HomeMy WebLinkAboutMS Volunteer ProgramAgenda Item No: 4. a
Meeting Date: September 2, 2014
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
Department: City Manager's Office �c
Prepared by: Carla Koop, City Manager Approval: JJ
Volunteer Program Assistant
SUBJECT: Informational report about the City's Volunteer Program.
RECOMMENDATION: Accept report.
BACKGROUND:
The City of San Rafael Volunteer Program is a sub -division of the City Manager's office. It
provides direct and indirect support to various programs including the Concierge Desk
volunteers, volunteers for various City departments, a Public Works program that benefits parks
and landscaped paths, and the Emergency Volunteer Center.
The Volunteer Program was started in 1996. Volunteers help in a variety of ways, offering their
skills in computer tutoring, community organizing, gardening and litter control, fundraising,
events, research, writing, photography, and more. The ,primary departments that utilize the
services of volunteers include the Police Department, Fire Department, Library, Public Works
and Community Services. Additionally, volunteers perform community service for educational
requirements, traffic violations, and probation. The Volunteer Program also provides internship
opportunities for high school and college -level students.
Collaboration with community organizations and businesses is key to the success of the
Volunteer Program, particularly the Public Works projects that occur between April and October.
The Volunteer Program and Parks Division host monthly weekend service projects in
collaboration with nonprofits, service organizations, schools, churches, and local businesses.
Partners include scout troops, Canal Alliance, Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership,
churches, Gallinas Watershed Council, Rotary clubs, local businesses, the San Rafael Chamber
of Commerce, San Rafael Clean coalition, and the Marin Master Gardeners, among others.
Weekend service projects include cleanups, weed removal, tree planting, park improvements
and median landscaping projects. Our largest public works events are two national days of
service, Earth Day {April} and Coastal Cleanup Day (September).
Last year, over 2,200 volunteers donated nearly 36,000 hours to the City -- a total of $890,000
worth of services.
FOR CITY CLERK ONLY
File No.: t0.2 -
Council Meeting: 41:14171--t if -_
Disposition• t[ r.L g DRt
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 2
ANALYSIS:
The Volunteer Program benefits individual volunteers as well as our community. Individuals gain
social connections, use their experience and skills to make an impact, and often learn new
skills_ During economic downturns, volunteerism can provide individuals with significant work
experience. Studies have shown that volunteers are healthier and happier than those who don't
volunteer_ The City and our community also benefit because volunteers use their skills and
experience to provide important services, and bring their knowledge of City services and
programs out into the community, becoming city "ambassadors" for neighbors, family members
and colleagues.
Volunteer numbers nationally are on the increase, though the actual rate dipped slightly from
2012 to 2013, from 26.8% to 26.5%. Hen= in San Rafael, volunteer contributions vary from year
to year due to fluctuations in numbers of staff to supervise, program changes, and department
necessities. Organizational changes and special projects also influence volunteerism. For
example, the Marin Literacy program, which offers help to clients at the San Rafael Library, was
an official Library program until 2012, but for the past year and half has been autonomous. As a
result, volunteer numbers and hours attributed to the Library have dropped. Special projects
such as the renovation of the Falkirk Greenhouse can boost hours for a period of time.
Community Services benefited from hundreds of hours of volunteer time from the Marin Master
Gardeners and other community volunteers who undertook the painstaking work of restoring the
historic structure last year.
At the beginning of 2011, a strategic plan for the Volunteer Program was completed (see
Attachment). At the time the plan was written, it was anticipated that an increase in volunteer
potential would be forthcoming as a result of retiring baby boomers, especially in Marin, where
this phenomenon was called a 'silver tsunami' by the Marin County Civil Grand Jury in 2007. To
accommodate this surge in volunteerism, the Volunteer Program wanted to provide new
opportunities for volunteers, particularly these recently retired "high impact" volunteers who
would bring a lifetime of experience and skills to departments, increasing department capacity
and work outcomes. Additional goals contained in the strategic pian included training more city
staff in volunteer coordination and marketing the program in more effective ways.
The Volunteer Program has been able to make substantial progress on goals set out in the
2011 plan. Following is an update on the progress of each:
Goal 1: Coach staff in each department to develop volunteer related budget goals.
