VolunteerFest® Proposal Guidelines
In 2012 we aim to have 40 – 50 organizations provide volunteer projects for VolunteerFest® on Saturday, October 27 for this 18th annual Fairfax area day of service. VolunteerFest® is a region-wide day of community service held in conjunction with National Make a Difference Day. VolunteerFest® mobilizes hundreds of volunteers to help nonprofits accomplish tasks that they would not have the time or resources to do on their own.
VolunteerFest® 2012 Saturday, October 27
How to Apply: Submit a project proposal, starting July 11, 2012. Instructions on how to upload a proposal are available here.
Deadline: All applications are due August 16, 2012
Who can participate? 501(c)(3) nonprofits and government agencies in Northern Virginia (Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William and Arlington Counties, Virginia and the cities of Fairfax, Alexandria, and Falls Church, Virginia). All participating agencies must be a Partner member of Volunteer Fairfax.
Project Location: All project locations must be in Northern Virginia area (Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William and Arlington Counties, Virginia and the cities of Fairfax, Alexandria, and Falls Church, Virginia).
Project Ideas: Past VolunteerFest® projects include: painting at a community center, sorting clothing at a thrift store, serving meals at a shelter, pulling weeds and invasive vines at parks, and tutoring at a local library.
Time Period: Duration of the projects should be two to four hours long.
Number of Volunteers: Projects must have a minimum of 5 volunteers. There is no maximum number of volunteers set by Volunteer Fairfax.
Age Range: Each nonprofit must determine their own minimum age (with or without an adult present). You may also determine whether or not the project is appropriate for families.
Multiple project submissions: If submitting multiple projects (or two separate shifts for the same project), please submit a separate project proposal form for each project and each location.
The project coordinator must attend one of the Orientation Meetings: A representative from your organization must be present at your project site(s) for the duration of the projects on October 27 – this should be someone who is familiar with the project and who can keep volunteers busy and safe. (if this person did not attend the Orientation Meeting, he/she must participate in an orientation over the phone).
Have questions? Contact Meg Emery today!
A couple things to consider for projects!
Identify projects that are meaningful and will keep volunteers busy throughout the designated time period.
Consider projects that are appropriate for potential volunteers. How can your project be completed by families? Will projects appeal to many kinds of volunteers? Are there bathroom facilities on-site or nearby? Is there enough parking for volunteers?
Safety first! Have a first-aid kit for each site or alert local fire and rescue teams. Visit all sites. Check for possible hazards. Compare the site to the project proposal – is it realistic? How many volunteers will it take to complete the project? What’s the minimum and maximum number of volunteers that can participate? Is the site appropriate for families?
Break the project(s) into tasks that can be accomplished by volunteers with a broad range of skills and abilities. What needs to be done first, then next, etc? (Example: Creating an ice-cream social includes planning the event, purchasing materials, inviting guests, planning games and prizes, decorating….)
Consider all materials and/or tools the project requires. Do you have enough rakes, shovels, dirt, mulch, plants, paint, brushes, rollers, drop clothes, and/or wheelbarrows for project completion? If you need additional materials for your project, start now to ask area businesses and stores for in-kind donations.
