The iowa commission on volunteer service (volunteer iowa) plans to utilize the volunteer generation fund grant to build on the success of previous years through two main approaches: 1) the development…

The iowa commission on volunteer service (volunteer iowa) plans to utilize the volunteer generation fund grant to build on the success of previous years through two main approaches: 1) the development of local volunteer infrastructure and resources, building the capacity of communities to create a culture of volunteerism. Through grants and specialized training, volunteer iowa will support volunteer centers and cities to: connect citizens with opportunities to serve, increase capacity of local organizations to engage volunteers in meaningful service, promote volunteering, and develop local programming that leverages volunteers to meet community needs, including disaster response. Additionally, volunteer iowa will provide funding and technical assistance building a network of local service enterprise hubs. Hubs will provide assessment, training, and coaching, empowering nonprofits to become service enterprises- organizations that fundamentally leverage volunteers and their skills as a core strategic function to achieve their social mission. 2) the development of statewide volunteerism resources, working directly with nonprofits, government organizations, and the public to leverage the power of volunteering. Volunteer iowa will provide access to beginning and advanced level volunteer management training statewide through live webinars and trainings. Additionally, volunteer iowa will generate measurable improvements in the number of volunteers engaged from specific demographic groups through partnerships to develop senior volunteering initiatives, encourage skills-based volunteering, promote family volunteering, and provide high school-based volunteer program resources. Finally, through partnerships with state emergency management, state voad, and local communities, volunteer iowa will provide training on volunteer reception centers, and encourage pre-registration of response volunteers.