At Vantage Point we are advocates of skilled volunteering – which we call knowledge philanthropy. In the spirit of National Volunteer Week, we wanted to revisit what this concept means to us as an organization.

What is Knowledge Philanthropy?

Knowledge philanthropy is the intentional practice of engaging someone’s experience, skills or talent to create a better world – and it’s an incredible way to expand the capacity of not-for-profit work.

Each of our volunteers – or knowledge philanthropists – lends their skills and talents to our mission and we consider them to be truly transformative change agents. Our volunteer team is made up of highly skilled facilitators, consultants, emerging and senior leaders in the community. When we welcome a new volunteer, they become an integral part of our team.

In 2013 we released the Abundant Not-For-Profit: How talent (not money) will transform your organization, which outlines our philosophy on knowledge philanthropy in great depth. As volunteers began to evolve into the “21st Century Volunteer”, with the rise of the knowledge worker, we recognized not-for-profit organizations had to completely redefine the way they aimed to engage and leverage volunteer contributions.

We started within, by shifting our own volunteer engagement processes to assure volunteers could contribute in all areas of the organization – from front-line operations to management and governance. With a 75-year history of promoting and supporting the engagement of volunteers, this evolution was an important way to continue our legacy as a volunteer centre forward.

Who are Our Knowledge Philanthropists?

A large majority of our knowledge philanthropists are facilitators and content experts that develop and deliver our programs. In addition to involving knowledge philanthropists in program delivery, staff members actively identify skills-based roles for many other volunteers, including in the areas of human resource management, government relations, marketing, coaching, membership strategy, and many more.

How We Recruit and Engage Skilled Volunteers

One of the most important pieces of bringing on a new knowledge philanthropist is ensuring that we truly understand both their experience and skills as well as their goals and interests, so that we can ensure every volunteer engagement is truly created as a win-win.

We layout a role description and agree on the expectations in the role – both for the volunteer and what they can expect from Vantage Point. The role description reflects their level of experience as well as their goals as a volunteer. And, of course, we ask how they would like to be recognized - because everyone is different!

At Vantage Point all knowledge philanthropy roles have a start and end date, as well as a rough number of hours expected. This way knowledge philanthropists can see how the role fits into their schedule. It’s amazing how often this one piece can make a role much more appealing! And, to assure strong accountability on both sides, we capture all of this in a letter of agreement that both the knowledge philanthropist and Vantage Point sign.

Take Action to Integrate Knowledge Philanthropy

If you are an organizational leader ready to leverage your number one competitive advantage: people, through integrating knowledge philanthropy into your organization, we have a few resources!

We have an August workshop on Engaging Skilled Volunteers, and several resources including:

• From Our Vantage Point Podcast on Win-Win Volunteer Engagement: Knowledge Philanthropy and Recognizing your Volunteers - Just say No to "Years of Service" Awards
• Salaried Employee & Board Handbook for Working with Knowledge Philanthropists
• Window of Work for Engaging Knowledge Philanthropists
• Steps to Responsive Volunteer Engagement

Last year Vantage Point turned 75 and such a milestone had us digging through our archives to find out exactly what brought us from 1943 to 2018. As it turns out the answer was women.

1943 marked a turning point for our society as we found ourselves in the middle of World War II and as men went off to war, women were called upon to roll up their sleeves and keep things running. For most women, this would have been their first time entering the workforce and once they entered, you better believe they didn’t leave.

Organizing for the war effort, the Women’s Voluntary Services was formed with the goal of mobilizing women. They first developed care centres for children from England who needed shelter until placed in homes and a place where children of women working in wartime industries could receive day care. Next, they engaged women as volunteers in community agencies throughout the city.

Once the war ended, the Women’s Voluntary Services was renamed the Volunteer Bureau of Greater Vancouver and it’s first funder, the Junior League of Vancouver was charitable women’s organization who helped the Volunteer Bureau further their efforts in the swiftly changing society post-war. Continuing to be led by women, the Volunteer Bureau became the Vancouver Volunteer Centre and then Volunteer Vancouver and finally, Vantage Point.

