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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSD-07-039 - Volunteer Support Strategy Discussion ) R Community Services Report To: Date of Meeting: Submitted By: Community Services Committee April 23, 2007 Prepared By: Mark Hildebrand, Interim Director of Community Programs and Services, Community Services Department (x 2687) Jo-Ann Hutchison, Facilitator, Volunteer Resources & Community Engagement (x 2227) All Ward(s) Involved: Date of Report: Report No.: Subject: April 20, 2007 CSD-07-039 VOLUNTEER SUPPORT STRATEGY DISCUSSION RECOMMENDATION: For discussion. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: This report provides background information for a strategic discussion session that will give Council the opportunity to provide input into the development of a volunteer support strategy. This strategy session will occur during the Community Services meeting on April 23, 2007. It will include an overview presentation of 10 minutes followed by discussion. The report below outlines a conceptual framework on which to base this discussion. In this report, the concepts of volunteerism and the voluntary sector are defined and the differences between them delineated. As well, the ways that the municipality involves citizens and interacts with the voluntary sector are described. Comment is then made via recent research findings on the current state of each of these forms of civic engagement. The key issue that emerges from this review of recent federal, provincial, and local research is the sustainability of the voluntary sector. According to research done in 2004 in Waterloo Region, sustainability of non-profits can be broken down into 4 key dimensions or pillars: · Planning and Leadership · Relationships & Partnerships · Organizational Culture · Organizational Relevance These four pillars or sub-issues will provide the dimensions for the discussion on the sustainability of the voluntary sector. As well, the following questions will guide the discussion: o What have residents told you about their experience of volunteering or managing non- profit organizations? o What have citizens told you about how we support volunteers within the Corporation and voluntary sector organizations within our community? Have they suggested any ways that we can support them better? BACKGROUND: Two recent City of Kitchener plans suggest benefits from the development of a Volunteer Support Strategy: the Healthy Community Plan (2006) and the Leisure Facility Master Plan (2005). The Galloway Report (2000) which was an operational review of the Community Services Department recommended the development of a more coordinated and pro-active approach to the City of Kitchener's volunteer management approach. Thus, in 2002, the Volunteer Resources section was implemented. Since that time significant development of supports and services to both volunteerism and voluntarism within the City of Kitchener has occurred. In 2007, Volunteer Resources will have been in existence for 5 years so it is a good milestone at which to review the base built to date and to set new goals for the future. The development of a Volunteer Support Strategy is also timely for the following reasons: · Not only has Kitchener grown in its population base but also in the programming it offers either directly or in affiliation with community groups. As well, our community is much more diverse and complex than it ever has been. As a result, the need for more resources to effectively manage volunteers and support non-profit organizations who deliver programs on behalf of the municipality is needed. In particular, additional resources in the areas of environmental programming, special events, neighbourhoods, and athletics are needed. In addition, with the baby boomer population reaching retirement age and with more people living in the community until well past their 80s, significant opportunity, as well as need, for volunteers is created. · The New Deal for Cities and Communities (2005) indicates that volunteers are the single greatest contributor to quality of life in a community. · However, at the same time, results from the National Survey of Non-profit and Voluntary Organizations (2003) indicates that non-profit and voluntary organizations appear to be experiencing difficulties fulfilling their missions or achieving their organizational objectives, which may limit their ability to contribute to their community. Just over one- half reported having problems with planning for the future, recruiting the types of volunteers needed by the organization and obtaining board members. Just under one half reported problems with retaining volunteers, obtaining funding from other organizations such as government, foundations or corporations and obtaining funding from individual donors. · Thus, to retain the high quality of life that Kitchener has experienced and to enhance it even further, significant and immediate measures must be taken to ensure that we properly care for and foster the essential and complex resource of volunteerism that we've grown to depend on and value. REPORT: The purpose of this report is to provide Council a snapshot of the status of volunteerism and the voluntary sector in our Community, outlining vulnerabilities and to clarify, through discussion with Council, the possible priorities of a Volunteer Support Strategy. To do this, it will be beneficial to examine and define different forms of civic engagement and assess the strengths and vulnerabilities of each and the role or possible role of the municipality in encouraging or supporting each form of civic engagement. The forms of civic engagement examined in this