VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT SERVICE GRANT QUICKSTART GUIDE › docs › TaprootVolMgmtQS.pdf · 2013-02-12 · begin a conversation about the nonprofit’s current volunteer program. Account

VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT SERVICE GRANTQUICKSTART GUIDE

The Leadership Development & Strategic HR Practice is presented by American Express

Volunteer Management Quickstart Guide | 2

We’re thrilled that you’ve chosen a Taproot Foundation Service Grant and we hope you find the experience engaging, rewarding, and fun.

This Quickstart Guide, along with its corresponding materials collectively known as the Service Grant Blueprint, will support you throughout the course of the Service Grant. We’ve developed it using the experiences of many, many Taproot Foundation consultants and clients, and we hope our collective knowledge will help you run a smooth, efficient and effective project.

Think of the blueprint as a map and a toolbox—we don’t want to supplant your skills or contextual knowledge, but rather to support them. There are certain key points (such as signing the project agreement, budgeting, or project scope) where you must adhere to the process. In many places, however, you can feel free to bring your own expertise—and personality!—to bear on a problem.

Three points of advice from previous Taproot projects:► Pay attention to the project timeline! Projects that finish on schedule deliver

better results and better experiences for everyone on the team.► Communicate! Schedule meetings early and set some firm communication

protocols—our tools can help.► Have fun! Your work is important, but this project is also an opportunity

to meet new people and celebrate building our community. Don’t forget to celebrate your achievements.

The Taproot Foundation staff is here to support your success. Please let us know how we can help you, and please share your feedback about the process. If you have questions, contact either your pro bono Account Director or your Taproot Foundation Program Manager.

We wish you all the best,

Aaron Hurst President and Founder [email protected]

CONGRATULATIONS!


Helaine Fox, Debbye McDaniel, Nhi Pawlik, and Peter Smith made this blueprint possible! Thank you to these pro bono superstars for providing their subject matter expertise.

And thank you to Robert Berger, Nancy Liss, and John Sanchez who served as Account Directors on the first-ever Volunteer Management Service Grants. We couldn’t have done it without you. To these pioneering lead consultants and to everyone else who’s worked with us on a pro bono consulting project to benefit a social change organization, thank you!

The Design of this Service Grant has been generously supported by American Express.

PRO BONO SUPERSTARS


TABLE OF CONTENTS

START HERE ............................................................................................ 5

PROJECT IN A NUTSHELL ..................................................................... 6

SCOPE ...................................................................................................... 7

STAGE 0: PREPARING FOR LAUNCH .................................................... 9

STAGE 1: KICKOFF .................................................................................11

STAGE 2: DISCOVERY AND ASSESSMENT ........................................ 13

STAGE 3: ACTION PLAN DEVELOPMENT .......................................... 15

STAGE 4: IMMEDIATE ACTION ............................................................. 17

STAGE 5: EVALUATION, CLOSING AND CELEBRATION .................... 19

APPENDIX: NONPROFIT MATERIALS .................................................. 20

APPENDIX: WHO’S WHO ...................................................................... 21


OUR PROJECTS FOLLOW A GATED PROCESS THAT RUNS THROUGH A SERIES OF WELL-DEFINED STAGES.

This Quickstart Guide reflects that structure, including relevant guidelines and tips and tricks for each stage of work. Other resources you’ll need for your project, including templates and tools are available on the Taproot Foundation intranet in the Volunteer Management Blueprint. Use those documents to make your life easier, but start here to understand what you need to do to make the project work.

We suggest you familiarize yourself with this guide before you begin your project, and then review each stage as you enter it. Both the nonprofit team and the pro bono consultant team will have responsibilities in each stage.

Throughout this guidebook, the meeting symbol identifies a meeting between the pro bono consultant team and the nonprofit. These meetings are especially important to plan for: you’ll be setting up the project, planning timelines and tasks, and delivering key results.