With each iteration came women champion the efforts of volunteers in the not-for-profit sector of our city. With each decade, the work of those women in 1943 was moved forward into professional development, capacity building, and of course volunteerism always with the lens of supporting those championing environmental issues, social justice, health, arts and culture, seniors’ programs, and much more.

Since becoming Vantage Point, our Executive Directors have always been women. We are a team made up almost entirely of women (with the exception of one fellow who is a powerhouse in his own respect).

When we think of the next 75 years of Vantage Point, we have no doubts that there will be amazing female leadership to come.

Valley First and Vantage Point partner to enhance not-for-profit leadership and capacity building in the Okanagan.

Kelowna, B.C. – Valley First, a division of First West Credit Union, and Vantage Point have partnered to expand Vantage Point’s leadership programming and services to not-for-profit organizations in Kelowna, B.C. In February, Valley First, KCR Community Resources, and Vantage Point will be holding a session focused on tools, resources and models that are driving innovation and impact in the sector.

Valley First has provided a generous contribution to enhance leadership training and capacity building resources available to not-for-profit board members and staff in the region. This partnership and ongoing programing leverages both local knowledge and the expertise of Vantage Point and KCR, to maximize the benefits of this training for Okanagan not-for-profit organizations. Based on work completed in 2018, project partners have been working together to explore future possibilities for professional development training in 2019.

Mark Friesen, Director of Capacity Development at Vantage Point explains, “We’re excited to support leadership training and capacity building opportunities available to not-for-profits in Kelowna. Strong leaders make strong organizations; investing in people strengthens the sector overall.”

“As an organization that works closely with many non-profits across our region, we see the incredible benefit to supporting the development of capacity and training for leaders of these important organizations,” says Paulo Araujo, president of Valley First. “First West has been working with Vantage Point for some time in the lower mainland and along with our Kelowna community partners like KCR, we are looking forward to contributing to the professional development of non-profit organizations.”

Valley First and Vantage Point have connected with other organizations in the Okanagan, including Okanagan College and KCR, to understand key opportunities to support the sector in the area. By working together with local funders and expertise additional resources for governance, planning, and leadership training are being made available to community-based organizations.

About Valley First

Valley First is a premier provider of banking, investment and insurance services for residents and businesses in the Okanagan, Similkameen and Thompson valleys. As a division of First West Credit Union, B.C.'s third-largest credit union, Valley First brings innovative products, an extensive branch network and local decision making to the banking experience. We’re proud to partner with Vantage Point to bring non-profit capacity building programming to our community.

About Vantage Point

Vantage Point offers an array of innovative learning opportunities for not-for-profit executives, managers, boards directors, senior and emerging leaders throughout B.C. We focus on building strong organizations with excellent governance, leadership, planning and human resources. Our transformational model of people engagement allows organizations to attract, meaningfully engage and integrate the abundance of talent available in the community.

Media Contact:

Mark Friesen
Director, Capacity Development
604-630-5821
mfriesen@thevantagepoint.ca
thevantagepoint.ca

In the last blog in our not-for-profit technology series, we took a look at finding right tools for your organization. It’s always best to ask as many questions as possible to your technology vendors, to make sure you feel comfortable. Once you find the right tool – here comes the fun part. Finding the budget for it.

Be Realistic

When you start setting a budget for your technology purchase, it’s important to be realistic. If you have the benefit of historical perspective, take a look at similar purchases in the past. Look at some of the biggest purchases that your organization has made, and examine the context those purchases were made in.

For example, you might come across a large expense in the past and think, “We’ve spent this much money before – I’m sure we can spend that money again.” While this may be true – it’s important to put things in context. Do your best to understand the “why” behind each large purchase before drawing such a bold conclusion.

Once you have a better idea of what you can realistically spend, this helps you to narrow your search even further.

