California Volunteer Matching Network AmeriCorps*VISTA Leader Position

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.

Requirement:

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:

• Requires full-time service for 12 months without outside commitments, such as school and other employment (some education exceptions apply);
• Applicants must be 18 years or older;
• Applications must be submitted by June 15, 2009; and,
• Term of service will last August 17, 2009 through August 16, 2010

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

• Visit the posting on the AmeriCorps Web site

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
• Applicants must be 18 years or older;
• Requires full-time service for 12 months without outside commitments, such as school and other employment; and,
• The term of service is from August 17, 2009 through August 16, 2010, click on each posting below to see the application deadline.

Benefits CVMN VISTA members will receive:
• A living allowance between $398.13 and $567.07 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 or click on the organization name to be directly linked to the online posting where you can apply:

Los Angeles
L.A. Works
Gilbert Gonzales
323-224-6510
gil@laworks.com

Orange County
Volunteer Center of Orange County
Bette Weinberg
714-953-5757, Ext. 135
bweinberg@volunteercenter.org

Sacramento
Hands On Sacramento
Kathy Chow
916-447-7063 x 304
kchow@handsonsacto.org

San Bernardino
Hands on Inland Empire
Shalini Lall
909-980-2857, Ext. 228
slall@ieuw.org

San Diego
Volunteer San Diego
Debbie Krakauer
858-636-4184
dkrakauer@volunteersandiego.org

San Francisco Bay Area
HandsOn Bay Area
Dana Blecher
415-541-9616
dana@hoba.org

San Francisco Bay Area
The Volunteer Center of San Francisco and San Mateo Counties
Jill Blackburn
415-982-8999, Ext. 228
jblackburn@thevolunteercenter.net

Santa Barbara
United Way of Santa Barbara County
Angela Wallace
805-965-8591
awallace@unitedwaysb.org