Sustaining Innovative Service Providers & Voluntary Organizations

1. Sustaining Innovative Service Providers & Voluntary Organizations Laura Ryser and Greg Halseth Rural and Small Town Studies University of Northern British Columbia CRRF - Twillingate - 2005

2. Importance of Innovative Services & Voluntary Orgs • Provide services during transition that may otherwise not exist • Resident and business recruitment & retention • Enhance local quality of life

3. Outline • Methodology • Sustainability and Resiliency • Human Resources • Financial Resources • Partnerships • Communications • Sources of Information • Discussion

4. Methodology • Selection of sites: • NRE site matrix variables • Regional representation • 4 NRE sites: Mackenzie, BC Wood River, SK Tweed, ON Springhill, NS • Selection of organizations: • Purposive sampling (10 orgs / site) • Tracked from 2003 - 2005

5. How do they sustain themselves? • Human resources • Financial resources • Partnerships • Communications • Sources of information

6. Human Resources I Is the position voluntary or paid? - % Response Leadership Board of Directors Voluntary 80.6 87.5 Paid 19.4 12.5 Compensation 6.5 8.3 n=31 n=24 Source: INE Innovative Services and Voluntary Organizations Survey 2005.

7. Human Resources II Challenges with Human Resources - % Response Total Lack of members 50.0 Volunteer burnout 41.7 Little participation by members 36.1 Lack of new leadership 19.4 Difficulty getting staff 11.1 n=36 Source: INE Innovative Services and Voluntary Organizations Survey 2005.

8. Human Resources III Recruiting over the last year - % Response Total n= New general members/employees 65.7 35 New board members 46.2 26 Source: INE Innovative Services and Voluntary Organizations Survey 2005.

9. General Members / Employees Local newspaper ads Local radio station ads Newsletters Posters Brochures Websites Community presentations Ads in similar institutions in large urban centres Hired recruiters / recruiting committees Invitations to individuals Internal job postings Job postings across Canada Regional volunteer and information database Recruited volunteers from similar service providers Church bulletins Word of mouth Board Members Local newspaper ads Local radio station ads Pamphlets Meetings at other community activities Meetings of the organization Through previous experience volunteering for their organization Hired personnel Word of mouth Recruiting Strategies

10. Human Resources IV • Organizations with paid or compensated leaders / board members less likely to face: • Lack of new leadership • Little participation by members • Volunteer burnout

11. How do they sustain themselves? • Human resources • Financial resources • Partnerships • Communications • Sources of information

12. Changes in Private Funding

13. Changes in Private Funding

14. Changes in Government Programs

15. Changes in Government Programs

16. Financial Resources Conditions required to receive funds - % Response Total Have a board of directors 45.7 Provide services to a particular group 34.3 Location in a specific geographic area 31.4 Belong to a professional / sector association 25.7 Have charitable status 22.9 Have a partnership 22.9 Have private funding 17.1 n=35 Source: INE Innovative Services and Voluntary Organizations Survey 2005.

17. Board of Directors & Private Funding

18. Board of Directors & Gov’t Programs

19. How do they sustain themselves? • Human resources • Financial resources • Partnerships • Communications • Sources of information

20. Partnerships Partnerships with volunteer groups, businesses, institutions, gov’t orgs - % Response 2003 2005 Outside site67.5 75.0 Within site 62.5 61.1 n=40 n=36 Source: Innovative Services and Voluntary Survey 2003, 2005

21. Effectiveness of Partnerships How would you rate the effectiveness of your partnerships / linkages? Response Total n= Outside 1.31 64 Inside 1.61 89 Source: INE Innovative Services and Voluntary Organizations Survey 2005. Rating: 1=very effective; 2=effective; 3=neutral; 4=not effective; 5= very not effective.

22. Partnerships and Private Funding

23. Partnerships and Gov’t Programs

24. Partnerships-Bridging Social Capital What did partnerships add to organization? - % Response Total Expansion of networks 36.4 Change in products / services 27.3 New expertise 24.2 Change in administration / org structure 15.2 New technology 9.1 Change in regulations 6.1 n=33 Source: INE Innovative Services and Voluntary Organizations Survey 2005.

25. How do they sustain themselves? • Human resources • Financial resources • Partnerships • Communications • Sources of information

26. Communication Changes: Clients

27. Communication Changes: Clients

28. Partnerships and Communication: Clients

29. Communication Changes: Funders

30. Communication Changes: Funders

31. Partnerships and Communication: Funders

32. How do they sustain themselves? • Human resources • Financial resources • Partnerships • Communications • Sources of information

33. Sources of Information Response Total Family and friends 75.0 Management 69.4 General media 66.7 Internet 63.9 Customers 63.9 Staff 58.3 Federal / provincial government dep’ts 52.8 Business community 47.2 Universities / colleges / research centres 41.7 Local government 38.9 Sector associations 33.3 Financial institutions 22.2 n=36 Source: INE Innovative Services and Voluntary Organizations Survey 2005.

34. Partnerships and Sources of Information

35. Pressure for Change • Rural and small towns restructuring • Change produces new service provision pressures • Innovative services & vol. orgs using a range of strategies to sustain themselves

36. Discussion I • Challenges with Human Resources • Lack of members, volunteer burnout, little participation • To cope with human resource challenges: • Range of recruiting strategies • Some offering paid positions / compensation • Fewer of these organizations concerned with human resource problems

37. Discussion II • Financial resources: • Relying more on revenue from services and membership fees • Board of directors important condition to obtain funding • Boards enhance the accountability of an organization

38. Discussion III • Partnerships are increasing • New ways to deliver services • Enhances legitimacy • Groups with partnerships received more private and government funding • Benefits: • Networks, new products & services, and new expertise

39. Discussion IV • Groups with partnerships use a range of communication tools • Key communication tools to build and maintain organizations • Face-to-face contact • Print materials • Internet technology • Sources of information contribute new expertise