Funding Strategy

vol·un·teer (noun) - A person who performs or offers to perform a service voluntarily.

In 2007, nearly 61 million Americans, or 26 percent of the population, volunteered. Individuals volunteered in a variety of ways and positively impacted a multitude of community needs. Most nonprofit organizations and churches rely on the dedicated service of volunteers to carry out their important missions. This volunteer workforce is the equivalent of 9 million full-time employees or $239 billion in donated services.

Each of us is endowed with gifts to be used to honor and glorify our risen Lord. As Christians, we are called into servanthood to be the hands and feet of Christ. From feeding the hungry, to healing the sick, mending the broken hearted, and loving those shunned by society, Christ set the example for us to follow.

Volunteering offers an exciting opportunity for ministry as we discover and carry out our unique gifts, thereby building the Body of Christ. When we selflessly reach out to help others, we are living as Christ called us to live. Our faith-filled acts of service are living expressions of Christ’s love for and in us. The wonderful news is that God continually equips us to serve.

We don’t have to travel far to see people in need; the mission field is ripe in our own back yards. The needs of our community are great, but through individual and collective acts of service, we can create a healthier community attuned to mind, body, and soul.

New Collaborative Effort
Lutheran Foundation has a rich history of encouraging and supporting Christians in carrying out these acts of servanthood. We have done this in a variety of ways, including supporting volunteer-driven programs and services, and funding volunteer recruitment campaigns.

Over the years, we have found that those volunteer efforts with the most success adhere to certain principles of quality volunteer management. In addition, while many individuals are interested in using their gifts and talents to improve the community, they do not always know how or where to get involved.

For this reason, Lutheran Foundation has funded a new collaborative effort to:

Build the capacity of area Christian individual volunteers to become effectively engaged in meeting the needs of the St. Louis community,
Build the capacity of area nonprofit organizations and congregations (particularly in urban communities) to effectively involve and manage volunteers, and
Actively connect those individuals and congregations interested in community volunteer work with organizations that need them.

Key partners in carrying out this work are:

Send Me St. Louis to coordinate the work of the collaboration, ultimately connecting Christians who want to volunteer with agencies and churches that need them,
Missouri District of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod to build the capacity of “people in the pews” to engage in effective volunteer service, and
United Way of Greater St. Louis' Volunteer Center to build the capacity of area organizations/congregations to effectively involve volunteers.

Click here to learn more about this exciting new endeavor.

Goal
To increase the number of Christian individuals engaged in social ministry efforts, thereby positively impacting the hurting lives of those helped and the spiritual life of the volunteer and congregation.

Objectives, Activities/Funding Priorities, and Outcomes
Lutheran Foundation has established the following objectives, activities/funding priorities, and outcomes for this funding focus area. We are also establishing evaluation methods to determine our success in achieving the outcomes identified.

Objectives	Activities	Outcomes
Build the capacity of area Christian individual volunteers to become effectively engaged in meeting the needs of the St. Louis community.	Provide training to individuals on volunteer skill sets/gifts, roles/responsibilities, and opportunities. Identify opportunities for individuals to reflect on their experience, particularly as a mechanism to deepen their faith.	Short-term: Individuals are more aware of community needs and opportunities for engagement. Individuals are more aware of their gifts and talents. Individuals report the training strengthens their spiritual walk. Individuals report they feel more connected to their congregations. Individuals report they feel more involved with their congregations. Individuals report they feel more comfortable sharing their faith with others. Organizations where individuals volunteer are able to complete activities and projects related to their missions. Long-term: Individuals recognize how their efforts strengthen the community. Individuals become more engaged in meeting community needs, either on their own or through their congregation. Organizations report that their ability to serve the community is strengthened through volunteer efforts.
Build the capacity of area nonprofit organizations and congregations (particularly urban) to effectively involve and manage volunteers.	Provide one-on-one and group support, training, and coaching to organizations and churches on quality volunteer management programs.	Short-term: Organizations & congregations become more aware of the importance and value of high quality volunteer management programs. More organizations & congregations have high quality volunteer management programs. Volunteers report high satisfaction with their volunteer experiences in these programs. Long-term: Organizations & congregations have the capacity to maintain their high quality volunteer management programs over time. Organizations & congregations report they are better able to meet their missions through effective volunteer management programs.
Actively connect those individuals and congregations interested in community volunteer work with agencies that need them.	Connect individuals and groups to a variety of ongoing and episodic volunteer opportunities, using a clearinghouse model.	Short-term: More individuals become volunteers for the first time. Individuals are connected to volunteer opportunities at congregations or organizations. Volunteers report high satisfaction with their volunteer activities. More congregations are engaged in volunteer activities in the community. Long-term: Organizations & congregations have adequate volunteers needed to complete activities and projects related to their missions. Volunteers and congregations maintain their community involvement over time. Congregations and organizations report they are better able to meet their missions as a result of the volunteers.

Additional Funding Opportunities
Lutheran Foundation will accept requests for funding to address this funding focus area by invitation only. Those organizations invited will have already been working with Send Me St. Louis or one of the other collaborative organizations. Please contact Melinda K. McAliney if you have any questions.

Overview Funding Strategy How to Apply Resources Send Me St. Louis