MentoringtheLeaders

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Comment by Daniel Bassill on November 9, 2009 at 10:14am

Next best thing to being there is to network and encourage people you influence to be there. This is the idea illustrated in this graphic. Without dollars for advertising, we can't get our message out to the millions of people who might be interested. However, if other people pass the message on in their own network, we become a connected world.

Comment by Debra J. Berg on November 8, 2009 at 3:18pm

Wish I could get up there Dan. Make sure to place this on the Linkedin site. All the best on the conference!

Comment by Daniel Bassill on November 8, 2009 at 11:05am

The next Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference is Nov. 19 and 20 at Northwestern University in Chicago. I encourage you to visit the web site and connect with people who will be attending, even if you cannot be there in person. Please help spread the word in your own business, philanthropy and volunteer networks so those who can attend, know that it is available.

Comment by Daniel Bassill on October 10, 2009 at 12:29pm

Below is a map that shows the different types of research in the links section of the Tutor/Mentor Connection web site. I feel that as we reach out to people we need to point them to information that they can use for their own learning. As more people use this they will understand issues better, and be more likely to contribute time, talent and dollars to solutions.

For this information to be well-used, leaders and facilitators need to be creating small groups, or learning circles, and leading on-going discussions of small parts of this information. They do this in churches every week. They do this in school every day. We ought to be able to duplicate this in civic engagement and citizen involvement in problem solving.

Comment by Debra J. Berg on March 28, 2009 at 10:07pm

Well, I do think it will take time to fulfill your observation. I couldn't agree more, but as with any social networking site, for numbers to increase it's a matter of building momentum. We've already spent considerable resources to draw attention but I'm learning that with this medium it's one at a time introductions, article publishing, speaking, along with word of mouth that brings results. If we all do our part to promote this site to others, including potential donors, we'll all benefit.

Comment by Daniel Bassill on March 28, 2009 at 7:12pm

Thanks Debra. The think I've not seen in any of these forums is an active donor shopping for ways to distribute their help. If you can draw donors who are ready to donate, and are interested in supporting volunteerism into your network it will help me and any other non profit who spends time here. I can't think of what the person with the money should be any less innovative and passionate about the work we're all trying to do than the person with the idea.

Comment by Debra J. Berg on March 28, 2009 at 12:39pm

Dan, that's good to know about VolunteerMatch. I'm a bit surprised that they don't ask for more details from the groups but I guess there are always fiscal and other limitations to managing data. You have a great vision. If you have any suggestions for how to NICE might be able to help you engage the right people to help the cause, please let me know.

Comment by Daniel Bassill on March 28, 2009 at 12:16pm

I've had conversations with some folks at VolunteerMatch but they have not expressed an interest in working with me. I'd rather work with local communities to help them duplicate the T/MC and load their tutor/mentor programs into their own T/MC Program Locator. The advantage of this is that our database breaks down tutor/mentor into more specific categories than does Volunteer-Match or other national databases. We divide programs into categories, based on type of program, age group served, time of day service is provided, and zip code. With this information a community can understand if they have enough of the right type of program in the areas where kids need the most help, and if they are serving all age groups.

Volunteer Match would need to do quite a bit of overhaul to provide the type of analysis and capacity building that the T/MC seeks to support and which every community needs.

With all of that said, we have a section on the T/MC site with links to the national databases, so that if people don't find what they are looking for in our list, they can search these. We'd be happy to put the VolunteerMatch logo and link on the T/MC Program Locator if they would give us some money for that placement.

Comment by Debra J. Berg on March 28, 2009 at 11:50am

A question for Dan. I've just done a search on VolunteerMatch.com for Florida with the keywords youth mentoring and came up with 70+ different opportunity results. Granted some of these are Boys and Girls Club groups but most are small localized organizations or schools. Have you ever thought of, or pursued, working with VolunteerMatch.org to identify mentoring opportunities to help expand your tutor-mentor connection mapping project?

Comment by Paula Dirkes on March 16, 2009 at 11:58am

I just watched the video from 'Starla' in L.A. and noticed this new group was available. Great idea Dan!