Evaluating volunteer programs within nonprofit organizations is a key step in continual improvement and data collection. Systematic evaluation can positively impact the organization by creating more structure, providing results for adaptability, increasing volunteer retention and improving staff-volunteer relationships. Due to a sector-wide leadership crisis and continual staff burnout, volunteer management and evaluation plays a crucial role in the livelihood of nonprofit organizations. According to the 2018 Volunteer Management Progress Report, the top five training needs within volunteer management are supporting volunteers, recruiting efforts, developing volunteer leaders, outcome metrics, and recognition and retention efforts, according to Johnson and Associates in "Volunteer Management Progress Report."

There over 62 million volunteers in America each year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, according to "Volunteering in the US." “Four out of five charities use volunteers” and the majority of these organizations report that the volunteers are “beneficial to their operations in a number of ways,” according to Urban Institute . 

Evaluating a volunteer program is exactly like evaluating any other program. It is a useful tool that can define whether the program is meeting expectations, outcomes and goals. Such outcomes and goals that pertain specifically to volunteer programs could…

What we know: The new tax law’s influence on charitable giving is a topic of lively discussion, and multiple projections of negative impact have been made. Not everyone fears the effect of the change, with some believing it will put more cash into the economy and actually boost charitable giving. The nonprofit sector will not know the full implications until after year-end, but it is in the best interests of organizations to proactively consider the tax changes in their operations. The ASU Lodestar Center’s two Professionals in Residence, Pat Lewis and Anne Byrne, weigh in with their differing perspectives and advice for nonprofit organizations. For more information on the likely impact of the new tax law, click here. 

Perspective 2: 

There have been many very negative predictions on the impact of the new tax bill, with some sources projecting up to $20 billion less in charitable giving as a result of the increase to the standard deduction for taxpayers. By contrast, there are also enthusiastic advocates predicting that both businesses and individuals will have more money available and therefore charitable giving will stay the same or actually increase as a…

What we know: The new tax law’s influence on charitable giving is a topic of lively discussion, and multiple projections of negative impact have been made. Not everyone fears the effect of the change, with some believing it will put more cash into the economy and actually boost charitable giving. The nonprofit sector will not know the full implications until after year-end, but it is in the best interests of organizations to proactively consider the tax changes in their operations. The ASU Lodestar Center’s two Professionals in Residence, Pat Lewis and Anne Byrne, weigh in with their differing perspectives and advice for nonprofit organizations. For more information on the likely impact of the new tax law, click here.

Perspective 1:

Yes, we are now undergoing significant changes to tax law changes that impact individuals in new ways. For those of us engaged in the world of philanthropy, there is a lot of head scratching going on. Will people have more funds to give because of the significant increase in the standard deduction? Will those with moderate giving patterns have less to give because of the $10,000 cap on state and local income and property taxes? Will those with significant estates and high annual incomes give more because of their greater access to…

In today’s day and age, it’s no longer a question of “Should we use social media?”, but rather “How can we use social media to achieve our mission?”. Organizations cannot afford to post randomly, without strategically thinking about what they post, where they post it, how or if they are engaging followers, and what they are aiming to achieve or gain from every post. To make matters trickier, many nonprofits do not have a social media team, or even a social media person. To get the most out of every post, there are some key components organizations should consider and implement. 

To whom are you speaking?

The first step would be to think before you post; whom are you trying to reach, and what are you trying to get out of them? If you are unclear on these questions, then you are posting blindly and will have no way to measure whether or not your time and energy spent on social media is paying off. Think of the target population, and then you can strategize on what kind of content that population will be interested in.

Social Media Capital

The next step in creating an effective social media strategy is to build your social media capital, or the, “social resources in an organization’s social media network that can be accumulated, mobilized, and expended to achieve organizational outcomes,” according to an article by Guo and Saxton. . Organizations need to do more than just collect mass followers,…

My name is Taylor Polen, I was born and raised in Arizona and am passionate about finding creative solutions to inspire systemic equality and opportunity for all. I graduated from high school in 2016 and had little notion of what I wanted to do with my life until I joined Public Allies.

I found the program while searching for other sources of financial aid for college and applied late despite discouragement. My first term with Public Allies and the Alzheimer's Association began as an outreach specialist in December 2016. I became a program specialist my second year with Public Allies, in October 2017. Because of this program, I have been given the opportunity and guidance to achieve my life mission to create meaningful, positive and lasting change.

“To eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research: to provide and enhance care and support for all affected, and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health.”

Above is the mission of the Alzheimer's Association, but in what capacity do I serve that supports this mission? As a program specialist, you may think that I am limited to one program or role, that however, is not the reality. Since beginning at the Alzheimer's Association, I have been utilized in several different capacities by my coworkers and supervisor. I have provided support in data entry…