The toolbox icon indicates a resource document or tool on the Taproot Foundation intranet, such as a meeting agenda, a discovery interview questionnaire, or a PowerPoint template. Use these tools to make your work quicker and easier—you can spend your time being creative, strategic, or perceptive, rather than recreating the wheel! Simply click on the icon to access the Blueprint resources.

START HERE

WHAT IS AN VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT SERVICE GRANT?

In an Volunteer Management Service Grant, a pro bono consultant team conducts a comprehensive assessment of a nonprofit’s volunteer program, develops action plans for improving high priority areas of the program and implements several projects in order to create immediate improvement and to build momentum across the organization for making strategic changes to the volunteer program.


PROJECT IN A NUTSHELL

STAGE 0:Preparing for Kickoff

5 WEEKSNonprofit Team Completes Volunteer Management AssessmentHold Site Visit, Sign Service Grant AgreementAccount Director Staffs Pro Bono Consultant Team

2 WEEKSHold Kickoff Meeting

5 WEEKSComplete DiscoveryPresent Volunteer Management Assessment & Recommendations

5 WEEKSDevelop Action Plans for two Priority AreasPresent, Revise, and Finalize Action Plans

10 WEEKSImplement Immediate Action Projects Present Immediate Action Summary and Next Steps

1 WEEKComplete Evaluations

STAGE 1:Kickoff

STAGE 2:Discovery & Assessment

STAGE 3:Action Plan Development

STAGE 4:Immediate Action

STAGE 5:Evaluation, Closing& Celebration


COMPLETION CRITERIA

The project is complete when the pro bono consultant team has delivered the final version of the Action Plans and implemented part or all of the Immediate Action projects and the nonprofit has completed an evaluation of the process. Alternatively the project is complete when the time duration of the project has run out or either the Taproot Foundation or the nonprofit has decided that the project should be terminated (as explained in the Service Grant Agreement).

SCOPE

IN SCOPE

Key activities in this project include project management, program assessment, strategic planning, and project implementation.

Volunteer Management Assessment

Each member of the nonprofit team will complete the Volunteer Management Assessment before the Site Visit to measure their volunteer program’s current capacity for volunteer management and identify areas for improvement. Up to five additional stakeholders such as volunteer managers and supervisors, program officers, and human resources staff will complete the assessment during Stage 2 (Discovery).

Discovery The pro bono consultant team begins its assessment of the volunteer program, and its related management capacity, by reviewing the existing strategy, program, marketing, and communication materials.

Discovery Interviews

The pro bono consultant team will conduct up to eight interview sessions with relevant stakeholders such as volunteers (former, current and potential), staff, clients, and donors.

Volunteer Management Assessment and Recommendations Presentation

The pro bono consultant team will present an assessment of the current volunteer program and offer recommendations for each of the eight areas of volunteer management. The presentation will also include a recommendation for two priority areas of volunteer management to focus on in the action plans.

Additional Discovery (optional)

The pro bono consultant team will conduct additional discovery activities as needed during Stage 3 (Action Plan Development) to obtain data for the Action Plans. No more than two additional interview sessions should be conducted.

Action Plans

The pro bono consultant team will prepare one Action Plan for each of the two priority areas agreed upon with the nonprofit. Each Action Plan will outline specific projects the nonprofit can undertake to improve the volunteer program and management practices in the immediate (8-10 weeks), near term (6-12 months), and long term (1-2 years). Each project will be detailed and will include measures for the required duration, budget, and staff resources.


SCOPE (continued)

Action Plan Presentation

The pro bono consultant team will present an overview of the recommended actions and discuss feasibility. Up to one revision of the Action Plans may be conducted to incorporate nonprofit feedback following the presentation.

Immediate Action Project Plan

The pro bono consultant team will prepare a project plan for the Immediate Action projects that will be implemented in Stage 4 (Immediate Action). The plan will identify project deliverables, necessary resources from each team, and the projected timeline. Up to three additional interview sessions may be conducted during this stage.

