Announcements
CAVS Exam
The CAVS exam is now available at local H&R Block offices throughout the United States. Anyone wishing to take the exam should log onto the website www.aha.org/aha/certification for all the information you need to take the exam. When you leave the exam, you will have your score and know if you have passed. The current exam will be available until the Anaheim conference in September at which time the new exam under development will be administered. If you have any questions, please contact Michelle Caruso, AHA CAVS Certification Program Committee.
AHA My Care Counts
The AHA recently launched My Care Counts, a grassroots effort to let members of Congress know that Americans support their local hospitals and want to protect the care they receive in their communities.
The AHA is asking the men and women of our nation's hospitals - hospital leaders, trustees and staff - as well as auxilians and volunteers to sign an online "Call to Action" expressing their support. It's simple - visit www.MyCareCounts.org, fill in the information requested and click "Sign the Call to action" to add your name to the thousands that already have signed on. But don't stop there! Share the Web site with your friends, family members and neighbors and ask them to join the effort by adding their names, and encouraging their family and friends to do likewise.
Today, hospitals must be able to respond to disasters both natural and manmade, update facilities and technologies to better care for an increasingly aging population, and upgrade information technology for patient safety. And they always need to be ready to provide the care you need at any time, under any circumstance. At a time when our nation's health care system faces these and other very serious challenges, cuts that threaten vital services are dangerous for all of us.
Please visit www.MyCareCounts.org to sign the Call to Action...and forward the address on to your friends and family and ask them to sign as well. Your hospital is depending on you!
Letter from VolunteerMatch
Dear Colleague,
It is with great pleasure that I invite you to review Great Expectations:
Boomers and the Future of Volunteering, a new report from VolunteerMatch.
This new study, presented with the support of the MetLife foundation and
sponsored by Atlantic Philanthropies, takes a closer look at the types of
volunteer opportunities older adults are looking for in order to provide useful
insights for nonprofits interested in expanding their capacity to attract and
engage this talented population.
The study, based on in-depth user research conducted by Peter D. Hart Research
Associates, explores both the nonprofit and the volunteer perspectives, but
focuses on identifying the evolving motivations, attitudes, skills and
expectations of volunteers as they mature. The study also underscores the
growing use of the Internet among older Americans and illustrates its usefulness
as a tool for connecting volunteers with local nonprofit organizations.
Among the Key Findings of the report:
- Many older non-volunteers are reconsidering volunteering.
- More than half of 55+ non-volunteers report some interest in volunteering
Professionals and women aged 55-64 are the most likely to be interested
- Older non-volunteers aren't volunteering because they haven't found the right
opportunity.
- 32% of non-volunteers 55+ would prefer a volunteer activity that helps them
learn new skills or explore new interests.
- Older adult volunteers are more likely to appreciate the personal significance
of volunteering.
- VolunteerMatch users age 55+ are contributing nearly 100 hours a year more than
users aged 30-39 (226 hours vs. 132 hours).
- 75% of users 55+ view volunteering as "very important" or "one of the most important" things in their life.
- Volunteers grow increasingly interested in making use of their career and non-career related skills as they mature.
- A majority of VolunteerMatch users 55+ agree that they would prefer a volunteer
opportunity that makes use of their personal or professional skills.
- The Internet is making it easier for people of all ages to find nonprofit
organizations that need help.
- 66% of those surveyed report that their use of the Internet has made it easier
for them to find an organization that needed help.
- 61% report that it has made it easier to find interesting opportunities.
Great Expectations: Boomers and the Future of Volunteering echoes the working
hypothesis held by many sector researchers and practitioners that older
volunteers, with their desire to apply a lifetime of experience and skill, have
expectations for their volunteer commitments that don't currently align with the
perceived need for skilled volunteers among nonprofits. The findings also
suggest that knowledge and education, coupled with a more effective
communication infrastructure, can realign these dynamics by reinforcing high
expectations and empowering more organizations to make the most of their
volunteer initiatives.
To download a copy of the full report, visit:
http://www.volunteermatch.org/greatexpectations
We hope you find Great Expectations: Boomers and the Future of Volunteering to
be both insightful and thought-provoking, and encourage you to share it with
your colleagues.
VolunteerMatch is committed to investing in technology to transform the
landscape of volunteering and we look forward to working with you in the years
ahead.
Sincerely,
Greg Baldwin
President
VolunteerMatch
Independent Sector Updates Worth of a Volunteer
Independent Sector announces that the 2006 estimate for the
value of a volunteer hour in the USA has reached $18.77. The
2006 estimate increased from $18.04 per hour in 2005. The
estimated value per hour for Massachusetts volunteers is $22.46
for 2005, the latest date available.
IS calculates the hourly value of volunteer time based on
the average hourly wage for all non-management, nonagriculture
workers as determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with
a 12 percent increase to estimate for fringe benefits.
Independent Sector is a nonprofit, nonpartisan coalition
of approximately 575 charities, foundations, and corporate
philanthropy programs, collectively representing tens of thousands
of charitable groups in every state across the nation. Its
mission is to advance the common good by leading, strengthening,
and mobilizing the charitable community. For more information
about Independent Sector, go to Resources on this website.
Future dates for National Volunteer Week!
April 19—25, 2009
April 18—24, 2010
“Celebrate What’s Right with the World”
MADHVS has a copy of a wonderful video, “Celebrate
What’s Right with the World”, available to MADHVS
members for workshops, orientations, appreciation and awards
banquets, etc. The video helps us recognize possibilities
and find solutions for many of the challenges before us, and
features stunning photography from Dewitt Jones of National
Geographic magazine. Contact MADHVS Communications Director
for availability and details.
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