Volunteer Virginia - November 2021

November 2021

Don't Miss Upcoming

Virginia Volunteerism Briefings

The Virginia Service Commission would like to invite you to join us as we strive to help you expand your impact and rebuild more diverse and equitable communities. We are hosting several upcoming webinars for organizations and government agencies to be a part of a vision for how volunteerism and community service can be the key to solving our most challenging problems. There are a few spots left for our November Briefings: November 4th and 16th.

AmeriCorps Funding Opportunity

Could AmeriCorps be the solution your organization is looking for to make greater impact in your community? The Virginia Service Commission has announced its RFA for 2022-23 AmeriCorps State Competitive Grants. A Mandatory Pre-Application Conference Call will be held on November 8, 10:30am-12:30pm for organizations interested in applying. The deadline for applications is November 29, 2021.

Start Planning Now for the

MLK Day of Service

The holiday season is here and, before you know it, communities across Virginia will be honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., with volunteer projects on January 17th. Start now assessing needs in your community to plan worthwhile and impactful projects -- from virtual activities to safe in-person events. Looking for ideas and more? Check out the following resources:

Nominations Open Soon for

2021 National Service Awards

Individuals serving in AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors, as well as AmeriCorps Alums, in Virginia who have performed outstanding service to their communities are honored annually through Virginia National Service Awards. Honorees this year will be celebrated during AmeriCorps Week, March 7-13, 2022. The six week nomination period is opening in late 2021 -- exact dates coming soon! Read about the 2020 winners!

New AmeriCorps Member

to Focus on Diversity, Equity,

and Inclusion

The Virginia Service Commission is excited to welcome Shreya Gurung who will be serving as an AmeriCorps members serving in the VISTA program in Northern Virginia. Shreya graduated from George Mason University with a masters in Global Affairs in 2021. She will serve as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) project coordinator and engage with Virginia’s volunteerism and national service network to incorporate the vital goals of DEI into the service community. Her combined passion for service learning and addressing social justice issues led her to the DEI coordinator position. She is looking forward to strengthening the Virginia Service Commission’s ability to reach people living in poverty. Shreya enjoys a good Netflix binge but can also be found tending to her small garden of apartment houseplants. Welcome Shreya!

Nonprofit Toolbox

If you would like to share additional resources with us, please pass them along to us via email at VirginiaServiceInfo@dss.virginia.gov.

AmeriCorps VISTA Positions are available in the Virginia Department of Social Services' Virginia Capacity Building Project. Members will address a wide variety of topics, including, but not limited to: expanding access to affordable childcare; providing resources to address substance use disorder; putting immigrants in touch with services tailored to their needs; and furthering the goals of food security and good nutrition for all.

Independent Sector's Annual Health of the U.S. Nonprofit Sector Report is an evolving resource of data, analysis, and recommendations about key areas powering more than 1.8 million U.S. nonprofits.

A Houses of Worship Security Self-Assessment has been released by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Additional safety resources can be found here.

Nonprofit Compliance Checklist Templates will help you to keep track of the following: general compliance tasks, state charitable solicitation registrations and disclosure statements, and best practices for record-keeping, governance, and upholding organizational policies.

2021 Virginia Social Emotional Learning Guidance Standards establish a framework for teachers and schools to prioritize and implement social and emotional learning (SEL) as an integral part of education and human development.

Afterschool Program Development: A Toolkit for State Commissions and Partners and National Service 101: A Toolkit for Afterschool Programs are two guides providing the afterschool field with fresh ideas on how AmeriCorps members and national service can strengthen afterschool programs to create positive community change.

Self-Guided Summer Equity Learning Programs are available through Learning for Justice.

Resources and Support for College Students with Disabilities addresses college who may not have access to the same support system they did before school.

How to Perform a Database Cleanse details how to make sure your contact lists are in perfect working order to get the most out of your marketing and fundraising efforts.

FEMA's Exercise Materials are now available in newly translated Spanish versions.

FEMA Nonprofit Security Grant Program Informational Webinar Series invites faith-based, community, and nonprofit organizations to attend these informational webinars. Dates: November 4th, 8th, and 19th.

Service Year Impact Communities: A Place-based Strategy for Making Universal National Service a Reality is a new toolkit to help community collaboratives become a Service Year Impact Community or come together to utilize service years as a strategy for meeting community needs.

2021 Building A Grad Nation Report explore high school graduation trends across the nation in depth and also charts a path forward to realize the highly achievable gains necessary to reach a 90 percent graduation rate.

10 Instagram Best Practices for Nonprofits details some great ways to make your posts reach a wider audience.

National Service-Learning Awards honor amazing service-learning practitioners or student teams. Deadline: December 17

Family-to-Family Health Information Centers Grants aim to provide information, education, technical assistance, and peer support to families of children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) and the professionals who serve them. Deadline: January 5, 2022

Upcoming Opportunities

Events & Training Opportunities

Workshops and events are virtual unless otherwise noted.

Virginia Volunteerism Summit (Virtual, May 4-5, 2022 - Early Bird Registration Opens Soon!)
Rest & Renewal with Elaine Kiziah: Celebrating International Volunteer Managers Day (November 4)
MENTOR Virginia Virtual Conference (November 9-10)
Train, Engage & Retain Virtual Volunteers (November 9)
Survey Development (November 9)
Funds, Finance, and Forecasting: Ensuring Your Nonprofit's Financial Wellbeing (November 17)
Future of Communications Conference (November 17)
Equitable Human Resources Practices (November 30, December 1 & 2)
Volunteer Impact Leadership Training Series (November 29 & December 1, 6, & 8)
2021 Dismantling Inequities Conference (December 9-10)
2022 Virginia Emergency Management Symposium (Norfolk, March 21-25)

More Volunteer Opportunities

Loudoun Cares Art Auction (Herndon, October 16)
Afghan Resettlement (Arlington, Ongoing)
Holiday Volunteer Opportunities (Richmond, Ongoing)
Environment Habitat Walk Day (Portsmouth, November 13)
Trail Clearing, Garden Weeding, & Mulching (Roanoke, Ongoing)
Salvation Army Bell Ringers (Staunton, Ongoing)
Digitizing/Organizing Photos (Williamsburg, Ongoing)
Thrive Peninsula Food Pantry Volunteers (Newport News, Ongoing)
Virtual Professional Volunteering (Warrenton, Ongoing)
Food Pantry Unloading/Organizing (Norfolk, Ongoing)
PALS Program Volunteer (Prince William, Ongoing)
Clothing Closet/Food Pantry (Lynchburg, Ongoing)
Catholic Charities (Fairfax, Ongoing)

Virginia Office on Volunteerism & Community Services

804-726-7065 | VirginiaServiceInfo@dss.virginia.gov

VirginiaService.virginia.gov