• This will be considered for implementation as staffing allows - as it requires capacity of
staff across departments to supervise staff on new volunteer -related budget goals.
Goal 2: Train more staff in volunteer management.
Staff in the Fire Department and Public Works department were trained to accommodate
more volunteers in the office (Fire Department) and open space work (Public Works),
including the 0 Saturday Parks & Paths Service Days.
Staff was trained in other departments, such as Code Enforcement, and the Volunteer
Program was added to the supervisory trainings.
Volunteer leads have been trained to coordinate volunteer projects on city lands through
the parks division.
Goal 3: Increase marketing and recognition efforts.
• New newsletter is used to actively recognize volunteers and recruit for new projects and
positions.
• Social media marketing has been implemented through Facebook.
SAN_ RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 3
• Media coverage for cigarette litter program included several articles and two television
news stories.
• Update and redesign of website was launched in order to attract more volunteers and
make it easier for volunteers to find and sign up for opportunities.
Goal 4: Implement ongoing graffiti volunteer program in accordance with the Graffiti Action Plan.
• Several graffiti cleanups have been coordinated since the strategic plan and a method
for allowing city volunteers to assist on private property cleanups has been established.
• Graffiti abatement kits have been created and made available to businesses and
neighborhood associations to enable increased graffiti abatement.
Goal 5: Implement cross -training of volunteers across departments.
• This goal will be addressed when the City's current emergency management recruitment
is completed and the position is filled.
Goal S: Create more high impact opportunities, and recruit professional volunteers.
• Three new high -impact positions were created within the Fire Department. One position
was so successful that the volunteer was hired on as staff. Another volunteer is being
recognized tonight.
• A high impact volunteer conducts the premier community outreach campaign for the
city's Climate Change Action Plan and has volunteered an enormous amount of time to
develop and implement the Resilient Neighborhoods Program (and is being honored
tonight as well).
Goal 7: Continue current effective volunteer programs and positions.
• Effective volunteer programs and positions continue.
Two of the goals in the strategic plan are primary work programs for the coming year. The first is
Goal #3, the enhancement of marketing and recognition efforts through completion of the new
website, and increased recognition of volunteers and partners through the newsletter, website,
and social media. The second will be Goal #5, the implementation of cross -training of volunteers
between the Office of Emergency Services, and Police and Fire Departments once a new
emergency management coordinator has been hired. Others will be worked on as time permits.
FISCAL IMPACT: none
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Accept report.
ATTACHMENT: Volunteer Program Strategic Plan
CITY OF SAN RAFAEL VOLUNTEER PROGRAM
3 YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN: 2011-2013
_
The intention of this document is to set forth a simple, clear plan for the City of San Rafael's Volunteer
Program for the next three years. This plan outlines priorities and goals, taking into account
significant trends in volunteer services as well as factors specific to City operations and the operation
of the Volunteer Program. This Strategic Plan is meant to contain a level of built-in flexibility in order
to be embraced by, and of value to, all participants of volunteer services in the City of San Rafael.
CONTENTS
I. About Us
11. Plan
Submitted by Cory Sytof, Volunteer Program Coordinator January 18, 2011
a. Program Values 3
b. Program Mission Statement 3
c. About the Volunteer Program 3
d. Boomers and High Impact Volunteers —the Coming Wave 4
e. Photo Descriptions 5
a. How the Plan was Developed 6
b. Vision and Goals 6
c. Strategies and Targeted Completion Dates 7
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Program Values
■ Service to City staff and departments
■ Service to the Community, such as San Rafael neighborhoods, schools, businesses, and
nonprofits
■ Service to our Volunteers, who are some of our most valuable resources and represent a
key link to the community for the City as a whole
Program Mission Statement
'7o create a bridge between the City, the Community, and Volunteers to enhance
the quality of life in San Rafael adopted in 2000 by the Volunteer Program Advisory
Committee
About the Volunteer Program
The City of San Rafael Volunteer Program was created in 1996 by the City Council in response to
encouragement from neighborhood associations, volunteers, and staff to have a single point of
contact to manage volunteer activities. Until then, volunteerism had little coordination or common
protocols, and residents had difficulty knowing where to go for information or opportunities to serve.
