Roles, Responsibilities and Strategies

Roles, Responsibilities and Strategies

Community Investment (Allocations) Volunteer

Roles, Responsibilities and Strategies

Role

To serve as a member of a team which reviews health and human service programs and develops recommendations regarding the amount of funding United Way will invest in each agency. Volunteers review and assess Grant Applications that detail the funding requirements, performance goals, research that establishes the need for the program in our community, and the ability of the agency to demonstrate success and competency in five key areas: Community Need, Community Impact, Ability & Evaluation, Financial Management and Track Record.

Community Investment (Allocations) Volunteers assist the VCUW Board of Directors, Trustees and the Community Investment Allocations Committee in building relationships, educating the community about United Way’s mission and funding of programs that will ultimately benefit our community.

Role & Responsibilities

  • Become knowledgeable of Victoria County United Way mission, values and serve as a spokesperson
  • Attend and participate in committee meetings and Grant deliberations
  • Evaluate programs currently funded
  • Evaluate new programs not previously funded
  • Evaluate new agencies seeking admission & funding
  • Attend Agency Site Visits
  • Prepare grant recommendations for presentation to the Community Investment Committee
  • Provide feedback and analysis of the Grant process for future improvement
  • Maintain confidentiality
  • Enforce Victoria County United Way funding and accountability policies

To Be Successful in this Position

  • Read Grant Applications in advance of agency meetings. Please feel free to make notations on these pages such as questions, impressions, or any remarks you feel are appropriate and that will help you prepare for the interviewing process. Highlight areas of concern or praise, identify questions you would like to ask to further clarify your understanding of information provided.
  • Victoria County United Way funds programs, not administrative costs, so pay particular attention to those items that are program oriented (such as # of clients served, services provided, service delivery, cost of services vs. outcome, etc). We are asking agencies to provide us with more detail on the anticipated impact of their programs and how they will measure that.
  • For each proposal, fill out an Application Review Checklist. Any answer you mark “No” or “Unsure” will indicate areas of concern. Use this to assist in formulating the questions you may want the agency representative to answer or issues to discuss with your fellow Panel members. This form is for your own use during the presentations. We will not collect these.
  • In reviewing the application and financial information, you may feel you need clarification on the purpose of a question and/or financial information that we have asked the agency to supply. Do not hesitate to call the Victoria County United Way office (361-578-3561) if this should occur. We will be happy to answer or find the answer to any questions you may have.
  • When making a Site Visit, please take notes and write down your observations, concerns, praises and questions for follow-up. United Way staff will always attend Site Visits with you. We will pass questions on the agencies for their repose prior to the “Grant Presentation Meetings”. We will give the volunteers who made site visits a chance to report on these at the “Grant Presentation Meetings”.
  • At the “Grant Presentation Meeting”, agency representatives will first give a brief overview of their agency and provide specifics regarding the program for which funds are requested. Please write any questions down so that you will be prepared to ask them at the end of their presentation. You may receive information from the agency site visit from fellow volunteers beyond what is contained in the application.
  • Following the presentation, your panel will discuss the proposal and your Chair and Vice Chair will lead you through scoring each applicant using the Score Sheet.

Helpful Tips for Reviewing Grant Applications

  • Enclosed you will find the applications for funding from the agencies you will be reviewing. Please read them carefully in advance of your agency visits and Budget Conferences. Become familiar with what the agency is requesting. Take time to write out your questions, concerns and praise’s.
  • These applications are for your use. Please feel free to make notations on these pages such as questions, impressions, or any remarks you feel are appropriate and that will help you prepare for the grants process.
  • In reviewing the application and financial information, you may feel you need clarification on the purpose of a question and/or financial information that we have asked the agency to supply. Do not hesitate to call the Victoria County United Way office (361-578-3561) if this should occur. We will be happy to answer or find the answer to any questions you may have.

Application Review Checklist

  • Also enclosed is an Application Review Checklist for you to fill out for each of the proposals. Any answer you mark “No” or “Unsure” will indicate areas of concern. Use this to assist in formulating the questions you may want the agency representative to answer or issues to discuss with your fellow Panel members. This form is for your own use during the presentations. We will not collect these.

Agency Visits

  • When making a Site Visit, please take notes and write down your observations, concerns, praises and questions for follow-up. United Way staff will always attend Site Visits with you. We will pass questions on the agencies for their repose prior to the “Grant Presentation Meetings”. We will give the volunteers who made site visits a chance to report on these at the “Grant Presentation Meetings”.

Budget Conferences

  • The agency representatives will first give a brief overview of their agency and its program. Please write any questions down so that you will be prepared to ask them at the end of their presentation. You may receive information from the agency representative beyond what is contained in the application.
  • Following the presentation, your panel will discuss the proposal and your Chair and Vice Chair will lead you through scoring each applicant using the Score Sheet (one copy is on the back of this page for your information).

BRING TO THE MEETING:

  1. Agency Applications
  2. Completed Application Review Checklists
  3. Site Visit Observations

Timetable

  • May 7, 2015 (3:00 PM) – Allocation Volunteer Training Orientation
  • Victoria College (Room 131 in the Health Sciences Center)– 2 hours
  • May 11th thru May 22nd2015 – Agency Visits
  • Allocation volunteers will split up into teams and set date and time for site visits.
  • Each team of two volunteers will visit two agencies.
  • 1½hours per visit – 3 hours total commitment.
  • May 27th thru June 10th 2015 - Grant Hearings
  • Requires the commitment of one full day. Each subcommittee will select one day to hear Grant Presentations for agencies on their subcommittee.
  • The date and location to be selected.
  • 8:00 am to 5:00 pm – 9 hour commitment – lunch provided.

United Way Staff Support

Clifford Grimes, Executive Director, Victoria County United Way

4407 Lilac, Suite B — Victoria, TX 77901 Tel 361.578.3561 Mobile: (704 975-2270 Fax: 361.578.8309

Email: ebsite:

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