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What
is VOCBC?
Why do we need VOCBC?
What does VOCBC plan to do?
Why do we need another organization?
How could my organization benefit from VOCBC?
What is the commitment of a member?
How can my organization become a member of VOCBC?
Vision and Mission?
Founding Members of VOCBC
VOCBC
Resources Survey
What is VOCBC?
The
Voluntary Organizations Consortium of BC is a newly formed network
of provincial and coalition organizations that involve volunteers
in a wide variety of sectors: health, education, social services,
sport, recreation, arts, culture, multiculturalism, aboriginal,
disabilities, children/youth, business, environment and others.
VOCBC
was launched September 2002.
Why
do we need VOCBC?
The
vision of VOCBC is to be a leader in the promotion of a society
that recognizes the essential role, value and diversity of volunteers
in improving the quality of life in our province. We are bringing
together groups that do not normally come together. Thus, we hope
that by working together, we will maximize the impact of volunteers
and voluntary organizations in British Columbia.
What
does VOCBC plan to do?
The
founders of VOCBC have identified a number of strategic priorities
for our newly formed network:
Why
do we need another organization?
In
fact, the founders of VOCBC felt the same way - why create another
entity, when there are so many already? So the founders, decided
that, until otherwise decided, VOCBC will not be a separate organization,
but will be housed with Volunteer BC, which provides the administrative
support for the Consortium to function.
There
is no other group in BC that brings together such a wide range of
voluntary organizations for a common purpose - strengthening our
individual and collective capacities for improving the quality of
life in our province.
How
could my organization benefit from VOCBC?
Your
organization will benefit by being in touch with sources of "cutting
edge information" on voluntary sector developments. VOCBC intends
to be a conduit for members on the latest in trends, issues and
developments, as well as a facilitator of information exchange amongst
members. As a member, you will be linked with peers in other sectors
- sectors with which you may not normally associate. Thus, individual
organizational capacity will be increased. As a member, you will
also be recognized as a leader in your field by working with a broad
diversity of groups to maximize the contribution of volunteers and
voluntary organizations in BC.
What
is the commitment of a member?
Members
are provincial or coalition organizations and their most important
role is to be conduits of information to and from their own members
/ affiliates. By disseminating information on key developments in
the voluntary sector, the capacity of groups throughout the province
will be strengthened. Also, by VOCBC members conveying the issues
and concerns of their sector with others, they will be facilitating
two way information exchange.
Members
are invited to meetings where they will have the opportunity to
hear first hand some of the latest developments and provide input
into the direction of VOCBC. Some member organizations may also
choose to get involved in one or more of the committees and work
with others on specific projects.
How
can my organization become a member of VOCBC?
Membership
in VOCBC is open to provincial and coalition voluntary organizations
that subscribe to the vision and mission of VOCBC. Membership is
paid to Volunteer BC (the administrative support to the Consortium)
and is $75 annually.
If
you like further information or wish to become a member of VOCBC,
please e-mail us at volbc@vcn.bc.ca.
Vision
and Mission
Vision
We will be leaders in the promotion of a society that recognizes
the essential role, value and diversity of volunteers in improving
the quality of life in our province.
Mission
To maximize the impact of the contributions of volunteers and voluntary
organizations in British Columbia.
Core
Values
We operate in a way that is:
- Promoting
excellence
- Pro-active
- Inclusive
- Respectful
-
Collaborative
- Transparent
and accountable
- Cognizant
of the diversity among us
- Celebratory
of our successes and strengths
Goals
VOCBC will serve as a welcome and necessary addition to the sector
and not be seen as replacing nor unnecessarily duplicating the work
of existing organizations.
- To
create and sustain a body that will promote and unite voluntary
organizations
- To
promote organizational excellence in the voluntary sector
-
To promote and advance research efforts in the voluntary sector
- To
encourage the capacity within voluntary organizations for planning,
analysis and policy development
- To
work together with the public and private sector in policy development
and planning
- To
facilitate dialogue on voluntary sector issues, community trends
and socio-economic needs in BC communities
-
To provide informed advice to government partners on policy issues
and future directions
Composition
Participating organizations must have the capacity and commitment
to communicate within their own sub-sector, in order to hear concerns
and to disseminate information.
- Provincial
organizations that represent the diversity of groups that involve
volunteers: health, education, social services, sport, recreation
& leisure, arts, culture, multicultural, aboriginal, children's/youth;
business, environment, service groups, faith and others
- Organizational
representation may be by leadership volunteers and/or senior staff.
Staff / board partnerships are encouraged.
- Provincial
organizations that are coalitions of the groups they represent,
or
- Provincial
organizations, where no coalitions exist, or
- Community
organizations that are coalitions of the groups they represent
Meetings
As often as decided by the group
Structure
- Led
by representatives from different member organizations, as elected
by the broad membership
- Committees
are formed as decided by the consortium
- Sponsored
by Volunteer BC
- Participating
organizations become members of Volunteer BC
Support
to Consortium
Administrative support to the Consortium will be provided by Volunteer
BC and any other partners who agree to provide support
For
further information, contact Volunteer
BC.
