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SULLIVAN NONPROFIT SUMMIT

Wednesday, March 7 at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts | Feb. 15, 2012

SULLIVAN RENAISSANCE ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Expert on Gardening Trends to Give Keynote Address | Feb. 13, 2012

SULLIVAN-WAWARSING REAP ELECTS NEW OFFICERS

Sullivan-Wawarsing Rural Economic Area Partnership | Feb. 7, 2012

Photo Galleries

Photo One2011 Awards Ceremony
Liberty, NY 2011

Photo OneSolar Renaissance
Sullivan Renaissance partners with NYSERDA

More Galleries...

In a world of great needs and diverse talents, there are many ways to help improve a community. Individuals can donate time, ideas, expertise, services, goods and/or money. They can become involved in a central project or provide support to an organization.

Volunteers

Volunteers provide manpower and bring a vital community spirit to an endeavor. They are the heart of the Sullivan Renaissance program.

An effective volunteer program is essential in most community efforts. One common challenge can be to find enough volunteers to share all the work that needs to be done. The way groups recruit volunteers can vary: from asking neighbors to lend a hand; to training individuals as part of a formal program; to bringing in organized groups such as Daytop in Swan Lake or the Job Corps Center in Callicoon.

All projects need to include young people among their volunteers. Scout, school and church groups are good places to start, as are the children of volunteers already participating.

Tips for recruiting and retaining volunteers 

Technical Expertise

There is no end to the technical expertise that might be necessary for a successful project: everything from landscaping and horticulture, to building renovation and repair, to community development and planning. Then there are the organizational tasks like bookkeeping, project management, fundraising, photography and documentation. Many communities have talented individuals to meet most or all of these needs. Other communities must reach out to find some of this expertise. One good place to start is with the local senior citizen organization.

Working with your Municipality

Sullivan Renaissance encourages dialogue with town board members and supervisors, and with code enforcement officers and building inspectors, to explore how groups can work with them. The response from municipal officials is almost always positive since they depend on support from their residents.

Suggestions for Municipal Cooperation

Fundraising

Every organization needs money to operate, so Renaissance provides seed grants to help communities get started. Most Renaissance communities also require additional funding for their projects, which can vary in cost from several hundred to several thousand dollars. Many communities are experienced in obtaining the resources they need to complete their projects and have learned how to raise funds.

Here are some general fundraising tips

For more information visit Grassroots Funding Journal