When it comes to the three pillars of philanthropy – the gifts of time, talent and treasure – so many of us are challenged to find just the right outlet for our well-intentioned giving. If you’re particularly bewildered as to where to channel your time and talents, the Community Foundation for a greater Richmond may be able to help direct you to just the right charitable outlet.
Enter Skills Connect, an initiative that seeks to match the specific skills of volunteers to specific projects in the region. Think of it as a Match.com of sorts, a program that pairs talented volunteers to nonprofit projects that need their particular skillset, but without the need for poorly lit profile photos.
“Nonprofits welcome a range of volunteers but those with a particular knowledge base or experience are especially in demand,” said Kim Russell, chief marketing officer for the Community Foundation. “Skills-based volunteers provide expertise that typically support internal operations in a direct way, which often strengthens the organization’s infrastructure and capacity. They are a vital component in a nonprofit’s success.”
Have you got the skills that are needed? Typical project areas fall under the fields of marketing and media, information technology, human resources, and organizational strategy. Project examples include:
- Marketing – create an overall social media strategy that blends several focus areas and includes a calendar outline.
- Information technology – conduct a comprehensive review of the nonprofit website to assess clarity, user experience, and alignment with the mission.
- Human resources – review best practices and provide recommendations for interviewing candidates, employee termination process, employee reviews, and record retention.
- Organizational strategy – review the organization’s lengthy strategic plan and create a dashboard/monitoring system with key performance indicators to easily capture progress.
To view current projects, visit CFengage | Skills Connect – Volunteer Projects. If you’d like to stay connected to the meaningful work happening across our community, sign up for the Community Foundation’s volunteer newsletter. It’s filled with opportunities to make a real difference—just create an account at cfengage.org.
If you are interested in learning more, please reach out to the Community Foundation at civic@cfrichmond.org.