report are as follows: community participation, informal volunteering, direct volunteering for the City of Kitchener, affiliated community groups, community groups that receive an annual operating grant from the City of Kitchener, and the voluntary sector-at-Iarge. As well, reviewing the differences between "volunteerism" and "voluntarism" will be helpful in clarifying the focus of the proposed volunteer support strategy so that it can be clarified if its focus is volunteerism, voluntarism, or both. Figure 1 illustrates various forms of civic engagement and if they are considered volunteerism or voluntarism. Volunteerism and Voluntary Sector (Voluntarism) Defined Both volunteerism and the voluntary sector (voluntarism) are fundamental building blocks of a civil society and although related they are two different concepts. Volunteerism refers to the individual act of volunteering whereas voluntarism refers to the voluntary sector and is concerned with the health of not-for-profit organizations within the voluntary sector. Both informal and direct or formal volunteering are considered to be forms of volunteerism whereas affiliated community groups, community organizations that receive annual operating grants, and the voluntary sector at large are considered voluntarism. Community participation is just that and although absolutely important to a democratic and civil society it is not considered a form of neither volunteerism nor voluntarism and thus would not be considered as part of a volunteer support strategy. Status of the Voluntary Sector According to the 2003 National Survey of Non-profit and Voluntary Organizations (NSNPVO), the voluntary sector in Canada is made up of 161 ,000 organizations with 1.2 million paid staff and 6.5 million volunteers. Ontario's non-profit, voluntary sector has a long history of and still remains an essential component of Ontario's social, economic and civic landscape, despite being challenged by a number of issues. Throughout the Province of Ontario, there are more than 45,000 non-profit, voluntary organizations. This sector provides services, does research, advocates and contributes across a wide array of "sub sectors" including sports, arts/culture, social development, health, environment and international aid. It also represents the interests of all Canadians, often bringing voice to issues and concerns from perspectives not always heard from: young people, Aboriginal peoples, new Canadians, people with disabilities, people living in poverty or isolation, and individuals living with disease or difficulty. The sociologist Alex Himelfarb, once summarized the role of the voluntary sector in this way: · It provides a myriad of services that government can't, or prefers to see done by non-government agents, or that citizens themselves want to see happen. · It gives voice-to constituencies and issues and concerns and ideas. A voice that keeps government, corporations and society on their toes, accountable. A voice that needs to be heard. · It engages people: as volunteers, as activists, as voters, as participants. In Kitchener, the voluntary sector serves these same roles and is a key part of the economic, health, social, environmental, and cultural well-being of our local community. In fact, 650/0 of non-profits in Ontario have a local mandate (NSNPVO, 2003). The paragraphs below provide an explanation of various forms of civic engagement, identifies if they are a form or volunteerism or voluntarism, provides a brief status report on each, suggestions for possible future development. Forms of Civic Engagement at the City of Kitchener: Definitions, a Status Report, and Suggestions for Possible Future Development o Community Participation is defined as participating in the community by belonging to group, organization, or association. Participation in such groups is considered to be an important contributor to the development of social capital since it enables people to build bonds of trust and reciprocity that provide a foundation for a vibrant community. For the purposes of this report, community participation is also defined as exercising one's basic democratic rights such as voting and participating in public consultations. The 2004 Canada Survey on Giving, Volunteering and Participating (CSGVP) found that 660/0 of the population aged 15 and over belonged to a group, organization, or association and that on average they belong to 2 groups although 450/0 belong to just one type of organization. The top four types of organizations to which Canadians belong are sports and recreation (31 % of Canadians belong), professional associations and unions (270/0), religious organizations or groups (170/0) and cultural or hobby organizations (130/0). The City of Kitchener encourages community participation through a multitude of opportunities for people to participate in recreational and leisure programs or groups and through campaigns to encourage residents to vote or to participate in the public process or consultation. The information gathering stage of the Healthy Community Plan which included numerous options and formats for input (on-line, group sessions, paper surveys, etc) is an example of a strategy that was developed to reach out and gather input from all members of our community. Although community participation is essential to a healthy community and building social capital, it is not considered to be a form of volunteerism so future development steps would not be included in a volunteers support strategy. The areas within the corporation best positioned to take a lead role in these developmental steps include Corporate Communications, Clerks, Corporate and Community Planning, and divisions