PRO TIP: See if there is any wiggle room in the pricing. Ask for not-for-profit discounts or any other avenue to lower the overall cost. TechSoup is a great resource for discounts on software like Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite, Quickbooks, and more.

Look for Alternatives

By this point, you’ve clearly identified the technology need that you’re facing as an organization. You’ve also identified several possible solutions that comes with a cost for your team.

To cut costs, this is a great time to start looking at possible alternatives to those solutions. You can look for free tools that help you accomplish the same outcome. While this might not be the ideal solution, the cost-savings could make this option worthwhile as a short-term solution.

The problem with free tools is that they are free the same way a puppy could be free. There might not be any upfront costs to get the puppy, but the cost of keeping the puppy long-term could really add up over time. The same is true for a lot of free tools in the market today. So be sure to add these to your considerations.

Another option you have available is to look at the tools that you team already has. If you’ve been in operation a few years, it’s likely that you have some subscriptions to various online tools – and many trial accounts. Take stock of what you have and see if you can solve the challenges you are facing with those existing tools. While this might feel like an inefficient solution – it’s worth trying if you can’t find any flexibility in your budget.

Calculate Your Productivity Metrics

One of the best ways to justify a purchase is by first calculating how productive you are without the tool, and then contrasting that with how productive you are with the tool.

This can be tricky, but it’s an important step to take. Here’s how you do it, but measuring your time:

1. Identify some of your key performance indicators (KPIs). For example: sending out 20 emails.
2. Break apart the tasks that lead up to that KPI. For example: writing copy, setting up segmented lists, or creating images to go with content).
3. Time how long it takes you to accomplish each of those tasks and average that number. For example: writing copy takes 20 minutes, setting up segmented lists takes 8 minutes, and creating images takes 10 minutes.

What you’re left with is the average amount of time it takes to reach your KPIs. But why is this so important?

When you measure these things before a purchase, you are able to set a benchmark. Your next step is to jump on a free trial and start using those tools that you want to purchase.

Do the same exercise with this new tool in place: 1. identify KPIs, 2. break apart tasks, and 3. calculate the time it takes to complete each task.

Now you’re left with a new number – the average time it takes you to reach your KPI using the tool.

When the difference between these two numbers is large, it’s easier to justify the purchases – even on a shoe-string budget.

In the last part of this series we will be looking at how we can make the final decision and convince the decision makers of the organization to make the purchase.

Thanks to the support of Valley First, a division of First West Credit Union, Vantage Point will be connecting and orienting a community of trainers and consultants located in the Okanagan to develop the capacity building training for not-for-profit organizations in the region.

Over 26,000 not-for-profit organizations build and shape British Columbia every day and enable thousands of people to positively engage with their communities. The Okanagan benefits from a tremendous range of not-for-profit organizations engaging diverse individuals to enhance community assets in areas such as social services, health, recreation, sport, arts, and culture.

This partnership with Valley First has enabled Vantage Point to connect with local organizations and better understand successes and opportunities to support the sector.

We’re very excited to connect with local capacity builders and experts who can bring a diverse set of skills and experience to enhance the governance, management, and administrative infrastructure of local not-for-profits in BC’s interior.

This October we’re meeting with a team of facilitators in Kelowna to provide training on governance and strategic planning for not-for-profit organizations. Next, we’ll be working with this team to provide professional development and training to local community leaders. Through Valley First, not-for-profit leaders will be able to access this training to support their professional development and organizational resilience.a

We will post further details concerning the date and topic for the fall capacity building initiative for not-for-profits located in the Okanagan. If you would like to get involved, or learn more, please contact:
Mark Friesen, Director of Capacity Development, Vantage Point, mfriesen@thevantagepoint.ca  

About Valley First, a division of First West Credit Union:
Valley First is a premier provider of banking, investment and insurance services for residents and businesses in the Okanagan, Similkameen and Thompson valleys. As a division of First West Credit Union, B.C.'s third-largest credit union, Valley First brings innovative products, an extensive branch network and local decision making to the banking experience. We’re proud to partner with Vantage Point to bring non-profit capacity building programming to our community.