The pro bono consultant team will share the Immediate Action project plan virtually with the nonprofit. The nonprofit will provide feedback and formally approve the project plan.

Immediate Action Implementation

The pro bono consultant team will work with the nonprofit to implement the approved Immediate Action projects within the agreed upon time period.

Status Report

The pro bono consultant team will prepare a status report on the progress of Immediate Action projects mid-way through Stage 4 (Immediate Action) to be shared virtually with the nonprofit. The report will be used to identify what is working, what is not working, and any mid-course revisions that should be made to the Immediate Action project plan. The report may be discussed during the weekly calls.

Immediate Action Summary and Next Steps Presentation

The pro bono consultant team will present an overview of the Immediate Action projects, achieved or anticipated results, and remaining next steps for the Action Plans.

OUT OF SCOPE

The following activities are out of scope:► Creating a volunteer program from scratch► Addressing human resources issues outside of volunteer management► Developing or revising a strategic plan► Creating a development plan or fundraising tools for the volunteer program ► Developing Action Plans for more than two priority areas► Implementing projects beyond the Immediate Action portion of the Action Plans


SUMMARY

The goal of this stage is to get to the point where the nonprofit, Account Director, and the Taproot Foundation Program Manager all agree that the project should move forward (or can decide with confidence that this project should not happen now). At that point, all three parties sign the Service Grant Agreement—and a pro bono project is born!

HOW IT WORKSTaproot Foundation Sets Up the Project► After a thorough application review and interview process, the Taproot

Foundation sends the potential nonprofit grantee a Letter of Intent (LOI) and this Quickstart Guide.

► The Taproot Foundation assigns an Account Director to the project.► The Account Director schedules the Site Visit meeting as soon as possible. ► The nonprofit confirms the nonprofit team members (see page 21 for a list of

required team members)► Both the nonprofit team and the Account Director review the Quickstart Guide

carefully. The Account Director also reviews the rest of the blueprint, as well as the nonprofit’s application and website.

Nonprofit Completes Volunteer Management Assessments► Each member of the nonprofit team completes the Volunteer Management

Assessment and brings the results to the Site Visit. These results are used to begin a conversation about the nonprofit’s current volunteer program.

Account Director and Nonprofit Meet for a Site Visit ► The Site Visit is the last stage in the grant review process. The goal of this

meeting is for the Account Director to assure herself that awarding this Service Grant, at this time, is a good idea.

► The Account Director asks key questions, sets expectations, and makes sure that the nonprofit understands the process. If the Account Director has any doubts about moving forward, she communicates that to the nonprofit and contacts her Taproot Foundation Program Manager for guidance.

Staffing► The Account Director recruits a pro bono consultant team and schedules an

Internal Kickoff meeting, in which the consultants can get to know one another and discuss the project process. The goal of this meeting is to ensure that the pro bono consultant team shares a coherent attitude and approach before they meet with the nonprofit.

STAGE 0: PREPARING FOR LAUNCH

Q: Why do you call it Stage 0?

A: Because the project isn’t official yet. The Account Director must confirm that the nonprofit is ready for this project at this time.

This stage should take about 5 weeks after Taproot sends the Letter of Intent for the project.

https://www.taprootfoundation.org/intranet/resources/project.vol_mgmt.php



KEY TASKSThe Taproot Foundation Program Manager► Sends the Account Director a Volunteer Management Blueprint and describes

the potential project.► Signs Service Grant Agreement (after nonprofit and Account Director sign it).

The Account Director► Reviews the nonprofit’s application and the blueprint. ► Schedules the Site Visit and shares the Volunteer Management Assessment

with the nonprofit team. ► Reviews Site Visit Meeting Agenda and sends to nonprofit before the meeting. ► Attends the Site Visit and performs a basic assessment. ► Signs the Service Grant Agreement online. ► Staffs the rest of the pro bono consultant team. ► Sets up the Internal Kickoff Meeting. ► Reviews the Internal Kickoff Meeting Agenda and sends it to the pro bono

consultant team before the meeting.