Founding
Members of VOCBC
What
groups are involved in VOCBC?
The
following organizations have become founding members of VOCBC, although
others are also involved:
Affiliation
of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of BC www.amssa.org
Association for Community Education in BC
BC Association for Community Living www.bcacl.org
BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres www.bcaafc.com
BC Coalition of People with Disabilities www.bccad.bc.ca
BC Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils www.bccpac.bc.ca
BC Council of Elizabeth Fry Societies - BC Region www.elizabethfry.com
BC Council for Families www.bccf.bc.ca
BC Environmental Network www.bcen.bc.ca
Block Watch Society of BC www.bccpa.org
Canadian Cancer Society, BC & Yukon Division www.bc.cancer.ca
Canadian Red Cross www.redcross.ca
First Call (Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition) www.firstcallbc.org
Heart and Stroke Foundation of BC and Yukon www.heartandstroke.ca
PARCA - The Community Justice Federation www.plea.bc.ca
Providence Health Care www.providencehealthcare.org
Scouts Canada, BC - Yukon Provincial Council www.pacificcoast.scouts.ca
SPARC BC - Social Planning and Research Council of BC www.sparc.bc.ca
Sport BC www.sport.bc.ca
United Community Services Co-operative www.ucscoop.com
www.infoforchange.bc.ca
Vancouver Multicultural Society www.urbancultures.ca
Voluntary Sector Knowledge Network www.vskn.ca
Volunteer BC www.volunteerbc.bc.ca
Volunteer Vancouver www.volunteervancouver.ca
VOCBC
Resources Survey
Win
Prizes by Helping Us Help You!
Contribute
to our inventory of resources. By just taking 15 minutes of your
time, you will be eligible to win a $40 restaurant gift certificate
and other prizes. An early bird prize will be drawn for those contributing
to our inventory of resources by completing the survey below by
August 22, 2003.
A.
Introduction
One
of the key goals of Voluntary Organizations Consortium of BC is
assisting in building capacity -- sharing resources so that we are
stronger together, than individually.
Members
have identified three areas in which we would like to begin to share
common resources. These are:
· Leadership and governance
· Organizational liability
· Volunteer screening, matching and recognition.
Our
plan is to:
· Identify what resources members have in these areas
· Compile this information
· Develop a strategy for sharing information (whether it
be linkages to relevant websites, linkages to member websites, broadcast
e-mails, downloading documents or other possibilities)
· Implement and evaluate the information sharing strategy.
Three
of our members have already indicated that they have easily accessible
information on the web in these areas. They are:
· Volunteer BC www.volunteerbc.bc.ca
· Voluntary Sector Knowledge Network www.vskn.ca
· Volunteer Vancouver (website is a collaborative
effort with volunteer centres in Burnaby, Coquitlam, Maple Ridge
/ Pitt Meadows, Richmond and Vancouver) www.govolunteer.ca.
We
want to know what other members have that can be shared. Please
take 15 minutes to review the information below and let us know
if there is anything else you have that you can either add to the
inventory, or you find valuable that can be shared. There are only
9 questions found at the end of each section.
By
completing this survey and contributing to the resource list by
August 22, 2003 you are eligible for the early bird prize draw of
a:
· Yard-long box of Purdy's Chocolates.
In
addition, any completed surveys with additions to the resource list
before September 15, 2003 also entitles you to win a:
· $40 gift certificate at the Tapenade Restaurant in Steveston
OR
· Anne Lindsay's cookbook "Lighthearted Everyday
Cooking."
B. Leadership and Governance
Volunteer
BC www.volunteerbc.bc.ca
has a section on Board Governance for organizations:
· Just newly formed
· Organizations that have been in existence for at least
a few years
· More mature organizations.
The
A - Z Directory of Board Governance is simple and clear. It includes
topics such as:
· Applying to become a non-profit organization
· Purpose of boards and committees
· Financial responsibility of boards
· Governance models
· Internet and technology
· Hiring the right Executive Director
· Juggling competing priorities
· Liability and risk management
· Making meetings work
· The nominating process
· Benchmarking for organizational effectiveness
· Policy development
· Strategic planning
· Top ten board issues
· Need for transparency and codes of ethics
· Youth involvement
· High performance organizations.
Voluntary
Sector Knowledge Network www.vskn.ca
has a Leadership section that deals with:
· Board roles and responsibilities
· Strategic planning
· The board/CEO relationship
· Board structures
· Effective board meetings
· Getting the best of board members
· Interpersonal skills for leaders
· Board orientation and development
· Board liability issues
· Fundraising
· Accountability and evaluation
· Books
· Periodicals and consulting services
· Links to sites covering most aspects of board management.
On
this site, you can join a discussion group on any topic or ask a
mentor a particular question.
The
GoVolunteer www.govolunteer.ca
has an extensive section in their Resource Library on Board Governance.
