CaliforniaVolunteers Career Opportunities
California Volunteer Matching Network(CVMN) AmeriCorps*VISTA Leader
California Volunteer Matching Network(CVMN) AmeriCorps*VISTA Leader
AmeriCorps*VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) provides individuals the opportunity to serve full time in nonprofit and public agencies to create and expand programs that ultimately bring low-income individuals and communities out of poverty. In return for their service, AmeriCorps*VISTA members receive a modest living allowance, health care, and other benefits, including an Education Award or cash stipend upon completion of their year of service.
Overview
The CVMN AmeriCorps*VISTA Leader will be placed at the CaliforniaVolunteers office in Sacramento and will be tasked with supporting CVMN AmeriCorps*VISTA members, who will be placed at local “Hubs” throughout the state. CVMN VISTA members will strengthen nonprofits across California that serve people living in poverty by helping them strategically increase their use of volunteers. They will engage in outreach to nonprofits with limited or no use of volunteers to carry out their mission and help those organizations identify how volunteers can expand the reach and effectiveness of their programs. Subsequently, the VISTA members will assist those organizations in establishing new or enhanced volunteer management practices to ensure long-term program viability.
The CVMN Vista Leader will be supervised by CaliforniaVolunteers staff.
Activities and Tasks
• Provide practical support to CVMN VISTA members across the state, including field visits as needed;
• Assist with trainings for CVMN VISTA members;
• Assist with reporting and other logistics as needed to successfully implement the project;
• Provide support for the coordination and implementation of volunteer management training, facilitating the sharing of relevant curricula across the field;
• Coordinate the sharing of best practices and relevant document templates (i.e. volunteer assignment descriptions and other);
• Ensure that VISTA members are actively working to get volunteer opportunities posted on the CVMN Hub's volunteer matching website;
• Support VISTA members in brainstorming with nonprofits regarding potential new, different and additional ways they can engage volunteers to better accomplish their program goals;
• Monitor the field (local, state and national) for research, news and opportunities relevant to the work of the CVMN VISTA members; and,
• Coordinate regular conference calls and meetings for CVMN VISTA members.
Recommended Skills and Qualifications:
• A demonstrated interest in the field of volunteerism;
• Leadership skills and aptitude;
• A commitment to serving the needs of low-income and underserved communities;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills;
• Self-starter;
• Computer literate, able to use common software applications and to learn new technologies;
• Experience in community organizing is desirable;
• Possession of a valid driver’s license; and,
• Reliable transportation.
Terms:
• Must have completed a term of AmeriCorps*VISTA service.
• Requires full-time service for 12 months without outside commitments, such as school and other employment (some education exceptions apply); and
• Applicants must be 18 years or older.
Benefits:
CVMN VISTA Leader will receive:
• A living allowance of $510.44 gross bi-weekly;
• A relocation allowance, if eligible depending on the distance of the move;
• Health coverage;
• Ten personal leave days and ten sick days;
• Childcare assistance, if eligible (max $300/month);
• An option to purchase life insurance;
• Option of cash stipend of $2,400 or an Education Award of $4,725 upon completion of a full year of service; and,
• Training and personal development opportunities, a key component of the VISTA program, which includes learning about the CVMN VISTA program’s goals and methodologies, community development, the field of volunteerism, nonprofit operations, cultural issues, and other topics
To Apply
1. Contact Kamara Aguiar at CaliforniaVolunteers: Kamara.Aguiar@CaliforniaVolunteers.ca.gov (916)319-9614.
2. If selected, applicants must also complete an online application and other documents.
California Volunteer Matching Network AmeriCorps*VISTA Member Positions
AmeriCorps*VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) provides individuals the opportunity to serve full time in nonprofit and public agencies to create and expand programs that ultimately bring low-income individuals and communities out of poverty. In return for their service, AmeriCorps*VISTA members receive a modest living allowance, health care, and other benefits, including an education award or cash stipend upon completion of their year of service.
Overview
CVMN VISTA members will strengthen nonprofits across California that serve people living in poverty by helping them strategically increase their use of volunteers. The VISTA members will be placed at CVMN “Hubs” (typically volunteer centers and Points of Light & Hands On Network affiliates) throughout the state. They will engage in outreach to nonprofits with limited or no use of volunteers to carry out their mission and help those organizations identify how volunteers can expand the reach and effectiveness of their programs. Subsequently, the VISTA members will assist those organizations in establishing new or enhanced volunteer management practices to ensure long-term program viability.
While CVMN VISTAs’ specific duties will vary slightly depending on the community needs where they are placed, the following represent the general duties and goals of the CVMN VISTA program.
