Volunteer Management Network - Northwest Region
Meeting Notes
February 17, 2009
Welcome & Introductions - Scott Niermann, Serve Illinois Commission
What is the Illinois Volunteer Management Network - Brief Recap
Serve Illinois Commission Updates
(Scott Niermann, Serve Illinois Commission)
- AmeriCorps week May 9-16 with Disability Inclusion focus
Serve.Illinois.gov Website Update
(Scott McFarland, Serve Illinois Commission)
- Goal: Direct traffic to your organization
- since September, over 10,000 people visited site with over 46,000 opportunities
- upcoming additions will include disability inclusion
- minutes from all five regions will go up on website
- AmeriCorps VISTA, Steven, offered to help with the VMN as part of his service term
- feel free to send any program spotlight information to them
- send calendar events for them to post on the website
Panel Discussion: Volunteers: Screening, Liability, & Risk Management
Mike Hughes, Community Outreach Coordinator, Office of the Attorney General, State of Illinois
- Oversees the Charitable Trust Act (all non-profit charities must fill out 990 form)
- can be fined if fail to file
- Legal liability when dealing with volunteers
- Recommendation handout:
- Volunteer Board - recruit a lawyer
- Insurance products - recruit an insurance agent/broker
- Contract with volunteers -
- receive no material goods from board members (conflict of interests)
- Exercise good judgment because of legal ramifications
- Call Bureau, Teresa (312-814-2595 or www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov)
Johnna Jennings, Unit Educator, U of I Extension (DeKalb County)
- Application process to volunteer with 4H
- Volunteer application (need 3 references - work, family, and personal)
- Interview process
- DCFS CANTS form
- Sex offender site and police check
- every 5 years must redo process and files are then secured and locked
- educate chaperones for them to protect themselves
Risk Management (think through scenarios and have a game plan for each)
- What does risk mean to your organization (legal/civil)
- avoid risk
- mitigate risk
- share risk (insurance) - Nonprofit Risk Management Center
- talk to your liability insurance company to see what they recommend
- have a written policy for background checks - possibly reevaluate is it a good idea then
- Other background checks
- Secretary of State - motor vehicle
- CNA: IL Department of Professional Regulation (professional complaints)
- Timeframe for volunteers to serve
- fill out forms in summer
- Orientate volunteer, but can not start until receives CANTS back - especially for 1 on 1 service ( CANTS form takes a while to get back )
- have letter if fail check
- every volunteer gets a copy of Volunteer Behavior guidelines that sign off on
Trooper Melissa Randick, Illinois State Police-District 1 (Lee County)
- Phone: 815-740-5160
- Criminal History Record Information Training Symposiums
- Name based, fingerprint cards forms available on-line but cannot be copied or reused
- Manual Fees - $16 for name check and $20 for fingerprint
- Some places do electronic prints
- only shows convicted people not arrests
- Judici does show arrests by county
VMN Statewide Survey & Upcoming Opportunities
(Scott Niermann, Serve Illinois Commission)
Possible NW IL Projects
need for statewide structure
- Professional Development
- Network/Sharing of ideas
- Conferences - 1 full day conference (8-4 pm)
- Volunteer Center/Connector
Survey Ideas - posted and collected
- A VISTA member may conduct a baseline evaluation so state can focus resources where they are needed
- state hopes to apply for grant based on the survey results
Next Steps
VMN Leadership Team for NW IL Region:
- Sabrina Earl, Sauk Valley Community College
- Doug Hampton, Illinois Coalition for Community Services
- Joann Robinson, Volunteer Hospice of Northwest Illinois
- Donna Minear, Rock Island County Unit, UI Extension
- Mike Shore, RSVP/Highland Community College
(will meet sometime after March)
Summer Meeting & Location
- Thursday, July 30 from 11-3 pm at the Rock Island University of Illinois Extension office in Milan
- Brown bag lunch or ordered food option
Other Announcements
- Volunteer Development class on Emergency: February 26 free (Rockisland.org) 309-799-5166 to register
Adjournment
- Submitted by: Sabrina Earl, Sauk Valley Community College