California's Aging Opportunity

Recommendation IV. Prepare the Service Sector

The Challenge

• Nonprofits and public agencies are not necessarily ready: At a time when many California nonprofits and public agencies could use the experience and talent of older adults, they often don't have the know-how or resources to mobilize them.
  
  
• Need for increased state leadership and support: Although many groups — Volunteer Centers of California, RSVP, California Association of Nonprofits and others — provide statewide services and support, an enhanced state leadership role is needed to link with the new California Volunteer Matching Network and to provide additional guidance to interested nonprofits.

Taking Action

Create a state liaison to community-based organizations: Establishing a liaison's office within the Governor's Office would create new links between state leadership and state funded programs in order to advance the idea and practice of older adult service and volunteering. This liaison would be instrumental in implementing all of the recommendations of California's Aging Opportunity report.

Increase the involvement and role of CaliforniaVolunteers: Charge CaliforniaVolunteers, in conjunction with other service entities, to work with nonprofit organizations and public agencies to bolster their infrastructure for recruiting, screening, training, matching and supporting older adults in service. Explore how the new California Volunteer Matching Network fits with this role. Ideas for building capacity can be found through several national studies:

• The AdvantAge Initiative's 2004 report, Meaningful Service and Employment of Older Adults, presents responses from volunteer, employment and long-term care providers and older adults in order to identify barriers and opportunities regarding volunteerism and paid work,
• The National Council on Aging's 2005 report, RespectAbility Web Survey: Executive Summary summarizes results from a Web-based survey of nonprofit directors and volunteer coordinators regarding the extent to which older adult volunteers and workers are part of their operations,
• The Points of Light Foundation and the Volunteer Center National Network 2003 report, The Strength of the Infrastructure of Volunteer Agencies and Its Capacity to Absorb "Baby Boomer" Volunteers provides models for successfully engaging older adults, and
• The Urban Institute's 2004 report, Volunteer Management Capacity in America's Charities and Congregations, presents results of a survey of U.S. charities and congregations regarding their use of volunteers and their capacity to absorb more.

Advance best practices through state and federal resources: Work with the Corporation for National and Community Service and the State to expand existing programs and establish new offerings that incorporate best practices in older adult service:

• Research-based activities to ensure meaningful contributions
• Ongoing, sustained service roles
• Flexibility and diverse service opportunities, including leadership roles
• On-site coordination where day-to-day service takes place
• Training to ensure high quality service
• Recognition and rewards to acknowledge service
• Provision of stipends or other monetary incentives