Scholarships

• It establishes you as a leader, increases your credibility within your agency and demonstrates that you are the resident expert in volunteer engagement at your agency. Ultimately, it elevates your value to your agency (a crucial step forward especially if you, like many other volunteer administrators, feel undervalued or overlooked at your agency).

• It is a statement that your agency is a leader in effective volunteer engagement and that it recognizes the power of volunteerism to improve lives and communities.

•  It contributes to the professionalization of volunteer administration and its value and legitimacy as its own career field.               

I have chosen this career field because I believe that volunteerism has the transformative power to effect positive societal change that builds prosperous communities. Everyone has an innate desire to give of ourselves and all of us, regardless of faults or fate, have the potential to contribute value to others through the gift of their time.

Many thanks to the fabulous Angie Carrera for so generously funding CVA scholarships for NVAVA members and encouraging all of us to become leaders in our community! 

Karen Horowitz~ Director of Community & Volunteer Engagement

Lauren Padgett

One of the best career decisions I made this year was to pursue the Certification in Volunteer Administration (CVA). It was thanks to the generous scholarship from NVAVA that this even became an option for me, and I am forever grateful!

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started my journey to CVA certification, but I knew I would have support from my fellow NVAVA members along the way. Not knowing where to start, I reached out to NVAVA members whom received the CVA and asked for study tips and words of wisdom. These members were quick to meet me for coffee or lunch, giving me the best advice and encouragement. I felt so lucky to have a group of cheerleaders in my network.

Studying for the CVA gave me further knowledge and affirmation in my day to day job. So much of what I was reading and studying directly impacted my work, and I couldn’t wait to implement some of the ideas and techniques I was learning!

Earning the CVA has given me the confidence in my position (I truly feel like subject-matter expert now!). It encourages me to advocate for the volunteer administration profession, other volunteer administrators, and for myself and my volunteers in my work place. I feel that I have the background knowledge and resources to refer to when I need clarification on strategic planning for my volunteer program, recruitment and retention techniques, how to handle ethical issues or conflict between volunteers or in my work place, how to be an effective leader, and most importantly, how to demonstrate to my stakeholders the impact that volunteers have on my organization and the community.

I am so thankful to NVAVA for supporting me through this process, and to my fellow NVAVA  members for their words of encouragement and reassurance along the way. I am proud of our profession and look forward to growing together in this impactful and life-changing field. Thank you, NVAVA! 

Lauren Padgett, CVA 

Stephanie Berman    

Thanks to the help of an NVAVA scholarship, I was able to attend the National Afterschool Association Conference in Orlando, FL. Not only was I able to attend the conference and gain valuable information, but I was able to present a workshop session for the first time.  I’d always thought that people who present at these sessions were much more experienced than me and knew so much more. And of course, for some, that’s true. But, when I thought about my experiences and expertise, I realized that I had something to share as well.

The National Afterschool Association is geared towards supporting all those who work with kids and youth outside of school hours. The workshop that had the biggest impact on me and applies most to volunteer managers was called “You can’t make everyone happy, you’re not pizza.” This session was all about how to have difficult conversations, which is something we all have to do at some time or another. This applies to conversations with volunteers, coworkers or clients.

The key thing to remember is that the only person you can control is you. Do what you can to get yourself in the right place to have this conversation. First, think about what you’re bringing to the conversation: what are your goals, preconceptions, the facts that you’ve gathered, etc. Try to keep a positive attitude and think of the other person as a partner in the discussion, instead of an adversary.  If possible, let the other person present their side first and acknowledge that you’ve heard them. Most people just want to know that their concerns have been heard. Then, share your position and problem solve by working towards a long-term solution that works for both parties.

This approach can be helpful for volunteer managers in many contexts. It is important to be yourself, because volunteers will value you for your honesty and your support, but if they can tell you don’t mean what you say, they will lose respect for you and your organization. Being as prepared as possible and being reflective about yourself and the situation is a good way to approach any difficult conversation.