within Community Services that offer programs to the public or have insights into how to reach all members of our community such as Inclusion Services, Youth Services, and Adults 50+. As well, encouraging community participation is the responsibility of any city project team that gathers public input or engages in community consultation. o Informal Volunteering refers to members of the community "pitching in" to help out the community in meaningful and positive ways. The contributions of "informal volunteers" are done of one's own volition, are unscheduled, and often not tied or monitored by any particular agency so is not as structured as a "formal" volunteer position within an agency that has a specific "job" to do at specific times and under supervision. Examples of "informal" volunteers include the neighbour who organizes a community barbecue so neighbours can get to know each other, a responsible property owner that helps to clear the snow from his or her elderly neighbours sidewalk, people who regularly pick-up litter or organize their own group litter pick- ups. Informal volunteering has a significant and vital role to play in our society. The 2004 CSGVP reports that 830/0 of the population aged 15 and older helped others directly without going through charitable or other non-profit organizations. It is predicted that the proportion of people who contribute to their communities through informal rather than formal ways will most likely continue to grow due to people's inability, hesitancy, or unwillingness to make a long term commitment to traditional forms of volunteering. This trend can be attributed to a multitude and often simultaneous factors including work load demands, work schedules, the demands and schedules of educational or retraining programs, family commitments or care-giving duties, fear of perceived liability, health conditions which particularly affects people with disabilities or seniors, and mobility which can be either defined as moving from one community to another or commuting to and from work. Given all of these factors, increasing numbers of people prefer or are only able to contribute to society in unstructured, informal ways rather than formalized volunteer positions that often required a more long term and scheduled commitment. Thus, in 2004, the City of Kitchener made a progressive and innovative move to embrace this form of civic engagement by officially recognizing it as a valid and beneficial form of engagement. At this time, the name of Volunteer Resources was expanded to "Volunteer Resources and Community Engagement" and programs that encourage informal volunteering such as Earth Week and Festival of Neighbourhoods were centralized under the Volunteer Resources umbrella. Future development steps in this area could include enhancement of resources that encourage informal volunteering. If Council sees this form of civic engagement as a priority for the Volunteer Support Strategy, additional resources such as space, staffing, and program budgets are required to re-vitalize some programs such as Adopt-a-Park/Adopt-a-Road and to grow existing programs such as Earth Week and Festival of Neighbourhoods. o Direct Volunteering for the Corporation of the City of Kitchener Direct volunteers are individuals who, without monetary compensation or expectation of compensation beyond reimbursement of approved expenses, perform a task under the direction of and on behalf of the Corporation of the City of Kitchener. To be considered a direct volunteer, volunteers must be officially accepted and enrolled by the Corporation of the City of Kitchener prior to the performance of the volunteer task. Examples of direct volunteers of the City of Kitchener include outdoor winter rink volunteers, summer playground volunteers, most of the volunteers of Adults 50+ programs, and volunteers of special events operated directly by the City of Kitchener such as Festival of the Night, Word on the Street Literary Festival, and Cruising on King. In Ontario, approximately 500/0 of the population volunteers giving an average of 162 hours per year with a median of 60 hours per year. Youth aged 15 to 24 years has the highest rate of volunteering (630/0). The lowest rate of volunteering was found in the age category of 65 years and older but seniors gave the largest number of hours (CSGVP,2004). In 2006, Volunteer Resources developed a performance measurement system to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of supports and services provided to staff who works with direct volunteers. To date, data from two quarters have been collected and compiled. As well, the results of an annual feedback survey have been compiled. So far, the statistics and feedback has been positive indicating that the support and services offered by Volunteer Resources to direct volunteers and the staff who work with them is both efficient and effective. Another opportunity to measure the effectiveness of support and services offered by the City of Kitchener for direct volunteers was made available through the Ontario Network of the Canadian Volunteerism Initiative (OCVI). Through this federally-funded initiative, a Municipal Toolkit was developed to encourage communities across Ontario to become "volunteer-friendly". The City of Kitchener scored well on the 16 point criteria assessment tool to assess how well a municipality engages and supports volunteers and thus was recognized as a "Municipal Champion of Volunteerism". However, two items on this assessment list are still in progress and need to be fully implemented. These two items are an update to our volunteer record keeping system and the approval of policies and procedures for volunteer