SECRETARY'S MESSAGE
Greetings Members and Member Organizations,
Our work schedules and the way we work have changed back and forth over the past few years. We have to reevaluate our priorities regularly now. Some tasks fall off; some meetings are put back on our plates. Not to mention trying to rectify those changes in our lives outside of work. I know I have trouble some weeks getting my bearings straight!
If you are like me, one of those priorities to fall off has been to take time for myself. I think that is a natural mindset for a lot of us called into this line of work. But I'm here to remind you (and myself!) that you should often focus on your own needs. It's important to take breaks, use your time off, and even just take your lunch every day. You are important, and important stuff needs to be cared for.
To that point: we have some good, fun ways to do that. VAN is back in-person this month! And the topic is a great one if you need help managing those corporate groups and relationships. In November the ServeOhio Conference is back in person, too! There are always great topics on avoiding burnout and managing time, among many other topics. Please take a day to attend! ALSO: VAN is hosting a get-together the night before the conference at Olentangy River Brewery. You know, just to balance out all the professional development with a little fun!
Details for everything are below. I'll be at all of them, and I hope to see you there!
Galen Roth
VAN Co-Secretary
OCTOBER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
VAN Professional Development Meeting
Topic: Corporate Engagement with Adrienne Selsor, CFRE
Time: Thursday, October 20th 9:00 - 10:00 AM
Place: This month's meeting is in-person AND virtual!
Columbus Metropolitan Library
96 S Grant Ave
Room 1A
Columbus, OH 43215
Adrienne has twenty years of experience in the philanthropy sector in central Ohio; serving as the chief fundraising officer at YWCA Columbus and managing Battelle’s charitable giving endeavors prior to becoming a consultant. In her role as Corporate Philanthropy Manager at Battelle, she invested the company's charitable resources into the community and also served on the Women’s Employee Resource Group and the Diversity Leadership Council, chairing its Recruitment, Retention and Communications Committee.
Corporations and foundations provide 23% of donations annually, but nonprofits often don’t know how to create these partnerships or rely too heavily on this funding. Having served as both a corporate funder and a nonprofit fundraiser, Adrienne has a unique perspective on how to strategically link the two sectors. The goal of this session is to provide tools and plans that encourage holistic partnerships with corporate and foundation donors. During our time together we will explore approaches to become more collaborative partners and increase the likelihood of obtaining and sustaining support. Together we will walk through scenarios to share actionable best practices that can be used right away. Want to increase corporate support, but don’t know where to start? Is there a local company that seems to give to everyone but you? Have you tried to reach out for support but are feeling like it’s not getting anywhere? Maybe your organization submitted a grant request that you thought was terrific, but it was declined? Your role as the volunteer relationship manager is crucial to these partnerships. Join us to learn how to be a more strategic corporate/foundation partner and ensure that fundraising is indeed fun!
Again: This month's meeting is in-person AND virtual!
Columbus Metropolitan Library
96 S Grant Ave
Room 1A
Columbus, OH 43215
See your VANtage newsletter for new Zoom information.
2022 OHIO CONFERENCE ON SERVICE & VOLUNTEERISM
The 2022 Ohio Conference on Service and Volunteerism will be November 3rd, 2022. The conference will he held in-person at Quest Conference Center in Columbus. Registration ends October 20th! The Volunteer Administrators' Network of Central Ohio will hold a pre-conference get-together at Olentangy River Brewery the night before! Please register for the free event here! VAN will provide complimentary food & snacks. Drinks will be available for purchase.
JOIN THE VAN BOARD FOR 2023
We are accepting applications for new board members for 2023! You'll notice that many positions are co-chairs, which means you'll have help! Open positions that will need to be filled are
Vice President
Professional Development Co-Chair
Membership Co-Chair
Web Coordinator
Treasurer
Please email your resume to President Gerlinde Higginbotham, ghco@ghconsultingservices.com.
VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION NIGHTS WITH THE COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
The Columbus Blue Jackets are offering ticket deals for volunteers in central Ohio! Click here for more details.