programs had little to do with MAVA when they found out about its affiliation with the United Way of Olmsted County. The eventual hope is that MAVA will become well known enough to assume a greater degree of independence form the United Way. Additional possible sponsors could be the Rochester Area Foundation, the Rochester Senior Center and RSVP programs.

A speakers bureau is an excellent idea for Rochester given the unfamiliarity of our organization to business and civic leaders. Most non-profits, despite the higher percentage of regional member, have not heard of MAVA. The presentation style will vary from network to network, but be advised that leaders of volunteers in Rochester expect a more professional, Twin Cities type approach. Like other communities, Rochester leaders of volunteers are hard pressed for time due to multiple responsibilities, so showing the ways MAVA can make organization more efficient is crucial.

Greater advocacy on the part of non-profit leaders to directly engage civic policy makers is a state goal of many respondents. Non-profits are also looking for better ways to publicize needs and specific events (due to the large number of well known non-profits), some tend to stay outside of the public’s consciousness. Other non-profits are looking for greater networking capabilities and an increased flow of information regarding regional training opportunities. Additional leaders are looking for more way to retain baby boomer volunteers, whom, as they hit retirement, are not volunteering like previous generations of retirees. Finding the right volunteers for the right positions every time, was another stated vision for volunteerism.

The main barriers to collaboration and non profit-effectiveness appear to be driven by internal politics. Olmsted County has succeeded in providing the gold standard within the region for effective volunteer centers. However, due to negative past funding relationships, some organizations refuse to work in collaboration even when such a relationship would be clearly mutually beneficial. As in other locations, competing over scant funding resources can lead to unhealthy competition. Some have cited the lack of organizational culture to hold volunteers to the same standards of employees which subsequently lowers value and performance expectations.

The Salvation Army, Channel One, Possabilities, the United Way, Lutheran Social Services, SEMCAC, and Habitat for Humanity all serve to combat poverty. Additionally, funding organizations like the United Way, Rochester Area Foundation, and volunteer organizations like RSVP and the 2-1-1 hotline serve as connector organizations.

The professionalism of the field of volunteer management is most evident in Rochester. The community itself is heavily employed in the professional sector, that non-profits have adapted to mirror this approach is not surprising. However; unlike the Twin Cities, Rochester leaders of volunteers still have too many responsibilities to consider volunteer coordination their primary responsibility. Rochester is not only a community where board presentations may be possible, but more necessary. The operations of non-profits in Rochester (while they do vary significantly) are more business like in their management style. The number of large companies here means a greater ability to target specific corporations for advocacy engagements. Mayo and IBM have large corporate volunteering programs, so it might be interesting to get their take on what they, as corporations, look for when endorsing a particular agency or volunteer opportunity. MAVA correctly chose Rochester as the host site because of the large number of non-profits here representing a wide spectrum of community needs. However, Rochester has not done a very good job of meeting the needs of traditionally marginalized groups or in reaching out to a rapidly expanding immigrant sector. A diversity curriculum could be developed by a number of agencies in Rochester and Rochester college students could help in the development process as well.

MAVA will follow up with VRL trainers in order to formulate a speaker’s bureau, invite non-profit leaders to participate, and continue to grow MAVA. Networking is a big priority here, and if MAVA can engage existing networks and help them grow, MAVA will be in an excellent position to control its own programming in the region.

ST. PETER

Section 1. RECOMMENDATIONS

St. Peter is the quintessential small college town. Life operates to the beat of Gustavus Adolphus College. As a result, a potentially influential individual is. As one of the directors of the student service learning center, she can help develop MAVA curriculum that targets student advocacy and spark student interest in a potential career in the non-profit sector. Her attendance at the MAVA Strategic Connections meeting has highlighted her interest in working with MAVA. Additionally, represents another significant portion of the community (the elderly) and has the connections to engage civic and college leaders. All three respondents mentioned the community leader, as a great community resource, however; MAVA was unable top reach him.

According to Marlys Johnson, networks appear to be poorly developed in St. Peter and more work must be done in this area. It was difficult to gauge which, if any networks were meaningful to leaders of volunteers and which networks were poised to help MAVA grow in the community. Nicollet County, like other County Social Services networks may offer a good chance for MAVA to become more well known in Nicollet County. Currently, many non-profits leaders travel the 12 miles to Mankato to attend networks and trainings.