Activities and Tasks
• Serve as the CVMN Hub's liaison to organizations that have had little or no contact with the local CVMN Hub;
• Serve as the CVMN Hub's liaison to organizations in areas outside the primary service area of the CVMN Hub to expand the geographic reach of the Hub;
• Develop and follow up with a target list of organizations;
• Attend community meetings where large numbers of organizations are present;
• Outreach to organizations who serve people in poverty to help identify ways they can better utilize volunteers to help meet their program objectives;
• Assist above-stated organizations in achieving maximum volunteer recruitment through CVMN Hub’s programming;
• Assist with the coordination and implementation of volunteer management training;
• Assist nonprofits and public agencies with the development of volunteer position descriptions;
• Assist nonprofits and public agencies with the posting of their volunteer opportunities on the CVMN Hub's volunteer matching website;
• Brainstorm with nonprofits regarding potential new, different and additional ways they can engage volunteers to better accomplish their program goals;
• Assist with marketing to nonprofits and public agencies to encourage their partnership with the local CVMN Hub;
• Participate community activities with other CVMN VISTAs such as sharing successes and challenges via regular conference calls and meetings;
• Connect with key associations and networks to promote services offered by the CVMN Hub (i.e. health associations, schools, faith groups, etc.);
• Work with organizations to develop opportunities for key demographics (i.e. youth, boomers, people with disabilities, etc.); and,
• Collaborate with other AmeriCorps programs to identify organizations needing this assistance
Recommended Skills and Qualifications
• An interest in the field of volunteerism;
• A commitment to serving the needs of low-income and underserved communities;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills;
• Self-starter;
• Computer literate, able to use common software applications and to learn new technologies;
• Ability to conduct community research in person and via Internet;
• Experience in community organizing is desirable;
• Proficiency in Spanish and/or locally predominant Asian/Pacific Islander languages a plus;
• Possession of a valid driver’s license; and,
• Reliable transportation.
Terms
• Requires full-time service for 12 months without outside commitments, such as school and other employment (some education exceptions apply); and
• Applicants must be 18 years or older.
Benefits CVMN VISTA members will receive:
• A living allowance between $398.13 and $436.80 gross bi-weekly, depending on location;
• A relocation allowance, if eligible depending on the distance of the move;
• Health coverage;
• Ten personal leave days and ten sick days;
• Childcare assistance, if eligible (max $300/month);
• An option to purchase life insurance;
• Option of cash stipend of $1,200 or an Education Award of $4,725 upon completion of a full year of service; and,
• Training and personal development opportunities, a key component of the VISTA program, which includes learning about the CVMN VISTA program’s goals and methodologies, community development, the field of volunteerism, nonprofit operations, cultural issues, and other topics.
To Apply
Contact the organization in the local area in which you are interested in serving:
Chico/Redding
Caring Choices
Barbara Hanna
530-899-3873
bhanna@caring-choices.org
Fresno
Volunteer Center of Fresno County, Inc.
Cathy Caples
559-237-3101
ccaples@vcfresno.org
Inland Empire
Hands On Inland Empire
Robin Kelley
909-980-2857, Ext. 227
RKelley@ieuw.org
Kern County
Volunteer Center of Kern County
Brenda Ratliff
661-395-9787
bratliffvc@yahoo.com
Los Angeles
L.A. Works
Gilbert Gonzales
323-224-6510
gil@laworks.com
Marin
Center for Volunteer Nonprofit Leadership of Marin
Darlene Fiscus
415-479-5710
dfiscus@cvnl.org
Orange County
Volunteer Center Orange County
Bette Weinberg
714-953-5757
bweinberg@volunteercenter.org
Sacramento
Hands On Sacramento
Kathy Chow
916-447-7063 x 304
kchow@handsonsacto.org
San Diego
Volunteer San Diego
Sarah Adams
858-636-4136
sadams@volunteersandiego.org
San Gabriel Valley
Volunteer Center of San Gabriel Valley
Pattie Tellez
626-256-8187
ptellez@ci.monrovia.ca.us
San Jose
The Volunteer Center of Silicon Valley, Inc.
Richard Vega
408-247-1126
irdirector@vcsv.us
Santa Clarita Valley
Santa Clarita Valley Resource Center
Tami Phillips
661-250-3720
Tphillips@scvrc.org
Santa Cruz
Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz
Lois Connell
831-427-5070
Lois@scvolunteercenter.org
Central Sierra Nevada Mountains
Sierra NonProfit Support Center
Donna Wilson
209-533-1093
donna@sierranonprofit.org
Stanislaus County
Volunteer Center of United Way of Stanislaus
Barbara Borba
209-524-1307
bbora@uwaystan.org
Ventura County
United Way of Ventura County
Marisa Lopez
805-485-6288 x 276
mlopez@vcunitedway.org