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The Kansas Volunteer Commission has announced that six Kansas nonprofit organizations will join the 2023 Service Enterprise initiative to work toward strategically leveraging volunteers to help them meet their organizational mission more effectively and efficiently.
In July 2019, the Kansas Volunteer Commission became the first Service Enterprise (SE) certified organization in Kansas through a process lead by Points of Light, the world’s largest volunteer service organization. While obtaining this credential, the Commission also trained to become the SE training hub for the state.
As a training hub, the Commission now leads other organizations through the prestigious SE certification process, a professional development process that trains organizations to strategically leverage volunteers in a way that encourages them to meet their organizational mission more effectively and efficiently.
Since 2021, eight Kansas organizations have received SE certification:
Now, the Commission is excited to announce that six additional organizations have been selected to join the 2023 Kansas Service Enterprise Initiative to work toward achieving their SE certification. Funding for this certification process is provided by AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and community volunteerism.
If successful, the organizations selected to go through the certification process will join the top 11% of nonprofits nationwide that have earned this honor in volunteer management and organizational performance. An SE certification will put the following organizations at the forefront of volunteer development for the state:
“The Service Enterprise certification process will give the selected organizations a framework and pathway to build capacity by incorporating volunteers at all levels of their work,” said Dr. Jessica Dorsey, executive director of the Kansas Volunteer Commission.
To earn the certification, nonprofits must complete an extensive organizational assessment; 19 hours of training; 20-plus hours of coaching; intensive planning; and the implementation of change management practices.
Meeting the certification criteria means that a nonprofit is fully equipped to utilize the time and talent of volunteers to expand and enhance its services.
The Service Enterprise concept was formed in 2010.
Research conducted by the TCC Group, a national program and evaluation firm, found that organizations operating as Service Enterprises outperform peer organizations on all aspects of organizational effectiveness, and are more adaptable, sustainable and capable of scaling their work. In fact, 80% of Service Enterprise organizations report an increase in both volunteer and skill-based volunteers.
The SE Initiative is a national change management program that helps organizations gain a greater return on volunteer investment to better achieve their mission. The Service Enterprise concept was formed in 2010.
Training for the 2023 Kansas cohort will begin in July.
For more information, please visit www.kanserve.org
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The Kansas Volunteer Commission is a program of the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE). The vision of the Kansas Volunteer Commission is to empower all Kansans to meet community needs through service. The Commission's primary role is to provide resources and leadership to support local initiatives that tackle community needs. As the state service commission, the Kansas Volunteer Commission promotes AmeriCorps national service, volunteer engagement, youth mentoring and civic engagement. For more information, visit www.kanserve.org.
AmeriCorps is the federal agency for volunteering, service and civic engagement. The agency engages millions of Americans in citizen service through its AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors programs and leads the nation's volunteering and service efforts. For more information, visit www.AmeriCorps.gov.
Questions about this page contact:
Denise Kahler (785) 296-4876 dkahler@ksde.org
The Kansas State Department of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities. (more information...)
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