However, there was already a significant amount of volunteerism in key places such as the Library,
Police Department and Community Services.
The Volunteer Program has two main functions: to
enable volunteerism within City departments, and to
support community driven activities outside City Hall
(such as neighborhood beautification programs). The
Volunteer Program Coordinator is a full time position,
although 30°1 of his time is dedicated to coordination
of programs, membership and outreach at Falkirk
Cultural Center. In some instances the Coordinator
handles all duties with volunteers, from recruitment to
recognition, and all management activities in between,
and in other instances the Coordinator simply supplies
procedural resources, recruitment or other support to
department volunteer activities.
Currently, most departments utilize volunteers in one way or another. Some departments such as
Community Services and the Library use volunteers on a daily basis and count hundreds of individuals
as volunteers every year. Other departments such as City Clerk and Management Services utilize
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volunteers occasionally on an as -needed basis. Public Works has typically engaged volunteers for
special projects driven by community desire, such as neighborhood work projects, weed abatement,
and litter cleanups. Generally these have been administered by the Volunteer Program.
Annual volunteer participation ranges from 2,100-2,300 volunteers contributing between 53,000-
58,000 hours of time to the City. At a current value of $23 per hour these volunteers contribute well
over $1 million dollars of time to the City each year, a significant value to our City with its $55 million
General Fund.
Current volunteer operations handled by and to be continued by the Volunteer Program Coordinator
over the time period covered by this Plan include:
• Maintaining a volunteer web site and other online recruitment and recognition tools
• Coordinating a citywide anti -litter campaign called San Rafael Clean
Planning and implementation of an Emergency Volunteer Center
Collaboration with local organizations for national days of service
• Promoting and encouraging youth volunteer initiatives like the Youth Service Challenge
• Managing City Hall Concierge volunteers
• Coordinating Falkirk programs and outreach
Currently the City is limited in terms of capacity to utilize more volunteer service due to recent staff
retirements and reductions, which has reduced the number of staff trained in volunteer management.
In addition, changing demographics of potential volunteers, and the limited 26 hours per week (70%
of a position) the Volunteer Program Coordinator can currently dedicate to volunteer development
compels a need to strategically address how to expand volunteer engagement in efficient ways.
For more information on the Volunteer Program, or to view opportunities, projects and stories, please
visit the web site at www.sanrafaelvolunteers.org.
Boomers and High Impact Volunteers —the Coming Wave
One of the major trends in volunteerism that
this Plan attempts to address is what many in
the field of volunteer services call the "coming
tidal wave of service" by retiring baby boomers.
While many traditional volunteers are "retiring"
from volunteer service, boomers are retiring
from employment in large numbers all across
the nation, and Marin County is leading the
charge. A 2007 Marin County Civil Grand Jury
Report called it a 'silver tsunami'. But why do
we need to be prepared? Won't current
volunteer practices work like they always have?
Researchers contend that they won't, because
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generations differ, and expectations differ as well — somewhat markedly in the case of boomers. New
types of volunteerism and new types of opportunities that take into account their skills and
preferences will need to be developed. Some key preferences include: a desire to have more say in
process and outcomes; a desire for short term projects with defined results; a desire for high impact,
professional, and leadership opportunities; and a desire for more flexibility in ways to serve.
Leading research on volunteerism contends that organizational change is necessary to prepare for
these boomers and suggests organizations utilizing volunteers must move from a traditional culture of
volunteer management, in which staff drives the work of volunteers, to a culture of volunteer
engagement, in which volunteers and staff partner to achieve meaningful results for the organization.
Part of this Plan is to have staff be prepared in order to efficiently utilize boomer energy, reduce City
liability, and continue to
engage the community in
open and meaningful ways.
In this way, the City will be
positioned to take advantage
of the many benefits of this
generation of highly skilled
volunteers. Some of those
benefits include building
capacity within departments
and programs, increasing
work outcomes, extending
the circle of outreach in
departments and programs,
and freeing employees to
steward more critical
initiatives.