Gustavus Adolphus College appears to be the single most important sponsor for a potential series. The college would also likely provide excellent facilities. However, a series in St. Peter is unlikely because of its small size and lack of professionally run non-profits. Mankato’s proximity also presents a problem of over-saturation if the series were in St. Peter. It may offer a good location for future years, just not in the foreseeable future. If MAVA were to odder a series to leaders of college student groups whom work primarily with volunteer, St. Peter would be a good test site for such a project.

Advocacy could be accomplished in one of three ways in St. Peter. College students could be actively engaged in speaking engagements as part of their service learning opportunity as well as representing a specific non-profit, fostering collaboration with MAVA. Another potential option would select certain individuals from the non-profit community and having them engage college officials, civic leaders and businesses. A third option would combine a speaker’s bureau between Mankato and St. Peter, with a heavier emphasis on Mankato due to size disparities.

, a MAVA member reflected that ideally “non-profits would collaborate on a wider basis across sectors and have well written position descriptions for every volunteer job.” The other respondents has different visions claiming the need for volunteers that will work “with” the community, not simply “in” the community. Finally, one respondent said she would like to see other non-profits writing better funding proposals that were tied more directly to their mission statement and volunteer programming needs.

Potential barriers to success of volunteer leaders are the crucial lack of cooperation between non-profits and city agencies. Furthermore, Gustavus Adolphus is sometimes seen in an adversarial relationship between the town (those not employed by or attending the school) and students and faculty. Greater collaboration seems to be a transformative force in St. Peter. An emerging regional health center in the county has also not done a very good job making use of its auxiliary program and linking volunteers to career advance opportunities. Gustavus Adolphus, with its numerous student organizations has the potential to generate many anti-poverty and connector organizations. The full extent of St. Peter’s connector and anti-poverty capacity is still on-going.

St. Peter is an interesting case study for small town Minnesota tat is dominated by one major employer. While the situation between a college town and a factory town is different, as goes the major employer goes the town. Therefore, developing special curriculum for this particular type of city may be important. There potential of a speakers bureau should be explored as well as a further relationship with to advance MAVA.

WINONA

Section 1. RECOMMENDATIONS

Winona is another very important community to MAVA in Southern Minnesota. Home to three institutions of higher learning, and important regional medical center and a vibrant social atmosphere, Winona just may be the perfect place for a MAVA connections network. , the executive director for the United Way of Winona County (which also serve neighboring Pierce and Buffalo Counties in Wisconsin) is a great resource for social agencies as well as one of the key sponsors for a MAVA VRL Spring series for the city. is a highly trained and dedicated MAVA member who is beneficial for event promotion and would likely assist with the development of a new network. is a passionate advocate for volunteer programming and has enjoyed broad based support in growing one of the regions largest fundraising events. is new in her position as Service Learning Director at St. Mary’s University, but would be an excellent individual to bring on as a VRL trainer.

The precise lack of networks aside from board of directors meetings makes Winona a prime location for the creation of a new network. While it is lamentable that previous networks have failed to maintain the interest (aside from United Way agency meetings), the roundtable discussion type of meetings employed by MCN so successfully in Mankato, could really raise the profile of MAVA in Winona. The relative diversity of Winona non-profits also creates the potential for many successful future collaborations.

The United Way has also secured series sponsorship as well as a venue for the Spring series which originally supposed to occur in the Fall, but was temporarily suspended due to regional flooding. Winona looks to have a number of excellent potential venues for the series as well as a decreased risk of over-saturation (as another Rochester series would likely produce). Winona’s proximity to the La Crosse, Wisconsin area could open additional regions to MAVA as well as provide another training opportunity for those in the Southeast Metro region of the Twin Cities. Additionally, a Winona series may be the best way to draw in leaders of volunteers from largely rural Goodhue, Wabasha, Fillmore and Houston counties.

mentioned the need for one hour or less board presentations to explain best practices and MAVA for the uninitiated. Now that MAVA has this capability, it is important to attend as many networking meetings (pertinent) as possible and gain the gain the invitation to present the benefits of MAVA in this way.

The development of a regional volunteer center would greatly aid volunteer leaders who are attempting to find volunteers instead of hoping and waiting for volunteers to come to them. Improved training for leaders of volunteers as well as the volunteers themselves would help eliminate many of the burnout and dissatisfaction factors. Creating hand on type of experiences that will develop additional skills is also crucially important. The common refrain echoed by many volunteers that they interviewed is that “volunteers don’t serve just for the heck of it; they want to get something that is personally fulfilling out of the experience.”