These are primarily books that members can borrow from Volunteer
Vancouver or non-members can view on site. Topics include:
· Board liability / accountability
· Board models
· Board planning / policy development
· Board self-evaluation and assessment
· Board/staff/ volunteer relationship
· Roles and responsibilities
· Selection and recruitment
· Succession planning / evaluation of the Executive Director.
In
addition, volunteer positions for board members and a training program
for board members are available through Volunteer Vancouver's Board
Match Greater Vancouver www.boardmatch.org.
(1) Are there other resources in the areas of Leadership and Governance
that you have that you would be willing to share? ____ Yes ____
No
If yes, what are they? And how can one access them?
(2)
Are there other resources in the areas of Leadership and Governance
that you would recommend to others? ____ Yes ____ No
If yes, what are they? How can they be accessed?
C.
Organizational Liability
All
three websites deal with liability issues as part of their leadership
and governance sections.
Volunteer
BC www.volunteerbc.bc.ca
- go to Resources, Board Governance, then Liability Insurance and
Risk Management. Topics include:
· Myths vs. realities of board member liability
· Choosing the right insurance for your organization
· Types of situation to have coverage for.
In
addition, there is a complete section on Risk Management, including
a version of the document Volunteers and the Law which you can download.
Links include the Canadian Charity Village and Energize
Inc.
Voluntary
Sector Knowledge Network www.vskn.ca
- go to Leadership then Board Liability Issues. There are useful
links to articles on liability issues from Charity Village, the
Centre for Philanthropy, Non-profit Genie (a series of questions
on all aspects of insurance for non-profit organizations) and a
booklet from the Non-profit Insurance Alliance of California.
GoVolunteer www.govolunteer.ca
- go to Resource Library, then Board Governance, and then Board
Liability / Accountability. Several books are listed including one
titled Risk Management for Boards.
United
Community Services Cooperative www.ucscoop.com
- find the most comprehensive study in BC of not-for-profits' Directors
and Officers Liability Insurance as part of Risk Management for
volunteers and executive leaders. Go to D&O Liability Insurance
Report from main page.
(3)
Are there other resources in the areas of Organizational Liability
that you have that you would be willing to share? ____ Yes ____
No
If yes, what are they? And how can one access them?
(4) Are there other resources in the areas of Organizational Liability
that you would recommend to others? ____ Yes ____ No
If yes, what are they? How can they be accessed?
D.
Volunteer Screening, Matching & Recognition
Volunteer
BC www.volunteerbc.bc.ca
- go to Tools and then Risk Management. This includes: a checklist
of policies, including sample wording; a version of Volunteer Canada's
Safe Steps screening manual you can download; and, the Association
of Volunteer Administrator's Employer's Package. In addition, from
Risk Management, you can access a comprehensive section of sample
policies on:
· Planning
· Recruitment
· Orientation and training
· Supervision and evaluation.
In
these sections, sample wording is provided, as well as the rationale
for such a policy and key issues or procedures.
Voluntary
Sector Knowledge Network www.vskn.ca
- go to Managing People, Managing Volunteers. There are links to
many topics including:
· Recruiting volunteers
· Selecting volunteers
· Training volunteers
· Volunteer performance
· Volunteer recognition
· I.T. and volunteers
On
this site you can join a discussion group or ask a mentor on any
topic.
Volunteer
Vancouver www.govolunteer.ca
- go to Resource Library and then Volunteer Program Management for
an extensive list of books and periodicals. Topics include:
· Evaluation
· Interviewing and placement
· Orientation and training
· Planning
· Recognition
· Recruitment
· Screening
· Supervising / managing volunteers
· Volunteer / staff relations.
Members can borrow books / periodicals and non-members can view
them on site.
(5) Are there other resources in the areas of Volunteer Management
that you have that you would be willing to share? ____ Yes ____
No
If yes, what are they? How can they be accessed?
(6) Are there other resources in the areas of Volunteer Management
that you would recommend to others? ____ Yes ____ No
If yes, what are they? How can they be accessed?
(7)
Were you aware of the resources on:
(a) Volunteer BC website? ____ Yes ____ No
(b) Voluntary Knowledge Network website? ____ Yes ____ No
(c) GoVolunteer website? ____ Yes ____ No
(8)
What are some useful ways to share information about the resources
available on these websites?
(9)
Any other comments? Any other suggestions for VOCBC?
Submitted
by: (Name and contact info/e-mail address)
Copy and paste this survey form to a Word document file and e-mail
(as attachment) or print and fax your responses to:
volbc@vcn.bc.ca
or 604-873-5802.
To win the early bird prize of a yard-long box of Purdy's Chocolates,
please complete the survey and add to our resource listing by August
22.
All
additions to the resource list through completed surveys by September
15 are eligible to win the $40 gift certificate at Tapenade Restaurant
or Anne Lindsay's cookbook "Lighthearted Everyday Cooking"
prize draw.
Questions? Call or email Vera Radyo veradyo@shaw.ca or 604-904-3808.
Thank you for taking the time to complete this Survey and
contribute to our resource listing!
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