In the first blog of this series, we took a look at how to get your organization off on the right foot when it comes to your technology search. Today, we will start looking at the tangible steps you can take to ensure you find the right tools for your organization.

Jump on Demos

Demos are an important part of the research process. It’s the best way to see the technology up close and personal – and used with best practices. This is where you can truly see the potential of the product to help you get the most out of it.

Jumping on the phone with a vendor can really support your decision-making process. It also gives you an opportunity to ask questions that come up naturally. Just always keep in mind YOUR workflow. Be sure to constantly remind the vendor of how YOU will be using the tool.

Demos offer you a peek into the inner workings of the tool – even more than a trial. So look for a demo and try it out!

Don’t Be Afraid to Say “No” and Move On

After you’ve done your due diligence and research, it’s time to pick up the phone and start talking to these technology companies. Spoiler alert – they will all tell you that their solution is the best. So don’t let that sway you. Stick to your guns, and be strict about the solution you are seeking and the parameters you’ve set.

If you find that a certain technology solution doesn’t fit your organization– move on. Thank them for their time, and maybe even subscribe to their newsletter for updates and future discounts. But keep moving. Your time is precious!

Like we said, there are PLENTY of tech solutions out there. And you would be doing your organization a disservice if you didn’t take the time to find the right one.

Make Sure You Feel Supported

It doesn’t matter what the technology is – a projector, a phone system, or software – sometimes you need support using it. That’s why it’s important to note that you’re not only evaluating the technology. You’re also evaluating the company, the people, and the customer service.

In the not-for-profit sector, we see a difference being made through the relationships that we form. We’re here to make an impact – technology is just a small part of the process. But that’s why you a human connection with people is important.

Some great questions to ask your potential technology vendor would be:

• What does your support structure look like?
• It’s 2AM on the morning of an event, and I can’t get into the system – what options do I have?
• Does it cost money to get support?
• Will I be talking to a person, or speaking to a robot?
• Do you have help articles for me to find my own solution?

Once again, take a look at your own team and how they would like to engage with support workers.

Make your decisions based on what your team needs – not based on what others have said is great.

Following these steps will support you with finding a great fit for your organization. But that’s just the beginning. In part three we’ll be looking at how you can convince your team to purchase the technology.

Whenever I sit down to talk with a not-for-profit about technology, more often than not, I am inevitably met with the same talk-tracks:

• We can’t afford technology
• That’s a conversation for next fiscal year
• We’re a volunteer-run organization; we don’t have time to implement new technology

And while all of these concerns are valid and real, I always encourage people to at least think about the technology that they might benefit from. This is a good way to start the conversation, and it can open so many doors. The right technology supports not-for-profit leaders to do their best work and achieve greater mission impact.

Through a four part blog series with Vantage Point, Keela will be providing insights on how and when to find technology that will have lasting positive impact on your organization.

So let’s start at the beginning. How do you determine whether or not your not-for-profit needs technology?

Step 1: Define your Technology Challenges

The first step is to look inward. Define the issues you’re trying to overcome with technology. And most importantly, determine whether or not you already have those resources available to you. The last thing you want to do is to purchase a tech solution when you already had the means to solve the problem at your fingertips. (I know. It’s weird to hear a tech company tell you NOT to buy tech, right? But it’s all about making sure you can increase your impact and do more, with less).

Some great questions to guide your conversations would be:

What are we trying to accomplish?

• What will the next few years look like if we don’t bring in any new technology?
• What resources do we already have that could solve this problem?
• How much money do we have to spend on technology?

Step 2: Think About Implementation.

Once your team has come to a consensus about what your organization requires, it’s time to look at how you can implement the technology if you were to purchase it. Every organization is different and going through this stage is critical to determine which route is best for your organization. Giving space and time to talk out the implementation leads to more informed decision making, while saving time and money down the road.

