What is VCW?
Volunteer Centers of Washington (VCW) is a statewide association that strengthens, develops and connects volunteer centers by sharing expertise and resources. VCW provides training and professional development, convenes members via monthly conference calls and semi-annual meetings, designs programs and templates, and consolidates useful information.
The association is governed by an executive committee, and employs a part-time staff. The President of the association administers a grant from the federal Corporation for National and Community Service, administered through Serve Washington. The association is a “virtual organization,” with members and staff housed at their individual agencies.
Volunteer Centers foster and develop volunteerism in individual communities, generally by connecting individuals with opportunities to volunteer. They also promote volunteerism via outreach and program design (for example, special volunteer days and events, Volunteer Reader programs, and staffing homeless shelters.) The centers encourage effective volunteering by hosting learning opportunities in volunteer management and other aspects of non-profit administration. In 2013, member centers referred over 10,000 volunteers to nonprofits in their communities in need of expertise, for a reported 258,000 service hours.
VCW was modeled after the successful Volunteer Centers of Michigan. It was founded in 2006 under the direction of Sara Ballard, who moved from Michigan to work at Snohomish County’s United Way and then to manage the independent Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason and Thurston Counties. During the first four years, the association was funded solely by member dues and in-kind donations. Whatcom, Snohomish, Skagit, Clark, King, Lewis, Mason and Thurston Counties have been consistent members since the beginning of the association.