History
Founded in 2001, MAVA advances the power of volunteerism to deepen community impact through uplifting community voice, building connections, providing education, and promoting advocacy. MAVA’s vision is a world in which everyone has an equitable opportunity to positively impact their community through volunteerism. MAVA is a state and global leader in meeting pressing community needs through effective and equitable engagement of volunteers. MAVA has embedded equity into internal structures and works with other organizations to dismantle structural racism in volunteer systems.
A one of its’ kind organization, MAVA propels organizations and volunteer engagement professionals to maximum mission capacity through multiple services and programs. These include: • Innovative consulting, training and conferences in diversity, equity and inclusion, and best practice training in volunteer engagement • An AmeriCorps VISTA program focused on volunteer engagement capacity building • Certification of service enterprise organizations demonstrating solid leveraging of volunteer resources • Research resulting in cutting edge curriculum in topics that advance organizational effectiveness in solving pressing community problems • Connection, networking and advocacy for volunteer engagement professionals.
Strategic Priorities
1. Expand MAVA’s Reach
● Market MAVA services to informal and organizational volunteers.
● Explore how to expand our audience beyond volunteer engagement leaders
● Develop new marketing and outreach plan and conduct marketing activities accordingly, while maintaining core activities and values of MAVA.
2. Increase Member Recruitment, Retention & Engagement
● Develop strategies to discover which regions, groups and areas are most ripe for new membership.
● Implement new recruitment campaigns.
● Develop retention strategies. Design services and efforts that are relevant to long term members.
● Design and deliver service programs called for by District Council members. Utilize District
Councils as a vehicle for expanding Greater MN membership.
● Engage networks and groups of non-MAVA volunteer engagement professionals to offer collaboration and support.
3. Provide Relevant and Responsive Services, Programs and Training
● Respond and adapt services, programs and trainings according to member needs and trends in the field.
● Offer both skills-based and personal/professional growth trainings
● Measure outcomes and participant satisfaction in all services and programs.
● Expand both online and in-person learning and communication.
● Promote advanced and accelerated professional development opportunities to increase member participation.
● Continue to identify emerging issues for the field and assess opportunities for field-based research.
4. Advocate for Volunteer Engagement as a Key Strategy for Addressing Community Needs
● Advocate to increase awareness about volunteerism as a key strategy for community impact.
● Advocate to elevate the status of the profession within organizations.
● Advance MAVA as a national thought leader on volunteerism.
● Pursue state legislation on volunteerism infrastructure building.
● Conduct studies designed to inform and educate volunteer engagement professionals and their organizations on trends and issues in the field.
● Explore the barriers to formal volunteerism (the work the Volunteer Voice Committee wants to do)
5. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
● Engage volunteers, staff and stakeholders from communities of color.
● Increase program focus on engaging communities of color.
● Continue research on racism within volunteerism structures and use research to promote awareness and encourage change within organizations that engage volunteers.
● Make hiring and board placement decisions with racial diversity as a top priority.
● Engage in internal diversity, equity and inclusion work to increase cultural competency of staff and board and shift organizational culture toward racial equity.
● Work to build and adapt all MAVA programs and trainings to reflect our increasing knowledge of diversity, equity and inclusion in volunteer engagement.
● Promote and deliver MAVA’s Race Equity in Volunteerism program.
6. Revenue Growth
● Maintain stable revenue which supports MAVA’s work.
● Continue to diversify revenue sources
● Increase membership revenue by 10% over three years.
● Increase Strengthening Service donors by 10% each year.
● Increase Circle members.
● Explore additions to the current Benevon fundraising model.
● Promote legislative and policy advocacy to generate program growth and revenue.
● Decrease reliance on grant income by increasing individual giving, sponsorships and consulting revenue.
Annual Budget: $1.4 million – Earned Income, Foundations, Individual Contributions, Government Grants or Contracts
Skills
MAVA is seeking board members with skills in the following areas:
- Board Governance
- Fundraising
- Marketing and Communications
- Strategic and Business Planning
Information
- Number of members currently: 12
- Meeting time and frequency: 12 meetings annually
- Meeting location: St. Paul
- Does nonprofit carry liability insurance? Yes
Expectations
- Time Expectation: Up to 5 hours/month
- Financial Contribution Required: Yes
- Service on Committee Required: Yes
- Committees: Executive, Finance, Other
- Length of Term: 2 Years
- Renewable: Yes