MINNESOTA ALLIANCE FOR VOLUNTEER ADVANCEMENT

MAVA BUILDS COMMUNITY AND COMPETENCY FOR LEADERS OF VOLUNTEERS. LEADERS OF VOLUNTEERS ARE OFTEN ISOLATED AS THE ONLY PERSON FOCUSED ON VOLUNTEER ENGAGEMENT IN THEIR ORGANIZATIONS, AND FREQUENTLY UNDER-RESOURCED, IN TERMS OF MATERIAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT FOR THE WORK THEY DO. MAVA FILLS THOSE GAPS WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO GATHER WITH, AND LEARN FROM PEERS, AS WELL AS ACCESS TO TRAINING AND RESOURCES TO BUILD KNOWLEDGE AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS. WHILE ESPECIALLY CRITICAL DURING A PANDEMIC AND SOCIAL UNREST THAT DISRUPTED ORGANIZATIONAL FUNCTIONS, THIS SUPPORT CONTINUES TO BE ESSENTIAL FOR LEADERS OF VOLUNTEERS CONFRONTING A CHANGING VOLUNTEERISM LANDSCAPE CHARACTERIZED BY GENERATIONAL SHIFTS, SUCH AS ATTRITION OF OLDER VOLUNTEER PARTICIPATION, AND DEMAND FOR MORE FLEXIBLE OPPORTUNITIES AND VENUES TO SERVE, SUCH ASREQUESTS FOR VIRTUAL AND OFF-SITE ROLES. LEADERS OF VOLUNTEERS, FROM THOSE ENTERING THE FIELD TOEXPERIENCED VOLUNTEER ENGAGEMENT PROFESSIONALS, VALUE MAVA'S ABILITY TO BRING TOGETHER PEOPLE, IDEAS AND RESOURCES THAT SUPPORT THEIR EFFORTS TO PROVIDE HIGH-IMPACT, RELEVANT AND PURPOSEFUL WAYS TO FUEL COMMUNITY CHANGE.MAVA ADVANCES THE POWER OF VOLUNTEERISM TO DEEPEN COMMUNITY IMPACT THROUGH UPLIFTING COMMUNITY VOICE, BUILDING CONNECTIONS, PROVIDING EDUCATION, AND PROMOTING ADVOCACY. MAVA'S VISION IS A WORLD IN WHICH EVERYONE HAS AN EQUITABLE OPPORTUNITY TO POSITIVELY IMPACT THEIR COMMUNITY THROUGH VOLUNTEERISM. IN 2001, MAVA WAS FORMED TO ELEVATE THE VOICE OF VOLUNTEERS, AND THOSE WHO LEAD THEM. SINCE THAT TIME, MAVA HAS GROWN TO BE A ONE-OF-A-KIND CAPACITY BUILDING ORGANIZATION, PROVIDING ESSENTIAL TOOLS AND SERVICES WHICH ENABLE VOLUNTEERS AND THEIR LEADERS TO ADDRESS SOME OF OUR MOST DIRE COMMUNITY PROBLEMS. FROM ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS AND HUNGER TO WORKING FOR ECONOMIC AND RACIAL JUSTICE, A MAJOR FORCE THAT MAKES CHANGE IN THESE ARENAS IS A VOLUNTEER FORCE. VOLUNTEERS HAVE AN ENORMOUS IMPACT ON THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF COMMUNITIES WORLDWIDE. MAVA IS A STATE AND GLOBAL LEADER IN MEETING PRESSING COMMUNITY NEEDS THROUGH EFFECTIVE AND EQUITABLE ENGAGEMENT OF VOLUNTEERS. MAVA HAS EMBEDDED DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION INTO INTERNAL STRUCTURES AND WORKS WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO DISMANTLE STRUCTURAL RACISM IN VOLUNTEER SYSTEMS. A ONE OF ITS' KIND ORGANIZATION, MAVA PROPELS ORGANIZATIONS, VOLUNTEER ENGAGEMENT PROFESSIONALS AND INFORMAL VOLUNTEERS TO ADDRESS COMMUNITY PROBLEMS THROUGH MULTIPLE SERVICES AND PROGRAMS. THESE INCLUDE: INNOVATIVE CONSULTING, TRAINING AND CONFERENCES IN DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION, AND BEST PRACTICE TRAINING IN VOLUNTEER ENGAGEMENT AN AMERICORPS VISTA PROGRAM FOCUSED ON VOLUNTEER ENGAGEMENT CAPACITY BUILDING CERTIFICATION OF SERVICE ENTERPRISE ORGANIZATIONS DEMONSTRATING SOLID LEVERAGING OF VOLUNTEER RESOURCES RESEARCH RESULTING IN CUTTING EDGE CURRICULUM IN TOPICS THAT ADVANCE ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS IN SOLVING COMMUNITY PROBLEMS CONNECTION, NETWORKING AND ADVOCACY FOR VOLUNTEER ENGAGEMENT PROFESSIONALS.