Have a serious discussion about what steps you can practically take to get your team to start using the technology. Take note of any hurdles that you would likely come across when it comes to adoption. When you have a clear picture of what it would look like for your team to actually start using the technology, you have a better idea of whether or not to take the plunge and buy that technology.

Here are some great questions to guide that discussion:

• How much training would this require?
• Is there a current system that our team would have to be transitioned away from?
• Are there members of the team that are resistant to using technology?
• Is your team actually using the technology that you’ve purchased in the past?

Step 3: Do Your Research, but Avoid the Noise.

This is an important point, and it speaks directly to the work your organization does. When it comes to buying technology, there are tons of options out there. Each one will have pros and cons. The most expensive is not necessarily the best option. But neither is the cheapest. It all depends on how your organization will use the technology and what you’re trying to accomplish.

So it’s important to do your research, read reviews, and get suggestions from other organizations. In fact, if you skip this step, you’ll be taking a major risk. But our advice is to start with yourself.

These steps are all about your organization – about what you want to accomplish, and how your team will actually use the technology. Use these as your parameters when it comes to filtering out what technology to buy. In part 2, we delve deeper into how to find the right technology fit for your organization! 

Vantage Point was founded as the Central Volunteer Bureau of Vancouver in 1943 to provide volunteer services throughout the city. We were initially charged with mobilizing women for the war effort and providing accommodation for children evacuated from Britain and for those whose mothers worked on the assembly line. We are proud of our heritage and our contribution to the amazing power volunteerism has in our community.

Our journey from 1943 to 2018

The year 1943 marks the beginning of the Central Volunteer Bureau of Vancouver, which became Volunteer Vancouver, and now Vantage Point. Fast forward to 2018 and we are incredibly excited, and humbled, to celebrate our 75th anniversary.

For more than 60 years, we were a volunteer centre, focused on promoting and celebrating volunteerism and connecting volunteers to Vancouver’s ever-growing not-for-profit sector. Around the year 2002, we noticed people were becoming less and less interested in filling traditional volunteer roles. They wanted to contribute their knowledge for a finite period in exchange for a meaningful experience. Not-for-profit organizations could not find enough volunteers with the more traditional skills sets they were accustomed to, while more people were seeking meaningful opportunities that engaged their knowledge and expertise.

As a result, we began to seriously question the value and relevance of continuing our traditional role as connector between volunteers and organizations. We recognized that the environment in which not-for-profits operate is quite different than 1943 – even 1993! If we were actively promoting volunteer roles that were no longer a fit for individuals looking to contribute, were we doing a disservice to volunteerism – and our mission?

Vantage Point grew out of a desire to address this changing paradigm of volunteerism. In 2009, we adopted our current name. We realigned all our programs and services under a new direction – building strong not-for-profit organizations that can effectively engage today’s abundant supply of talent, including board members, the diversity of community volunteers, staff, investors, and others. We moved away from the word “volunteer” in favour of “talent” and “knowledge philanthropist,” the latter a term coined by one of our own strategic volunteers.

We learned that not-for-profit organizations can achieve their goals – and achieve long-term sustainability – by changing the way they view people engagement. Transforming how they engage people can ultimately lead to greater impact on the communities and causes they serve.

From my own journey with Vantage Point, what stands out as most exciting piece to celebrate is this enduring aspiration to engage people (and ALL their talents!) to positively transform our communities through an effective and impactful not-for-profit sector.

Share Your Story

As someone involved in BC’s not-for-profit sector, what do you feel is worth celebrating about the last 75 years of community impact?

Whether you are a past, current, or future client of Vantage Point, knowledge philanthropist, staff member, investor, board member, partner, or community member we encourage you to share your journey, contributing to a story gathering project we are undertaking to grow our understanding of what to celebrate!

Celebrate with Vantage Point

This fall we will be celebrating our anniversary and looking forward to the next 75 years with wine, entertainment, and great conversation. Join us on September 27, 6-9pm - the evening before our annual leadership conference: BOSS 2018!