Tips for Volunteer Centers

360 centers are local Make A Difference Day partners
As a volunteer center, you can serve as an excellent resource for Make A Difference Day projects. You may serve as a referring agency or join with other community or civic groups. You can focus on a single issue or several for Make A Difference Day. Many of you have found new sources of volunteers through partnerships built on this day. Increase your impact with ideas, guides and promotional advice in this book.

When planning, consider these effective ideas

Combine your Make A Difference Day project with another community service day
In one city, the volunteer center combined its Make A Difference Day project with the local United Way Day of Caring, held on the same day. Their combined efforts led to the refurbishment of a developmental health center for children with disabilities.
Youth at a volunteer center in California planned projects to be completed for their Youth Service Conference.

Expand a commitment
A county-run volunteer initiative in Georgia was in the process of opening its first teen center. The first work session was held on Make A Difference Day.
State Offices of Volunteerism led efforts to broaden a violence prevention initiative. The goal: promote various volunteerism projects as an alternative to violence.

Partner with other civic organizations
A volunteer center in Kentucky teamed up with Kentucky Reads, a nonprofit program aimed at bringing elementary school children up to speed in reading skills. Together, they collected 1,100 new and used books.
A peer information center for teens in Indiana and a local high school engaged 1,000 students and 400 adults from the community and other local civic organizations in more than 200 projects in the Wayne County area.
The AmeriCorps Youth Corps was called in to team up with volunteers in Michigan. Together, they had a lasting impact on several local charities.

Add leverage to limited community resources
A volunteer center in Arizona organized a committee of adjoining cities and local organizations. Together, they created a massive project in which 1,200 students volunteered with 60 agencies.
You can find creative ways to host an effective project in an indirect manner. For example, host a Volunteer Recruitment Fair. Invite nonprofit organizations to display information about their purpose and volunteer needs.

Respond to the news
In areas where natural disasters have struck, local volunteer centers have developed, printed and distributed service directories that linked residents to assistance and specialized service programs.

Keep it alive
Many Make A Difference Day participants so enjoy their volunteer experience, they want to do it on a regular basis. Take advantage of the opportunity.
Collect contact information on volunteers. Be clear that signing doesn't commit them to work - it indicates interest.
Distribute a calendar of upcoming service projects in your community.
Hand out information on the volunteer center and other civic organizations in need of volunteers.