management. These policies are similar to Human Resources policies but are geared specifically for the consistent management of volunteers. Both of these projects are well underway and it is hoped that they will be fully implemented over the next 6 to 12 months. Future developmental steps in this area could include an audit to see to what degree each program area that involves volunteers is in compliance with the Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement that was adopted in 2002 by Council as a standard code for how volunteers are involved and managed across the Corporation. · Affiliated Community Groups are local not-for-profit organizations that meet the eligibility criteria as outlined in the Corporation of the City of Kitchener's affiliation policies for minor sports groups and neighbourhood associations and are approved for affiliation by Kitchener City Council. Affiliated groups work in close partnership with the City of Kitchener to deliver municipal programs and services. As a benefit of affiliation, these groups receive in-kind or financial support as per their respective affiliation agreements. The primary benefits for both minor sports groups and neighbourhood associations is third party liability insurance, a staff liaison, reduced fees or free space in city facilities, reduced fees or free printing/advertising costs, and training for the boards and volunteers of these organizations. The volunteers of affiliated community groups are referred to as indirect volunteers in that they help to deliver programs offered indirectly by the City of Kitchener through affiliated community groups. Indirect volunteers are defined as individuals who perform without monetary compensation or expectation of compensation beyond reimbursement of approved expenses, a task under the direction of and on behalf of a not-for-profit group affiliated with the Corporation of City of Kitchener. Volunteers must be officially accepted and enrolled by the affiliated group prior to the performance of the volunteer task. Recent research findings indicate that these groups are in a precarious position. According to the CSGVP (2004), in Ontario sport and recreation associations are the second largest number of association types in Ontario (at 160/0, preceded only by religious organizations at 230/0), and that they utilize the highest percentage of all volunteers in Ontario (390/0 of all volunteers) at an average rate of 76 hours per year (equal to 290/0 of all hours donated). The challenge is that, unlike most other voluntary agencies in Ontario - 540/0 of which experience stable volunteerism rates, 220/0 of sport and recreation associations reported a decline in volunteer levels between 2000 and 2003. Other studies indicate that in the voluntary sector in general, non-profit organizations have great difficulty attracting board members. As outlined earlier in this report and as supported through the CSGVP (2004), this trend may be attributed to a multitude and often simultaneous factors including work load demands, work schedules, the demands and schedules of educational or retraining programs, family commitments or care-giving duties, fear of perceived liability, health conditions which particularly affects people with disabilities or seniors, and mobility which can be either defined as moving from one community to another or commuting to and from work. Given all of these factors, people are hesitant to volunteer in formal ways and with community run organizations. Another trend relevant to affiliated groups is the trend of "top volunteers". According to the 2004 CGSVP, 250/0 of volunteers or 11 % of Canadians account for 770/0 of all volunteer hours. This figure provides evidence that volunteer burnout is not just an isolated or perceived program but a real issue not only for individual volunteers and their families but for the groups, municipalities, and communities they volunteer for. In Kitchener, both minor sports and neighbourhood associations have reported these trends and staff have observed them. Given how dependent the municipality is on these groups delivering programs and services on our behalf and the significant role these groups have in creating social capital and a healthy community, these trends are concerning. Current developmental work in this area includes the review and update of that affiliation and other policies such as the room booking and printing policy for neighbourhood associations. Review of these policies will help to clarify the relationship of these groups to the City and to better position the city and these groups are key community partners for the future. Ongoing training to increase capacity of these groups is offered by Volunteer Resources and ongoing support is made available through their city staff liaison. Future development of support and resources to affiliated groups could include additional capacity building opportunities especially in the areas of diversity, funding, sustainability, and volunteer recruitment, screening and management. Training is a key part of capacity building but to be truly effective needs to be coupled with good policies, funding, incentives, and other forms of support. o Community Organizations that Receive Grants from the City of Kitchener also help to deliver municipal programs and services in that to be eligible to receive funding they need to provide a program or service that is considered a municipal responsibility. Because of the dependence of the municipality on these non-profit organizations to provide an array of programs and services in our community as well as good stewardship of the money granted to them, the municipality has a vested interest in the health