The Nonprofit► Reviews the Volunteer Management Blueprint.► Gathers background materials for the pro bono consultant team (for a list of

materials, see page 20). ► Staffs the nonprofit team. ► Completes the Volunteer Management Assessment and brings the results to

the Site Visit. ► Signs the Service Grant Agreement online.

TIPS AND TRICKS► Don’t sign the Service Grant Agreement if the potential nonprofit grantee

isn’t ready for the project! Pro bono consultants want to help, and most nonprofits want to get something done, but everyone must be prepared for this specific project, at this time, or the team won’t succeed. A poorly executed project can be worse than no project at all.

► Don’t move forward if you don’t understand the process and the scope! It’s important that everyone shares the same reasonable expectations and agrees on what will and what will not get done.

► If you’re an Account Director, be aggressive about staffing your team! If it takes you significantly longer than you expected to get the right people together; you might need to rework the ideal timeline (and let the nonprofit and Program Manager know about the delay).

► If you’re a nonprofit and your situation changes—for example, if you lose your volunteer lead—tell your Account Director or Program Manager immediately so we can make the project work.

Design principlesImpact is the number one determinant of success for pro bono service, for volunteers and community organizations alike. The core of successful pro bono service delivery is treating a pro bono client (the nonprofit) the same as a paying client.

A pro bono project is most successful when all of the following criteria are met:• The project is

completed and delivered in a timely manner.

• The deliverable is implementable and sustainable.

• The nonprofit’s and pro bono consultants’ expectations are met or exceeded.

• All parties involved report high satisfaction with the group’s interactions.

• The nonprofit reports the project made an impact





SUMMARY

The goal of this stage is for the nonprofit and pro bono consultant team members to get to know one other, laying a solid foundation for a successful project. The two teams should discuss expectations, communications and roles.

HOW IT WORKSNonprofit and Pro Bono Consultant Team Prepare for Kickoff► The pro bono consultant team writes bios for each team member. ► Everyone brings their Quickstart Guide, Project Plan, Finalized Service Grant

Award, and the materials picked up by Account Director at the Site Visit. Pro bono consultants can find all these resources on the Taproot Foundation intranet and share relevant items with the nonprofit team.

► The nonprofit team reviews the Quickstart Guide, Project Plan, and any materials the pro bono consultant team sends. The nonprofit team also identifies a list of internal and external stakeholders for the pro bono consultants to interview during discovery.

► The nonprofit’s board member representative attends the Kickoff meeting.

The Teams Hold a Kickoff Meeting► This meeting is a “getting to know you” between the pro bono consultant team

and the nonprofit team. At the meeting, the teams introduce themselves, their roles, and their expectations for the project.

► The Account Director leads the teams in a discussion about communications and team dynamics.

► The Project Manager reviews the project timeline and scope with the teams, then finalizes the list of people the pro bono consultants will be interviewing during discovery. At the end of the meeting, the Project Manager makes sure all the meeting goals were met, gets the names and contact information for the interviewees, and answers the teams’ remaining questions.

► The HR Strategist leads a conversation with the nonprofit about the nonprofit’s current situation and needs, including the organization’s background, programs, competition, politics, management, fundraising situation, and volunteer program strengths and weaknesses.

KEY TASKSThe Pro Bono Consultant Team► Writes their bios.► Prepares for Kickoff.► Attends the Kickoff meeting, introduces themselves, and contributes to the

discussion about expectations and communications.

STAGE 1: KICKOFF

Q: Who creates the Project Plan?

A: The pro bono consultant team creates the Project Plan, which includes the scope, a timeline, a task worksheet, and a communications plan, based on materials provided by the Taproot Foundation. The nonprofit team provides input and approval at the Kickoff meeting.

