Developing a Top Notch Volunteer Program

It’s an exhilarating experience to start a volunteer program from scratch. From big ideas and goodwill comes human power channeled to bring results. Whether your organization is big or small, here are fourteen action steps from Minnesota Association for Volunteer Administration for developing a top-notch volunteer program. More

Do It My Way, Or Get Someone Else!

Whether you are a volunteer yourself, or a staff person paid to work with volunteers, one of the most difficult problems you will face (and probably already have!) is deciding how best to deal with the single-minded, blinkered-focussed volunteer who demands to be allowed to do everything their way without any guidance (which they call interference) from anyone else. What to do? More

Managing Online Volunteers: Six Tips

Online volunteers are a great addition to regular volunteers, adding diversity and a wider range of knowledge and skills. Although volunteer managers need to be prepared with a slightly different approach in dealing with this group, the rewards are well worth the effort. This effective practice comes from the web pages of Merrill Associates, dedicated to strengthening leaders, organizations and communities. More

Measuring Up: Assessment Tools for Volunteer Programs

It is critical to know what the public thinks of you. Too often, agencies or organizations believe that everyone knows about them, understands what they do and how to become involved. It is simply not true in many cases. Use this form to measure public perception. More

Green Lights Save Green

Most of us take power for granted, but retailers are keenly aware that energy is becoming more expensive. One strategy for reducing consumption that makes good environmental – and, increasingly, financial – sense is quite simple: change light bulbs. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, lighting consumes 22 percent of the country’s electricity and “represents a great opportunity for energy efficiency,” says Greg Merritt, director of corporate marketing for Cree, a manufacturer of semiconductors and devices that enhance the value of solid-state lighting, power and communications products by significantly increasing their energy performance and efficiency. More

Plush for the Planet

Green or eco-friendly are the hot buzzwords, and one of the few areas experiencing growth across a wide variety of product categories. The plush category is an especially natural fit for the revolution in environmental consciousness, for a number of practical reasons. More

The Easiest Way to Build Trust With Customers

If you didn't offer a particular service, would you say that you did anyway? Would you say you were open a certain time when you were not? Or that you accepted a particular type of payment even though you didn't? Honesty really is the best customer care policy. Find out how you can get your customers to trust you. More

Winter of Discontent

Despite a currently bleak economic outlook, the reversal of trade and spending imbalances should lead to a recovery later this year. The Great Depression of the 1930s didn’t start off as a depression, great or otherwise. The Great Depression became a huge disaster as a direct result of not-so-great economic policies. With trillions of dollars in credit facilities, deposit guarantees and bailouts, the Federal Reserve of 2008 has shown that it’s willing to bear any burden and pay any price to maintain the integrity of the banking system. More