and effectiveness of these organizations. Like other voluntary sector organizations across the province, these groups are Future directions for this area will be advised by the Community Investment Strategy which is currently being developed. o Voluntary Sector at Large includes all other not-for-profit organizations within our community which includes a vast array of groups such as service clubs, faith organizations, hobby groups, professional associations, advocacy groups, environmental organizations, health organizations, foundations, social service and any other not-for-profit organizations. Although these groups may not receive support or funding directly from the City of Kitchener, they often interact frequently with the municipality regarding facility rentals, licensing, road closures, building permits, and other matters. These organizations, like other voluntary sector organizations across the province or in Kitchener are As a municipality, we have a role in providing good customer service to these organizations by minimizing bureaucracy so that they can remain vital, grow and flourish. The City is currently developing a customer service strategy which may help to guide future directions for this area as initiatives such as the Strengthening Voluntarism in Ontario project that Volunteer Resource staff is involved. Table 1 provides a summary of the paragraphs above. Discussion Points: As explained in the Executive Summary, this report provides background information for a discussion about the priorities for a possible volunteer support strategy. This discussion provides Council with the opportunity to provide feedback and input and to convey insights that you've gained from members of the community. The two primary discussion questions are as follows: o What have residents told you about their experience of volunteering or managing non- profit organizations? o What have citizens told you about how we support volunteers within the Corporation and voluntary sector organizations within our community? Have they suggested any ways that we can support them better? FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: The scope of the envisioned Volunteer Support Strategy will determine the financial implications of both developing the strategy and implementing it. COMMUNICATIONS: As priorities are clarified, key staff and community stakeholders will be invited to help clarify those priorities, develop a strategy or strategies to address them, and then implement them. As necessary, Corporate Communications will be called upon to assist. CONCLUSION: Both volunteers and the voluntary sector are vital to the health of our corporation and community. A well-thought out support strategy that provides clear priorities and direction will ensure that this necessary and valued part of our corporation and community remains vibrant and has access to the support and resources it needs to foster its sustainability and future growth. Mark Hildebrand, Interim Director, Community Programs and Services AP Figure 1 - Forms of Civic Engagement Community Participation e.g., belonging to a group, organization or association, voting, participation in public consultations Non-profit groups who grants from City of Kitchener e.g., MT Space Theatre Horticultural Society Informal Volunteering e.g., Self-organized litter pick-ups Voluntary Sector at Large e.g., Service groups, faith organizations, etc. Direct Volunteering for City of Kitchener e.g., outdoor winter rink volunteers meal program volunteers Affiliated Community Group (Indirect Volunteers) e.g., Minor Sports or Neighbourhood Associations Voluntary Sector or Voluntarism Table 1 - Overview of Forms of Volunteerism / Voluntary Sector and Current and Possible F I='orm of Volunteerism ExamRle Current Strateg}' 1'0 Ille ture D Engagement or Voluntarism Informal Volunteerism - organizing own litter pick-up - Festival of Neighbourhoods - further growth of t Volunteering - organizing a Festival of - Earth Week other that encourc Neighbourhoods event such - Community Cleanliness Strategy volunteering is del as a street dance - Litter Reduction Task Force resou rces in the f( - Kitchener Natural Area Program and program bud~ - City of Kitchener'~ - Volunteer Resources Performance - audit of the Cdn ( Direct or Formal Volunteerism - rink volunteers Measurement System Involvement in eal Volunteering - meal program volunteers - Annual Work Plan of Vol Resources - youth strategy - Cdn Code for Volunteer Involvement - adults 50+ strateg Affiliated Groups Voluntary - minor sports - Volunteer Resources Performance - youth strategy Sector - neighbourhood Measurement System - adults 50+ strate~ (Indirect associations - Annual Work Plan of Volunteer - in collaboration V\ Volunteers) Resources which includes training partners, develop and capacity building initiatives resource and edL - PRO's Sport Volunteers in Ontario Research Project - Strengthening Voluntarism in Ontario Project - Neighbourhood Association Affiliation and Other NA related Policy Review & Update Community Non- Voluntary - MT Space Theatre - Community Investment Strategy - in collaboration '^ Profit Sector - KW Horticultural Society - Strengthening Voluntarism in partners, develop Organizations Ontario initiative resource and edu that Receive - Culture Plan II Grants from City of Kitchener - Customer Service Strategy, - in collaboration wi Voluntary Sector Voluntary - service clubs - Strengthening Voluntarism in partners, developr at Large Sector - faith organizations Ontario initiative resource and edul *NB: Community participation is not included in this chart because it is not considered a form of volunteer ism or the voluntary sector.