This stage should take about 1 week.



The Account Director► Refines documents in the blueprint as needed.

The Project Manager► Creates the first draft of the Project Plan.► Prepares a meeting agenda and sends it out to everyone at least two days in

advance.

The Nonprofit ► Attends the Kickoff meeting, provides introductions for each team

member, and contributes to the discussion about their expectations and communications plan.

► Gives clear and precise feedback on the Project Plan (especially the Scope and Timeline).

► Provides the pro bono consultant team with ideas and contact info for people to interview during discovery.

TIPS AND TRICKS► Make sure to get nonprofit team feedback on the Project Plan! If

you know what the nonprofit wants and expects, you will reach an agreement sooner and the project will run more smoothly.

► Make sure to discuss each other’s values and concerns—you’ll build trust and communicate better throughout the project.

► Be aware of the discovery timeline, and communicate time pressure to interviewees. Scheduling interviews is a time consuming process, and the project depends upon timely completion of this stage.

► Nonprofit team, make sure you have a plan for communicating key information about the Volunteer Management Service Grant across your organization. Engaging staff early in the process is key to ensuring their participation in later stages and also helps to create organizational support for the Service Grant process.




SUMMARY

The goal of this stage is for the pro bono consultant team to understand and assess the nonprofit’s current volunteer program and management capacity by gathering data and interviewing stakeholders firsthand. In the discovery process, the pro bono consultant team learns about the nonprofit, gains a thorough understanding of its situation, and collects data that will inform the project. The team’s assessment shapes the project by identifying organizational needs. It includes an analysis of the overall strengths and weaknesses of the nonprofit’s current volunteer program and high-level recommendations in the eight areas of volunteer management.

HOW IT WORKSPro Bono Consultant Team Conducts Interviews► The pro bono consultant team conducts up to eight interveiw sessions with

stakeholders, including volunteers, staff, clients, and donors.

Nonprofit Completes Volunteer Management Assessments► The nonprofit distributes the Volunteer Management Assessment to selected

stakeholders and returns the completed assessments to the Project Manager.

Pro Bono Consultant Team Assesses the Nonprofit’s Volunteer Management Capacity► The pro bono consultant team assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the

volunteer program and uses the Assessment Tool to measure the program’s capacity in eight areas of volunteer management. They then prepare high-level recommendations for improvement in each area and recommend two priority areas to focus on in the Action Plans.

Pro Bono Consultant Team Presents their Assessment and Recommendations► The pro bono consultant team meets with the nonprofit to present the

Volunteer Management Assessment and Recommendations and gain feedback from the nonprofit. The team members explain how the discovery findings informed their understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the nonprofit’s volunteer program and their recommendations.

► The teams agree on two priority areas to focus on in the Action Plans.

KEY TASKSThe Pro Bono Consultant Team► Completes an assessment of the nonprofit’s volunteer program and related

management capacity and presents Volunteer

STAGE 2: DISCOVERY AND ASSESSMENT

This stage should take about 5 weeks.

Q: Where can I find sample discovery interview questions?

A: The project blueprint, which can be found on the Taproot intranet, contains a document with sample discovery questions.

Q: Why are there two types of recommendations made at the end of discovery?

A: After analyzing all eight areas of volunteer management, the pro bono consultant team offers high-level recommendations in each area. Then, the team recommends two priority areas to focus on more deeply for the remainder of the project. The team will develop Action Plans and offer more detailed recommendations for improvement in these two priority areas in the next stage.


► Presents Volunteer Management Assessment and Recommendations to the nonprofit.

The Account Director► Reviews all documents before submitting them to the nonprofit.

The HR Strategist► Leads the pro bono consultant team in conducting discovery interviews.► Leads presentation of the Volunteer Management Assessment and

Recommendations.

