Welcome to vantage point online

At Volunteer Vancouver, our mission is to inspire & build leadership in the voluntary sector

One of the ways we do this is through Vantage Point — our issue-based newsletter. This edition draws on the experience and expertise of Linda L. Graff, one of Canada’s leading authorities on volunteerism, Barney Ellis-Perry, Chair of Volunteer Canada, and Kathleen Speakman, Strategic Advisor for the Centre for Sustainability. This edition also introduces a new book review feature, “Brian’s Bookshelf”, by Brian Fraser, Lead Provocateur of Jazzthink and President and Lead Coach of Starting SMART Coaching. Your comments are welcome — please email us at vantagepoint@volunteervancouver.ca.

Volunteerism Today –
Does Anyone Really Care?

By Linda L. Graff

Linda L. Graff is one of Canada’s leading authorities on volunteerism and she speaks candidly and passionately about current trends in volunteerism and the impact these trends may have on the voluntary sector – and on Canadian communities.
Read the exclusive interview with Linda L. Graff here>

“Climate Change” for the Voluntary Sector

By Barney Ellis-Perry

I was asked to write about the state of volunteering in Canada. This brought me to the realization that I am probably the most unequipped person to do so. It’s like asking a duck to describe water. I’m too busy paddling in it to be able to think about it.
Read the full article here>

Volunteerism in a New Mode

By Kathleen Speakman

I recently completed a five year stint starting up and running BC’s first venture philanthropy organization. Venture philanthropy combines the pooled funds of individual donors, their expertise and the energy and ideas of entrepreneurial not-for-profit leaders to grow and scale innovative community organizations. In the process of matching “high capacity" volunteers with highly entrepreneurial not-for-profit managers and board members, I had the opportunity of observing volunteerism in a new mode.
Read the full article here>

Puzzle – “Something, such as a game, toy, or challenge, that requires ingenuity and often persistence in solving or assembling.” (www.dictionary.com)

The Volunteer Puzzle Piece

By Colleen Kelly

Have you ever been frustrated with not being able to locate a particular piece of a jigsaw puzzle?

When I recently had breakfast with one of our past board chairs, Ian Pike, he talked about the not-for-profit organization being like a jigsaw puzzle, and commented that new players reshape the puzzle and may even see the pieces fitting together differently – or completely dump the pieces and start all over gain. As I thought about this analogy more carefully, I recognized this jigsaw analogy also applies to organizations seeking board members and other volunteers.
Read the full article here>

Brian's Bookshelf

The 21st Century Volunteer”, nfpSynergy. Review by Brian Fraser

Books are a vital tool for every leader. We’re pleased to introduce a new section to Vantage Point – “Brian’s Bookshelf”. We asked Brian Fraser to review “The 21st Century Volunteer: A Report on the Changing Face of Volunteering in the 21st Century”. London: nfpSynergy, 2005.

Access this article for free at www.nfpsynergy.net/freereports.

Read Brian's review here>

About Volunteer Vancouver

The mission of Volunteer Vancouver is to inspire & build leadership in the voluntary sector. This publication is intended to be a medium of communication and information for the many organizations active in the volunteer and not-for-profit sector. The opinions expressed herein are solely those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect official policy of the Board of Directors of Volunteer Vancouver.

Volunteer Vancouver
1183 Melville, Vancouver, BC
V6E 2X5 Canada
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www.volunteervancouver.ca

A United Way Member Organization and funded in part by the City of Vancouver.