Toward a New Definition of Pro Bono

Every day, nonprofit groups around the country are meeting a wide variety of community needs, often with volunteer and corporate philanthropic assistance. Yet while these organizations are doing important and innovative work, they often cannot take their ideas to scale, in part because they lack the professional skills needed to operate as efficiently as possible, or to successfully plan for their growth. To help rectify this situation, The President's Council on Service and Civic Participation, together with several key private and government partners, convened The Summit on Corporate Volunteerism in February 2008. Toward a New Definition of Probono, produced out of this summit, makes the case for utilizing probono volunteer services

Review of EU, national and regional innovation drivers

A policy review of innovation drivers in support of the development of the Regional Innovation Strategy

A Matter of Survival: Volunteering

This monograph documents the rich traditions of self-help and civic engagement that are found in America's "tough" communities -- communities most often found in the inner city, where resources are scarce and where it is difficult to live and to raise a family. There is also inner-city wisdom here for the Volunteer Centers, community foundations, nonprofits, the business community, and others searching for better ways to partner with the resident drivers of low-income neighborhood renewal.A Matter of Survival is the product of a 1996 invitation from the Annie E. Casey Foundation to the Points of Light Foundation to explore the role of volunteering in building the social capital necessary to transform distressed neighborhoods into family-supporting communities. We set out to document volunteering activities in these communities, but along the way, we came to a much deeper understanding of the myriad homegrown, informal networks and service vehicles that animate residents and empower them to drive reform.The Points of Light Foundation utilized this opportunity to listen, learn, and share our learnings. We convened national, regional, and grassroots leaders who shared their experience and wisdom in focus groups and workshops, and we recorded their wisdom. From them, we learned what worked and why, and under what circumstances. We used our own grants as vehicles to create partnerships that supported and strengthened local initiatives, and because we listened carefully, many of these initiatives bore fruit. This report shares that experience and that knowledge

Strategically leveraging corporate social responsibility

orporate social responsibility (CSR) is changing the rules of branding but it is unclear how. While the literature offers a range of approaches seeking insight to how to manage CSR-related issues, practitioners are left in a state of confusion when having to decide on how to tackle CSR in a way that benefits both the corporate brand and society at large. based on qualitative empirical research, this article offers a framework for companies to address CSR and their brands strategically, whether as entrepreneurs, performers, vocal converts, or quietly conscientious. We define these categories according to the level of involvement, integration, and the key initiator of the CSR focus. This article concludes with suggestions practitioners should keep in mind when aiming to balance stakeholder tensions and to achieve consistency in their corporate branding and CSR efforts

Victorian Aboriginal economic strategy 2013-2020

The Victorian Aboriginal Economic Strategy was launched by the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs on 6 December 2013. The Strategy leverages the strengths of Aboriginal Victorians and the State economy to build opportunity and economic prosperity and deliver better life outcomes for Aboriginal Victorians. Economic participation and development are central to the Government\u27s reform agenda for closing the gap, the Victorian Aboriginal Affairs Framework 2013–2018. The Strategy extends from education, to more job opportunities with career pathways, and growing Aboriginal business enterprise and investment. Actions under the Strategy build on efforts across the Victorian Government and leverage private sector partners, to deliver strong outcomes in education, training employment and business enterprise. A Victorian Aboriginal Economic Board will be established in 2014 to support delivery of the Strategy, cut through red tape and build strategic connections with industries and the finance sector. The development of the Strategy has been informed by Ministerial Roundtables and targeted consultations held during 2013, discussions at the Victorian Aboriginal Economic Development Summit hosted in 2012 and the work of the Victorian Aboriginal Economic Development Group. The Strategy is available at the following links: Victorian Aboriginal Economic Strategy 2013 - 2020 (Word 3.51 MB) Victorian Aboriginal Economic Strategy 2013 - 2020 (PDF 4 MB

More than Money: The potential of cross-sector relationships

Collaboration and co-funding between foundations has seen strong and consistent development. However, less has been done to explore and document the opportunities that collaboration across sectors between foundations, public and private sector funders may provide. 'More Than Money' provides a valuable insight into what it means for funders from different sectors to work collaboratively. Examples include the Pears Foundation working with the Department for Children, Schools and Families to turn a school linking project from a small pilot to a national project, or the development of the Evaluation Support Scotland project which began through informal discussions between a small group of funders from the statutory and voluntary sector, and continued to develop through funding from the Scottish Executive.We hope that this publication will help inform and encourage funders from all sectors as they continue to explore the exciting opportunities that cross sector collaboration can offer

Bridging Organizational Silos

{Excerpt} A silo is a tall, self-contained cylindrical structure that isused to store commodities such as grain after a harvest. It is also a figure of speech for organizational entities—and their management teams—that lack the desire or motivation to coordinate (at worst, even communicate) with other entities in the same organization. Wide recognition of the metaphor intimates that structural barriers in sizable organizations often cause units to work against one another: silos, politics, and turf wars are often mentioned in the same breath. An organization is a social arrangement to pursue a collective intent. Coordination, and the requisite communication it implies, is fundamental to organizational performance toward that. Yet, many organizations grapple with the challenge of connecting the subsystems they have devised to enhance specific contributing functions. Here and there, organizational, spatial, and social boundaries impede—when they do not block—the flows of knowledge needed to make full use of capabilities. High costs are borne from duplication of effort, inconsistencies, and inefficiencies. Everywhere, large organizations must move from managing silos to managing systems

Final report of work-with-IT: the JISC study into evolution of working practices

Technology is increasingly being used to underpin business processes across teaching and learning, research, knowledge exchange and business support activities in both HE and FE. The introduction of technology has a significant impact on the working practices of staff, often requiring them to work in a radically different way. Change in any situation can be unsettling and problematic and, where not effectively managed, can lead to poor service or functionality and disenfranchised staff. These issues can have a direct impact on institutional effectiveness, reputation and the resulting student experience. The Work-with-IT project, based at the University of Strathclyde, sought to examine changes to working practices across HE and FE, the impact on staff roles and relationships and the new skills sets that are required to meet these changes

Competency Implications of Changing Human Resource Roles

[Excerpt] The present study examines which competencies will be necessary to perform key human resource roles over the next decade at Eastman Kodak Company. This project was a critical component of an ongoing quality process to improve organizational capability. The results establish a platform that will enable Kodak to better assess, plan, develop, and measure the capability of human resource staff