The Nonprofit Team► Facilitates interviews and particiates as needed. If you can’t help make

contact, the interview isn’t going to happen.► Gives honest and clear feedback on the Volunteer Management Assessment

and Recommendations presentation.► Approves two priority areas of volunteer management to focus on in the Action

Plans.

The Day-to-Day Contact► Distributes the Volunteer Management Assessments to selected stakeholders

and returns the completed assessments to the Project Manag

TIPS AND TRICKS► Pro bono consultants, make sure to conduct the discovery interviews in

a timely manner to keep the project in motion!► Nonprofit team, make sure to complete and return the Volunteer

Management Assessments in a timely manner. The pro bono consultants need time to analyze the data.

► Make sure discovery interviews include many key stakeholders with different ideas. This will allow you to get a good picture of perceived need across the organization and increase the likelihood that all factions will accept the findings and deliverables.

► If discovery interviews expose major strategic rifts within the organization, talk to your Taproot Foundation Program Manager immediately.

► Make sure the nonprofit team is giving feedback on the Volunteer Management Assessment and Recommendations. If the pro bono consultant team continuously encourages their feedback, the result will be a final deliverable that will make everyone happier.

► At the Recommendations and Assessment presentation, ask the nonprofit if they have any concerns about post-project implementation.


STAGE 3: ACTION PLAN DEVELOPMENT


Q: Where can I find a sample Action Plan?

A: The project blueprint, which can be found on the Taproot intranet, contains an Action Plan template.

Q: How many times should we revise the deliverables?

A: There should be only one revision of each Action Plan. It is important to leave the Action Plan Presentation meeting with a clear understanding of the necessary revisions.

SUMMARY

The goal of this stage is develop feasible Action Plans for strategically investing in two top-priority areas of volunteer management. The Action Plans will outline desired outcomes and deliverables and the necessary tasks and resources required to achieve those outcomes in the immediate, near-term, and long-term.

HOW IT WORKSPro Bono Consultant Team Conducts Additional Discovery (optional)► The pro bono consultant team conducts additional discovery, including up to

two interview sessions, as needed for developing the Action Plans.

Pro Bono Consultant Team Prepares the Action Plans► The pro bono consultant team prepares an Action Plan for each of the two

priority areas. The two Action Plans consider the immediate (8-10 weeks), near-term (6-12 months), and long-term (1-2 years) horizons as best fits the needs of the nonprofit.

Pro Bono Consultant Team Presents the Action Plans, Revises, and Gains Approval ► The pro bono consultant team presents the Action Plans to the nonprofit team

and revises the Action Plans if necessary. ► The nonprofit formally accepts all documents.

KEY TASKSThe Pro Bono Consultant Team► Prepares and presents the two Action Plans.

The Account Director► Reviews all documents before they are presented to the nonprofit. ► Decides if additional revisions to the Action Plans are necessary.► Decides if internal review before the next presentation is necessary.

The Nonprofit Team► Gives honest and clear feed back on the Action Plans. ► Provides quick turn-around on approval of the two priority areas. ► Participates in and facilitates additional discovery as needed.



TIPS AND TRICKS► Encourage a timely decision on the two priority areas so that the pro

bono consultant team can move quickly to developing the Action Plans. But make sure both teams are satisfied with the decision!

► Make sure the nonprofit team is giving their feedback on the Action Plans and all relevant drafts.

► Pro bono consultants, think carefully about the feasibility and time constraints of the Immediate Action projects while developing the Action Plans to expedite the next stage.

► How can pro bono volunteers contribute to the feasibility of the Action Plans? Incorporate pro bono opportunities into the Action Plans wherever possible.

► Take time to celebrate and thank your team members on the accomplishments made thus far. It’s normal for energy to dip at the mid-point in the project, but a thank you and positive encouragement can go a long way to reenergizing the team!


STAGE 4: IMMEDIATE ACTION

Q: How much time should we plan to spend implementing Immediate Action projects?

