10 Ways to Support Your Organization Every Day

by Moria R. Austin

1. Goodsearch.com. Search the web and support your charity at the same time. Sign up your charity at the bottom of the page.

2. MSN is e-mailing for the greater good; Hotmail.com and Live users can register their e-mail and IM accounts. Select Options, and then select Mail, select customizing your mail from here select “I’m making a difference.” See options your IM window for IM set-up.

3. Have your own fundraiser with all the proceeds going towards your organization.

4. Wear your organization’s gear! Wear your t-shirts, pins, lanyards, carry bags, use mugs & pens and any other products that have your organization’s logo.

5. Online social communities, make a your organization your friend on Facebook, etc. Invite your friends as well!

6. Socialvibe.com, select a sponsor and then a charity, post the widget to your page.

7. Educate yourself on what your organization offers so you can share this information with others.

8. Twitter.com; Twitter about your organization. (Make sure your profile is not set to private.)

9. Be a good example for your organization, everywhere you go you represent your organization.

10. Share this list! Customize it with your organizations name and web pages and pass it along.

Latest Nonprofit Job Postings

Interested in applying for a new job or just seeing what’s out there in the nonprofit arena of Michigan? The following are some current listings in the field:

Regional Education Advocacy Manager
Find a job you’re wild about at the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), the nation’s largest member-supported conservation organization, at the forefront of global warming issues, reconnecting our children with nature, and protecting America’s wildlife and habitat.

We seek an individual responsible for developing state and Great Lakes education policy initiatives, educating the public and other organizations about those initiatives, and conducting advocacy (with public officials and the media) to implement them. This position is responsible for regular communications with a regional network of grassroots stakeholders, the coordination of regional meetings with influential people and policy makers, the development of advocacy opportunities, and partnership development. This position also supports NWF’s federal policy agenda through state contacts and where relevant state governments and municipalities are engaged.

Apply at http://careers.nwf.org and join us in mobilizing Americans to protect our country’s wildlife.

Playworks: Detroit Program Manager
About the Position: The Program Manager will oversee the planning and implementation of Playworks’ comprehensive school-based play and youth development programming. This includes training and oversight of Program Coordinators, developing new trainings for program staff and facilitating the implementation any new or modified programming. This is a full-time, exempt position which reports directly to either the City Executive Director or a Program Director.

• Go to http://www.playworks.org/jobs/office/apply-now
• Please no phone calls
• Position will remain open until filled

Playworks: Detroit Program Associate
About the Position: Assist with the oversight and coordination of Playworks’ administrative functions, advance Playworks’ goals and work with staff and volunteers to create a sustainable and well-organized, community-based organization. Also responsible for some administrative functions of local, state and federal government grant program management and compliance, particularly AmeriCorps. (Application directions above.)

Are you an experienced or aspiring writer?
If so, we want to hear from you! MDVAN is interesting in publishing writings by our members and supporters on topics in the volunteerism field. Send your writings to newsletter@mdvan.org. Share your experience and insight with others in MDVAN!

Summertime Plans

As we ease into our summer, what plans do you have for the volunteer program for which you are affiliated? Is your organization doing something special? Big event? Just relaxing?

Join the conversation and post your summertime plans!

How are you celebrating National Volunteer Week?

How are you celebrating National Volunteer Week? The following is a link to some ideas: http://handsonnetwork.org/events/nvw2010!

“National Volunteer Week, a signature event of Points of Light Institute, celebrates ordinary people doing extraordinary things to improve communities across the nation.

“Commemorating the one-year anniversary of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act and the Volunteer Generation Fund, our theme — Celebrating People in Action — honors individuals who take action and solve significant problems in their communities.”

We also want to hear from you! Join the discussion to talk about this important week in our industry!

Dropbox – Easy file sharing and online backup

“File Sync

Dropbox allows you to sync your files online and across your computers automatically.

• 2GB of online storage for free, with up to 100GB available to paying customers.
• Sync files of any size or type.
• Sync Windows, Mac and Linux computers.
• Automatically syncs when new files or changes are detected.
• Work on files in your Dropbox even if you’re offline. Your changes sync once your computer has an Internet connection again.
• Dropbox transfers will correctly resume where they left off if the connection drops.
• Efficient sync – only the pieces of a file that changed (not the whole file) are synced. This saves you time.
• Doesn’t hog your Internet connection. You can manually set bandwidth limits.

File Sharing

Sharing files is simple and can be done with only a few clicks.

• Shared folders allow several people to collaborate on a set of files.
• You can see other people’s changes instantly.
• A “Public” folder that lets you link directly to files in your Dropbox.
• Control who is able to access shared folders (including ability to kick people out and remove the shared files from their computers).
• Automatically create shareable online photo galleries from folders of photos in your Dropbox.

Online Backup

Dropbox backs up your files online without you having to think about it.

• Automatic backup of your files.
• Undelete files and folders.
• Restore previous versions of your files.
• 30 days of undo history, with unlimited undo available as a paid option.

Web Access

A copy of your files are stored on Dropbox’s secure servers. This lets you access them from any computer or mobile device.

• Manipulate files as you would on your desktop – add, edit, delete, rename etc.
• Search your entire Dropbox for files.
• A “Recent Events” feed that shows you a summary of activity in your Dropbox.
• Create shared folders and invite people to them.
• Recover previous versions of any file or undelete deleted files.
• View photo galleries created automatically from photos in your Dropbox.

Security & Privacy

Dropbox takes the security and privacy of your files very seriously.

• Shared folders are viewable only by people you invite.
• All transmission of file data and metadata occurs over an encrypted channel (SSL).
• All files stored on Dropbox servers are encrypted (AES-256) and are inaccessible without your account password.
• Dropbox website and client software have been hardened against attacks from hackers.
• Dropbox employees are not able to view any user’s files.
• Online access to your files requires your username and password.
• Public files are only viewable by people who have a link to the file(s). Public folders are not browsable or searchable.

Mobile Device Access

The free Dropbox iPhone app lets you:

• Access your Dropbox on the go.
• View your files on your iPhone or iPod Touch.
• Download files for offline viewing.
• Take photos and videos and sync them to your Dropbox.
• Share links to files in your Dropbox.
• View interactive photo galleries.
• Sync downloaded files so they’re up-to-date.

A mobile-optimized version of the website is available for owners of Blackberry phones and other Internet-capable mobile devices.”

How Did You (or Your Organization) Spend International Volunteer Manager’s Day?

December 5, 2009 was International Volunteer Manager’s Day. We want to know what transpired across Metro Detroit and beyond. Did your organization recognize the day?

Social Networking- Keep the Discussion Going!

We hope that everyone enjoyed our discussion on social networking at the MDVAN Quarterly Workshop. It is a comprehensive topic – so let’s continue the discussion! What thoughts, tips, questions do you have about ways social networking impacts the volunteer administrator and volunteer programs?

Feel free to also jump over to our MDVAN Facebook page and join the discussion.

Announcing the New MDVAN Board

Chairperson: Tawanna Ward
Vice Chairperson: Carrie Nicholson
Secretary: Roxanne Rahhal
Treasurer: Cecilia Bickes

Members at Large:
Stephanie Appel
Helen Beamer
Sr. Marie Judith Haupt
Christina Kokenos
Deborah Macon
Marty Martin
Mandy Mullins
Jacki Redmond
Joan Smykowski
Angela Walker (fiduciary representative for United Way)

Next Page »