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Our Work United Way works to advance the common good by providing opportunities for a better life for all. We focus on the building blocks for a successful life: education, income and health. United Way helps to ensure academic success for children, financial stability for lower-income families, and a safety net of health and human services for everyone.
What is Day of Caring? • Hands-on volunteer event • Started with just 430 volunteers • In 2009: • 5,525 volunteers • 65 workplaces • 160 organizations in our 40 town area • An investment of more than $800,000 worth of volunteer time in the community
United Way Day of Caring • First day of our 2010 United Way Community Campaign: a successful Day of Caring is vital to the success of the United Way Community Campaign • People who volunteer give 10 times more money to community causes • United Way Day of Caring is part of our call to action—Give, Advocate, Volunteer—to get people involved in education, income and health activities • Gives volunteers the opportunity to learn about how the work we do improves people’s lives, how important it is to be involved in changing community conditions
United Way Day of Caring United Way Day of Caring XIX will be tied into our education interest area: ensuring success for children through projects, media releases, and more
United Way Day of Caring Be sure to have enough tools for everyone!
United Way Day of Caring Have inclement weather plans!
United Way Day of Caring Have something up your sleeve Be prepared for ups and downs
United Way Day of Caring Prepare for poison ivy!
United Way Day of Caring Wear your shirts and use your signs
Communication is Key! • Go to the Volunteer Solutions website often to determine who your volunteers will be • Make contact with your volunteers early • Invite them to your location for a site visit • Review supplies, share cell phone numbers, and plans for lunch • Review how many volunteers will be attending • Communication is key!
Lessons Learned • Any lessons learned that you would like to share?
Risk Management • Electronically sign the Memorandum of Understanding when creating your first project on Volunteer Solutions • General liability insurance: if insurance does not cover special events such as United Way Day of Caring, the agency must obtain an endorsement or liability rider expressly covering United Way Day of Caring activities. • Evaluate your project; acknowledge and identify potential risk • Collect signatures on the Volunteer Release Forms before volunteers begin work
Risk Management • Communicate with volunteers about risks involved and determine volunteers' qualifications • Orient and train all volunteers before each activity • Eliminate risk when possible • Make sure the workplace is free of potential safety hazards • Have a first aid kit on site. If possible, have a member of your staff who is trained in CPR and first aid on hand to provide basic emergency care.
Recognition • Have clients, staff and board members on-site to say thanks • Send a personalized, handwritten thank-you note • Call the workplace’s CEO to say thank you • Highlight your volunteer team on your website and in your newsletter; send them a copy! • Take “before and after” pictures to show progress
Support Team • Libby Richardson, Community Engagement Manager • (860) 493-1109 • lrichardson@unitedwayinc.org • Angela Marchio, Special Events Summer Intern • (860) 493-6800 • amarchio@unitedwayinc.org
Additional Resources • United Way Day of Caring general information • http://www.uwcact.org/DayofCaring.aspx • United Way Day of Caring project registration page • https://volunteer.united-e-way.org/uwcact/agency/home/events/one.tcl?event_id=10342396523&utime=-1994867364 • *Note that there are no spaces in this website address.
Link for registering projects on Volunteer Solutions • https://volunteer.united-e-way.org/uwcact/agency/home/events/one.tcl?event_id=10342396523&utime=-1994867364 • *Please note that there are no spaces in this hyperlink • Do not use the main Volunteer Solutions website. Always use this link to register projects, find volunteer info, change info on your project, etc., etc., etc.
Visit the Volunteer Solutions link provided and login to your agency account.
Click ‘Add a project’ at the bottom of the page to get started.
Memorandum of Understanding • Review the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) the first time you create a project. You will not be able to go back to it. • Be sure to print a copy and share it with your CEO/Executive Director. • Be sure to sign it electronically when you add your first project
This is a sample ‘Create Project’ page Example of a default question—do not change these
To group or not to group projects • This year, let’s try grouping projects • Companies are looking for projects with larger numbers of volunteer spots • They don’t take the time to look if your agency has more than one project • If projects have different times, separate them • If projects have different locations, separate them • If projects are same time at same location, group them!
Example of a good project description • “Freshen up our group home” 35 volunteers • Won’t you join us at HARC’s Elm Street group home in Hartford as we paint two bedrooms a bright spring green, deep clean the kitchen and dining room where our clients enjoy their meals, sand stairs in and out of our home, weed our vegetable garden, and wash our client transport vehicles. Clients will be on hand to help in these tasks. 10 volunteers will paint, 5 will clean, 5 will sand the stairs, 10 will work in the garden, and 5 will wash vehicles…
‘Create Project’ Form Suggestions • Question yourself and your staff about how your project connects to your mission. • Utilize the space given to provide a complete and specific description of the project. Indicate any limitations or restrictions for volunteers such as heavy lifting or standing for long periods of time in the description section. • If there are specific skills required, please indicate them in the description section. • List any reusable supplies that the volunteers can provide that may help alleviate some of the cost burden for you. • Consider providing breakfast, lunch and water/drinks to your volunteers throughout the day. • Describe the alternative plans in the event of bad weather. • Do not change page setting—fonts, colors, graphics, etc. These are all preset for you.
Enter the timeframe and the number of volunteers needed for the project. Have an unlimited number of openings for volunteers? Leave this blank! Consider having more than one time slot during the day!
You’re done! Add another project or view the details of the project you just entered.
Questions on creating projects? Editing and Monitoring Projects
Login via the link provided and go to the ‘Events’ tab to view and manage your projects
To view the project description and edit pertinent information, select ‘Details.’
To edit the time slot or numbers of volunteers requested, select ‘View.’
To view the team leaders information and how many members are on their team, select ‘Registrations.’
To view the names of the volunteers IF the team leader has entered them, select ‘Participants.’