A: It depends on the projects and the amount of time remaining in the Service Grant project. However, each pro bono consultant should expect to spend approximately 20-30 hours in total on implementation. The entire nonprofit team should expect to spend roughly 5 hours per week implementing projects and providing feedback in Stage 4.


SUMMARY

The goal of this stage is to implement some or all of the projects included in the Immediate Action section of the two Action Plans. Implementation of these projects will bring immediate results to the nonprofit, create momentum in the organization for improving the volunteer program, and establish a foundation for implementing the near and long-term phases of the Action Plans.

HOW IT WORKSPro Bono Consultant Team Prepares Immediate Action Project Plan and Gains Approval► The pro bono consultant team develops a project plan for implementing select

Immediate Action projects and presents them to the nonprofit. The project plan establishes a timeline and identifies deliverables, staffing, and resource requirements for each project.

► The nonprofit provides feedback and approves the Immediate Action project plan. This step may be conducted virtually, on a conference call, or in a meeting.

Pro Bono Consultant Team Implements Immediate Action Projects► The pro bono consultant team works with the nonprofit to implement the

agreed upon projects.

Pro Bono Consultant Team Prepares Status Report and Shares with the Nonprofit► The pro bono consultant team prepares a status report mid-way through

implementation of the Immediate Action projects and shares the report virtually with the nonprofit. Revisions to the remainder of the Immediate Action project plan should be agreed upon if needed.

Pro Bono Consultant Team and Nonprofit Meet for Immediate Action Summary and Next Steps Meeting► The pro bono consultant team prepares and presents the Immediate Action

Summary and Next Steps to the nonprofit. It includes an overview of the Immediate Action projects, achieved or anticipated results, and remaining tasks. The team also outlines next steps in the Action Plans and discusses the feasibility of moving forward on the Action Plans with the nonprofit.

► The nonprofit board representative attends this meeting.


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KEY TASKSThe Pro Bono Consultant Team► Prepares and gains approval on Immediate Action project plan. ► Implements Immediate Action projects. ► Prepares a status report and shares the report with the nonprofit. ► Prepares and presents the Immediate Action Summary and Next Steps.

The Account Director► Reviews all documents before they are presented to the nonprofit.

The Nonprofit► Gives honest and clear feedback on the Immediate Action project plan, status

report, and Immediate Action Summary and Next Steps meeting.► Gives timely approval of above deliverables. ► Participates in and facilitates implementation of Immediate Action projects as

needed.► Makes sure the board representative attends the Immediate Action Summary

and Next Steps presentation.

TIPS AND TRICKS► Pro bono consultants, build off of work conducted in the previous stage

to expedite the implementation of Immediate Action projects. ► Don’t get stuck trying to implement a major project, keep the projects

manageable and realistic for the allotted time. Small projects can have a large impact!

► If you’re the nonprofit, make sure to communicate with your staff about changes that will be happening as the Immediate Action projects are implemented.

► Highly encourage the board representative to attend the Immediate Action Summary and Next Steps presentation. It is important to gain the board’s approval for future implementation of the Action Plans.


STAGE 5: EVALUATION, CLOSING AND CELEBRATION

Q: Why do we have to fill out surveys?

A: These surveys help the Taproot Foundation improve the Service Grant program for future projects. If your team and the nonprofit team don’t fill them out, the nonprofit’s applications for future grants could be negatively affected.

SUMMARY

The hard work is done: now it is time to evaluate and celebrate your success!

HOW IT WORKSTeams Celebrate Their Success► Both the nonprofit and pro bono consultant teams should celebrate all of their

hard work and accomplishments. ► Do we really need to tell you how to do this? We are guessing not.

Congratulations on all your good work on both sides of the team.

Teams Complete an Evaluation► The nonprofit and the pro bono consultants confidentially fill out Taproot

Foundation’s online satisfaction survey.► These surveys are critical to inform Taproot’s work and the work of future pro

bono consultants and nonprofits.