The potential barriers have been the past reputation that collaboration has not worked well in Winona. Most previous networks have been sector based and have not tried to find solutions to common industry problems. A pervasive attitude is the “been there, done that” mentality that leaves many non-profits unable to update and change outdated systems. From a business perspective, offers this: “non-profits must take inventory of employees and volunteers, find out what intrinsically motivates them and re-adjust their mission statements accordingly. Non-profits must be able to reconcile volunteers’ ‘tension of time’ and narrow focus to combat the ‘good intentions vs. the ‘impossibility of expectations’ problem.” Finally, volunteers in the community often only volunteer during the most critical of times; however, more publication needs to be done to alert the pubic that there is always the “burden of community” to keep in mind.

Winona is prime candidate for a MAVA connections network so that should be there first priority. However, it is vital to properly plan such a network as to avoid the pitfalls that have hampered collaboration efforts in the past. MAVA must refuse to get caught up in local politics and instead focus on the commonalities that link area non-profits. Like in other communities, the value of personal relationships cannot be understated so network development must be guided with a very personal, tailored message. Winona has an extremely high percentage of its population within the college age demographic so therefore needs active participation of these individuals in volunteer and internship programs. All contacts listed in the contact section will require follow up of some sort.

ADDITIONAL COMMUNITIES

This section examines all communities that provided only one or thus far, limited contact with MAVA. Certain communities included in this section will be given regular features as MAVA continues to work with local NPO, Civic and Business leaders in the future.

DODGE COUNTY

Section 1. RECOMMENDATIONS

Unfortunately, the majority of individuals and organizations contacted in Dodge County did not respond. The sole respondent seemed somewhat closed to the idea of MAVA and generally dismissive at the prospect that community wide volunteerism should be made a regional priority. Therefore, for the purpose of this report, and for short-term strategy; Dodge County may not require priority status.

The lack of a large principal community may impose a barrier to county-wide collaboration. However, the area should receive invitations to upcoming VRL series in the area. Dodge County may be a possible area to target if in fact, a rural centered VRL module is developed.

LE SUEUR

Section 1. RECOMMENDATIONS

, the principal contact and introduction into Le Sueur is relatively new to the community but is still very well connected. SMILES covers a multi-county region with separate representatives, so SMILES is crucial to Le Sueur, at least to start. She mentioned additional networks in the area which could be explored along with the community of Le Centre. It appears as if Le Sueur has a proportionally large number of mutual assistance organizations as well as non-profits operating in town, so this may be another smaller community that be worth watching for MAVA. With “more than 50 non-profits” in town, Le Sueur could receive promotion for a series in New Ulm area with the hope of a percentage of those in town non-profits.

NORTHFIELD

Section 1. RECOMMENDATIONS

Northfield is a medium sized town (for the region) of nearly 20,000 and is growing rapidly. At the Southern end of the Twin Cities metro, it is benefiting from exurban growth. Northfield also boasts a large number of non-profits and a large student population. This region will require more follow up and contact generation because of their combined Rice County networks as well as separate United Way locations (the only county in the region with two United Ways). The government appears working with non-profits on a regular basis, and; from what everyone has said, Northfield is a community on the rise. In nearly every sector, the government has assembled a task force of citizens to gauge the effectiveness of their programs. However, they have not yet done so for volunteerism or non-profits, so the potential for task force creation makes Northfield very important in this regard. City boards and commissions value community input; speakers from the community representing MAVA would make a powerful impact. The growing Latino population faces a challenge as non-profits try to correctly engage them in volunteerism and advocacy.

PLAINVIEW

Section 1. RECOMMENDATIONS

Plainview is a small, rural community that is representative of small town, Southern Minnesota. By this, MAVA means there is slow overall population growth, but rapid growth in the Latino, Somali and Hmong population sectors. Consequently, up until now there has been little effort to engage these members of the community which much needed services. In Plainview, there is a connector network made up of government, faith based and non-profit organizations in the attempt to solve housing issues and other poverty related concerns. Within this network, Three Rivers Community Action (of Wabasha and Goodhue Counties) stood out as a valuable organization that would help MAVA get a foothold in these communities. The contacts provided by the network require follow up, as many seem genuinely interested in attending the series in Winona. The representative of the Latino population (find name), provides a key contact and a connector organization to this community. However, she does have yet to be interviewed for the community analysis report.

Additional Communities Slated for Inclusion

RED WING

RUSHFORD

WASECA

FAIRMONT

FINAL THOUGHTS

“Southern Minnesota is incredibly diverse. You will be surprised when you travel to these communities. New Ulm is nothing like Rochester, just like Winona is nothing like Owatonna. You can’t make any assumptions, you can only go off of what feels right. After going there, you’ll know.”

