With tight budgets and seemingly endless need, nonprofit organizations are always seeking additional volunteers—a void an upcoming symposium aims to help fill.
As a call to promote volunteer recruitment in Ohio, The Dairy Barn, 8000 Dairy Lane, will play host Wednesday to Moving Mountains: The Changing Landscape of Volunteerism in Appalachia, a one-day symposium focused on the tools and strategies needed to build and strengthen volunteer programs.
There will be an emphasis on social media and its ability to appeal to a younger demographic, said Gary Goosman, senior programs director at Corporations for Ohio.
“Twitter and other social medias would help to recruit a younger audience,” Goosman said. “We’re really focused on anyone who wants to help out and volunteer.”
The symposium will consist of multiple morning and afternoon sessions that will cover topics ranging from marketing and recruiting to safety issues, policies and retention in philanthropic work.
At a time when various nonprofit organizations are losing funding and running on tight budgets, the symposium’s timing is ideal, said Goosman.
“Some nonprofits have lost funding because of budget cuts at the federal and state level, as well as the economic downturn,” Goosman said. “I’m sure the majority of nonprofit organizations have seen a downturn.”
Among the speakers set to appear is keynote speaker Mary Cannon, program development and evaluation officer for ServeOhio, a state agency focusing on promoting volunteer work in Ohio.
Cannon has worked in the volunteer management field for more than 10 years and will be speaking on the importance of welcoming and managing volunteers in a community, according to a news release.
“This is the first conference of its kind in the region, so I wanted to be able to show my support for the efforts of the organizations in the area,” Cannon said.
Volunteering appeals particularly to college students because it places them above students who choose not volunteer and it opens their eyes to the business world, Cannon said.
“From the college perspective, it’s a must to get involved in your community and build the skills you won’t be able to get while in a classroom,” Cannon added.
Organized by the Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development and sponsored by the Athens Foundation, the event will cost $10 and lunch will be provided, said Susan Urano, executive director of the Athens Foundation.
"We’re very interested in the work being done to promote local volunteerism,” Urano said. “Since a lot of nonprofits run on tight budgets, it would be nice to have some volunteers who aren’t on a salary.”
az346610@ohiou.edu