Pro Bono Consultant Team Closes the Project► The pro bono consultant team tells the Taproot Foundation Program Manager

that the project is complete. The team sends Taproot all interim and final deliverables.

KEY TASKSThe Pro Bono Consultant Team► Fills out online evaluations.► Sends interim and final deliverables to Taproot Foundation.

The Account Director► Closes project on Taproot Foundation intranet.

The Nonprofit► Fills out online evaluation (all team members!).► Takes concrete actions to thank the pro bono consultant team. If unsure of

what’s appropriate, they can discuss with their Taproot Foundation Program Manager.

TIPS AND TRICKS► Nonprofit team, make sure to thank your pro bono consultant team for

all their hard work.

This stage should take about 1 week.


The nonprofit must gather and bring these materials, if they exist, to the Site Visit. Since the Account Director will share these materials with her team, please provide five copies of each printed item.

Volunteer MaterialsAll volunteer-related materials including job descriptions, applications, communications, on-boarding materials, volunteer database, training manuals, training schedule, feedback forms, volunteer surveys and program evaluations.

Staff Roster Names of staff members involved in the volunteer program and descriptions of their roles.

Organizational Chart Any document or chart that shows reporting structure of the organization.

Marketing Materials Press kits, brochures, newsletters, or other marketing materials.

Human ResourcesMaterials

Human Resources materials related to the hiring process, recruitment and retention policies and processes, employee manuals, and trainings.

Strategic Plan,Marketing orFundraising Plan,Logic Model,Evaluations

Any information that helps the team understand where you’re going and why volunteers will be very helpful.

Key Dates Key dates that may drive project Timeline (such as events or retreats).

APPENDIX: NONPROFIT MATERIALS


NONPROFIT TEAM

Executive Sponsor

Staffs, supervises and leads the nonprofit team. The Executive Sponsor attends key meetings, addresses challenges, gives approval and oversees the project. This person should be different from the Day-to-Day Contact.

Day-to-Day Contact

Coordinates between the pro bono consultant team and the nonprofit team. This person manages project workflow for the nonprofit team, calls meetings, gathers material, and helps coordinate discovery interviews.

Human Resources or Volunteer Manager

Participates as the in-house subject matter expert, attends all meetings, provides information, gives feedback and approves key deliverables. This should be the point person for implementation after the Service Grant closes.

Board Representative

Attends key meetings, provides information, gives feedback, approves key deliverables, and reports progress to the Board.

Translator (if needed)

Translates materials from English into another language.

PRO BONO CONSULTANT TEAM

Account DirectorStaffs, supervises, and leads the pro bono consultant team. The Account Director oversees the project, addresses challenges, and approves all deliverables before submitting them to the non-profit team. The Account Director is the main point of contact for the Executive Sponsor and the Taproot Foundation Program Manager.

Project Manager

Coordinates between the pro bono consultant and the nonprofit teams on a day-to-day basis. This person manages project workflow for the pro bono consultant team, planning and leading meetings, managing the Project Timeline, connecting with the nonprofit team, and making sure the project runs on time. The Project Manager works with the Account Director to ensure project success.

Human Resources Strategist (2)

Leads the discovery process and volunteer management assessment, development of the Action Plans, and implemention of Immediate Action projects. The Human Resources Strategist presents documents and recommendations at meetings with the nonprofit team.

Human Resources Generalist

Supports the Human Resources Strategist by coordinating and conducting interviews and other discovery, synthesizing and presenting data, contributing to writing and presenting deliverables, and assisting in implemention of the Immediate Action projects.

APPENDIX: WHO’S WHO

Documents

VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT SERVICE GRANT QUICKSTART GUIDE › docs › TaprootVolMgmtQS.pdf · 2013-02-12 · begin a conversation about the nonprofit’s current volunteer program. Account