This is the way described Minnesota to MAVA. It is true; one cannot develop an over-arching strategy plan that can fit every community in the region. Rather, each city should be looked at individually and given a differing degree of program ownership. Every community faces a unique set of challenges and presents MAVA with unique opportunities. Some communities, like Rochester, require a slick presentation style and expect MAVA to emphasize its professionalism and career development possibilities. Communities like Rochester are not looking for a familiar face in the volunteer and non-profit world; they are looking for ways to maximize their efficiency. However, other communities look for a more “down home” approach, expecting relationships to made in advance of any community meeting or training series. Just as a “take charge” attitude is the correct approach in Rochester, the “humble” approach fares much better in a place like Le Sueur. In these types of communities the issue of personal reputation is as important as the overall reputation of MAVA. The way a series or any MAVA material is presented is very important, so make sure that presenters known their audience well beforehand.

The issue of sustainability appears to be a particular concern in this region. There is high job turnover in the non-profit sector (especially in Mankato!) which threatens long term sustainability. The development of new networks and speakers bureaus will give local leaders of volunteers ownership of MAVA and the chance to change civic mindsets. The development of additional skill sets and the ability to choose forum topics that are most pertinent will hopefully create a new set of leaders to take over as current trainers near the end of their two year MAVA commitment.

Despite the potential development of good local leaders to make MAVA a more regionally directed organization, the establishment of one full time MAVA staff member, Americorps VISTA or volunteer in the region is paramount. The relationships generated and name recognition make a MAVA a physical presence in the region which greatly enhances our reputation. For many, the fact that MAVA cares enough to send a representative to their network meeting, offer them discounts on training, and invites their opinion on network formation sets MAVA apart from other state non-profit assistance organizations. There must be a tracking and evaluation system in place to ensure an appropriate transfer of knowledge to the staff representative. A two week shadowing period would allow MAVA to accurately show the nature of the work required as well as make the crucial bridge of personal relationships.

Additionally, there is a sense of regional solidarity, a sort of “us versus them” mentality towards the Twin Cities. Changing this mindset, and among the individual communities is important. MAVA should frame dialogue in the language of representation for Southern Minnesota and for Greater Minnesota as well. There are many sector based networks, but few cover-all networks for leaders of volunteers. This lack, with MAVA’s help can change. The relative absence of Volunteer Centers, or those equipped with an input systems such as Volunteer Solutions severely hinders interaction between non-profits and a much larger volunteer base. The advocacy portion of MAVA needs developing in the region to engage community leaders.

As previously mentioned, non-profit leaders are looking for an edge in training and event promotion. The MAVA website should set up region specific pages capable or listing all regional trainings, networking meetings, and community events. While this would most likely require an additional staff position or dedicated volunteer, the long term benefits could be substantial. MAVA could be recognized for being the “go to” in the domain of information, which would allow MAVA to grow its contact lists.

So far, the series seems to be the single most effective technique for attracting new members to MAVA. The limiting factor on series necessitates that other membership strategies be further developed in order to meet MAVA’s ambitious goals. Presentations may be effective, but until non-profit leaders see tangible benefits for themselves from the material they have learned, it may be difficult to attract members. Therefore, the inclusion of partnering agencies with group memberships may be a great way to encourage collaboration resource usage. In exchange, MAVA could receive positive word of mouth advertisements within communities. It is in MAVA best interest not to supplant existing networks, but to encourage them to use our resources.

MAVA seeks to empower leaders of volunteers and the best practices are beneficial to everyone. However, it is the hope of many that MAVA will be allowed to grow beyond these eight modules and tackle more region specific issues. An expanded curriculum should take on issues such as; Volunteer Technology Systems, Working with Multi-Cultural Volunteers, Engaging Rural Communities (this is more of a Train the Trainer and Board member type of module), the one hour “Engaging Volunteers Mini-Session”, Grant Writing and Fundraising Principals, and Securing Your Legacy (Passing along systems of knowledge to your successor). Ideally, these modules could be chosen from a menu-type of format in advance of the series. A pre-series forum would also allow them to generate specific questions to send to the trainers to allow the material to be more personalized and regionally relevant.

Simply put, Southern Minnesota is a region filled with excellent leaders, networks and infrastructure for its relatively small population and business climate. A large needs exists to link marginalized citizens with current resources and MAVA should develop region specific modules to address these issues. The establishment of a permanent MAVA liaison in the region should be a priority for MAVA as it tries to become truly representative of the entire state.

[1] Interviews completed between Aug. 1st and Nov. 8th, 2007