Photo Descriptions
Page 1 Earth Day Family Volunteers
Library Internet Tutor Volunteer with Client
Annual City Council Volunteer Recognition
CERT Volunteer Training
Page 3 San Rafael Police Department Volunteers
Page 4 San Rafael Clean Campaign Volunteers
Page 5 West End Neighborhood Association Volunteers for Public Works
How the Pian was Developed
City staff spent time assessing the City organization as well as seeking community input to best
address both constraints and opportunities in this Strategic Plan. The following briefly lists the steps
taken in the development of this Plan:
• Interviewed Department Directors and staff
• Reviewed literature to understand current trends in volunteerism
■ Gathered public feedback by meeting with selected community groups and leaders
■ Researched other city, county and nonprofit pians
■ Surveyed current Volunteers
■ Developed draft Plan
■ Vetted draft plan with City Staff & Volunteers
■ Created final draft for Council approval
Vision
The City of San Rafael Volunteer Program will increase our capacity and use of volunteers in
meaningful ways by training more staff in volunteer coordination, creating new opportunities for
people to get involved, and marketing our program in more effective ways. The key component of
our vision is in adapting our processes to accommodate the changing nature of volunteerism due to
trends in needs and preferences of potential volunteers.
Goals
1. Coach staff in each department to develop volunteer related budget goals.
2. Train more staff in volunteer management.
3. Increase marketing and recognition efforts.
4. Implement ongoing graffiti volunteer program in accordance with the Graffiti Action Plan (GAP).
5. Implement cross -training of volunteers across departments.
6. Create more high impact opportunities, and recruit professional volunteers.
7. Continue current effective volunteer programs and positions.
Strategies Targeted Completion Date
Goal 1: Coach staff in each department to develop volunteer related budget goals. Spring 2012
Strategies:
A. Work with Department Directors to identify goals within their departments.
B. Develop volunteer job descriptions with department staff to implement these goals.
C. Monitor goals and provide recruitment, tracking, training and recognition support.
R
Strategies Continued Targeted Completion Date
Goal 2: Train more staff in volunteer management.
Winter 2013
Strategies:
A. Include Volunteer Services in Supervisory Academy Trainings.
B. Select five departments/divisions of the City to focus training in volunteer
management over these next three years including: Public Works, Code Enforcement,
Management Services, City Manager and Redevelopment.
C. Establish train the trainer programs and volunteer leads for Public Works volunteer
projects and activities.
Goal 3: Increase marketing and recognition efforts. Winter 2012
Strategies:
A. Create and implement a marketing and communications timeline.
B. Get training on new and social media and recruit volunteers to assist.
C. Host volunteer orientations twice per year.
Goal 4: Implement ongoing graffiti volunteer program in accordance with Spring 2012
the Graffiti Action Plan (GAP).
Strategies:
A. Plan timeline of GAP implementation with Public Works and Police Department.
B. Seek more grants for funding.
C. Procure branded volunteer wear.
D. Train volunteer leads.
E. Establish ongoing volunteer abatement activities and kits.
Goal 5: Implement cross -training of volunteers across departments. Fall 2013
Strategies:
A. Plan timeline of implementation with Office of Emergency Services, Police
Department and Fire Department.
B. Establish ongoing volunteer orientations to disaster services for all City volunteers.
Goal 5: Create more high impact opportunities, and recruit professional volunteers. Fall 2013
Strategies:
A. Consult with the Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership of Marin to begin
implementation.
B. Select three departments to complete High Impact Volunteer Assessments.
C. Identify a department or division manager to create and implement the first opportunity.
D. Develop a prototype to utilize with other departments.
E. Coordinate with Community Development Department Director to develop additional
resources or positions for Climate Change Action Plan programs and activities.
CITY OF SAN RAFAEL
ROUTING SLIP 1 APPROVAL FORM
INSTRUCTIONS: USE THIS FORM WITH EACH SUBMITTAL OF A CONTRACT, AGREEMENT,
ORDINANCE OR RESOLUTION BEFORE APPROVAL BY COUNCIL 1 AGENCY.
SRRA 1 SRCC AGENDA ITEM NO_
DATE OF MEETING: 912114
FROM: Carla Koop
DEPARTMENT: CMO
DATE: August 27, 2014
TITLE OF DOCUMENT: Informational report about the City's Volunteer Program.
D artm t He19,d (si nature)
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(LOWER HALF OF FORM FOR APPROVALS ONLY)
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