Thrive in '05
Moving the Vision for the Volunteer Center National Network Forward

By Gwen Haynes

"Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success." — Henry Ford

No better words can describe the state of the Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network at the close of this year's successful Volunteer Center regional meetings. Volunteer Center leaders shared their expertise, gained valuable knowledge, and worked to strengthen the Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network.

Meetings held in Milwaukee, Wis., Las Vegas, Nev., and Washington, D.C. focused on the affiliation process, collected feedback on the draft Affiliation Agreement, and provided input through focus groups to support the development of a new super brand.

"The three regional meetings were an excellent way for Volunteer Center leaders in the field to learn about how our VCNN Strategic Plan is being implemented and to provide the Points of Light Foundation (Foundation) and VCNN Council with feedback and input regarding the affiliate relationship we are crafting together," said Dale Weighill, chair of the VCNN Council. "In general, the turnout was fantastic, everything we heard was very positive and upbeat, and I think Volunteer Centers are anxious to move forward."

Preliminary figures indicate that the meetings attracted participants representing 124 Volunteer Centers from 41 states. From these numbers, we know that 160 Volunteer Center staff and board members attended. In comparison to last year's event, these totals show a 21 percent increase in individual participation and a 23 percent increase in Volunteer Center participation.

This year, the Foundation staff and VCNN Council collaborated to develop a comprehensive agenda that provided:

• A toolkit to improve the marketing and branding of strategies to advocate for individual Volunteer Centers and the network
• Strategies to create a diverse base of funding
• Opportunities to network with other Volunteer Center staff

A new communications toolkit was unveiled during the meetings. This resource is a collection of templates, guidelines, tips, and materials created to help Volunteer Centers prepare and respond to their local communities' communications and marketing needs.

For more in-depth information related to these meetings, including an advocacy update, strategic plan highlights and accomplishments, roundtable networking topics, and the full series of fundraising training documents, please visit the regional meeting update in the Members Only section of the website.