PARTNER AGENCY INFORMATION

How to Become a Partner Agency:

Whatcom Volunteer Center is a One-Stop Center linking people of all ages who want to contribute their talent and time to directly assist agencies in meeting community needs.  As a comprehensive umbrella agency, Whatcom Volunteer Center currently links 3,000 volunteers of all ages to 350 nonprofits, schools, government, and healthcare-related worksites.

§         For agencies needing to stretch their limited resources, Whatcom Volunteer Center provides one-stop access to a wide pool of volunteer talent.

§         For those wanting to do pro bono work, Whatcom Volunteer Center provides up-to-date job descriptions of volunteer positions in our partner agencies.

Our intent is two-fold:

1.      To directly assist agencies in meeting their missions without increasing their expenses thorough the infusion of donated human resources; and

2.      To provide volunteers access to meaningful opportunities to contribute their time and talent to meet community needs.

Each year Whatcom Volunteer Center volunteers record over 125,000 hours donated to non profits in our community valued at more than $2 million according to figures published by Independent Sector.  (This figure is based on the average hourly wage for non-agricultural workers listed in the Economic Report of the Resident with 12% added to estimate fringe benefits.  The value of a volunteer was set at $18.77 per hour for 2006.)

At Will Volunteerism:

Our goal is for volunteer referrals to result in a positive match for all concerned.  The partner agency and/or the volunteers have the right to accept, deny, or terminate a volunteer referral at any time.  While a partner agency normally terminates a volunteer only for sound and reasonable cause, they reserve the right to terminate a volunteer, with or without just cause.  A volunteer gives of his or her time, talent, and experience at will and may also choose to terminate service at any time; however, it is a responsibility of the volunteer to inform the partner agency in advance of the last day of service.  Please notify Whatcom Volunteer Center if difficult termination situations arise and whether the partner agency or the volunteer needs assistance.

Diversity:

It is also a Whatcom Volunteer Center goal to mobilize a diverse population of volunteers and find meaningful ways for them to share their time, skills, and experience.  We ask our partner agencies to consider how they may be able to utilize teams of volunteers, students, families, seniors, individuals who work during weekdays, volunteers who come from diverse ethnic backgrounds, and those with disabilities.

Memorandum of Understanding:

Completing the Memorandum of Understanding assures your agency's eligibility for services provided by Whatcom Volunteer Center.  It is important the Whatcom Volunteer Center can assure volunteers that our partner agencies understand and have agreed to abide by the provisions of the Memorandum of Understanding.  Without the Memorandum of Understanding on file, we are unable to make this guarantee to our member volunteers.

We look forward to partnering with you to make a difference

in the lives of people in Whatcom County.