Welcome to Research Friday! As part of a continuing series, we invite a nonprofit scholar, student, or professional to highlight current research reports or studies and discuss how they can inform and improve day-to-day nonprofit practice.

Recent research findings by Christopher Einolf and Susan Chambre (2011) provided empirical evidence of the strong influence of both formal and informal social networks on volunteering. They found that individuals actively involved in activities with social organizations were more likely to volunteer. Previously, the positive impact of religious congregations and social networks on volunteering was found by Park and Smith (2000). This strong relationship was also evident for informal social networks where friend and neighbor interactions significantly increased the likelihood of volunteering (Bekkers, 2005; Okun, Pugliese, Rook, 2007). What about volunteers in Arizona and particularly senior volunteers? Are Arizona seniors influenced by both formal and informal social networks to volunteer? Do socioeconomic characteristics, health, and social isolation of an aging individual limit the likelihood of volunteering?

These challenging questions were addressed by the 2010 Arizona Health Survey sponsored by the St. Luke’s Health Initiative. Over 8,000 adults were surveyed about their physical, mental and social well-being. Fortunately, over 2,000 adults over 65 years old responded to…

Committing to volunteer can end up being the equivalent of a part time job! It can be quite the commitment in addition to your “real job.”

As you are doing your research, remember to sign up for a cause you’re passionate about, be realistic about the time commitment you are willing to dedicate to the cause, and research the organization before you sign yourself up. As you’re looking, put forth the same amount of effort into looking for a volunteer position as you would a part time job. A good volunteer posting should include:

• Purpose of the position — how will you, as a volunteer, be working toward the project or organization’s goal?
• Length of the volunteer term — from a few hours to the course of a few years- be sure you know what you are signing yourself up for!
• Location of volunteering — is the project a reasonable distance? Perhaps the project is virtual — virtual volunteering is on the rise (and is commonly listed on volunteer search sites as part of the description) and making it more convenient to volunteer from the comfort of your home or office
• Description of expected duties — be aware of what it is you will be doing. A thorough description should not leave you wondering what exactly is expected of you as volunteer. Look for a list of duties or tasks that match your needs and interests
• Mission/vision of…

Gone are the days when nonprofit organizations were able to host a walk, gala, or other fundraising event, and have the entire weekend devoted to their organization. Now, there are often multiple events in the same time period, pulling from a similar pool of donors.

What used to be a simple way to engage the community has turned into a competition on how to be more creative in raising dollars. And let’s be honest: our economy appears to be improving in certain areas, but overall we are still a ways off from the good ol’ days where unemployment and the uncertain housing market weren’t hot topics and mentioned in every news portal available. As much as we want to be optimistic, these topics make our community nervous and often unsure of what direction we are heading.

This is why we need to be working smarter, not harder, and we need to start collaborating. It is a time to unite with companies within our community and connect with one another’s missions. How can we help each other? How can we grow our fundraising campaigns and be good stewards in our community while also informing our supporters of the good work they are building on? Many are promoting fundraising campaigns within their establishments, not only engaging employees but engaging customers. This type of exposure is extremely valuable, as many nonprofits do not have a marketing budget. Furthermore, it is wise to learn as much as possible about the companies your nonprofit is…

Social media, whether it be Facebook, Google+ or Twitter, thrives due to its ability to cultivate connections and promote interactions in real time, regardless of users’ location. Accessibility and connectivity are joint rulers of this digital world, transforming how we perceive and consume information.

From celebrities’ tweets to multinational companies’ posts on Facebook, social media simultaneously allows individuals and various groups to promote themselves and their messages while creating a dialogue with interested followers — which is why it comes as no surprise that an increasing number of nonprofit organizations and governments are embracing social media and using it to communicate their messages to a wider audience.

In the United States, one major development in the utilization of social media for public outreach has been the State Department’s employment of technology in the field of diplomacy, also known as “21st-century statecraft.” As noted in the American Prospect, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton described statecraft in a speech she delivered to the Council of Foreign Relations back in 2009, saying, “We are working at the State Department to ensure that our government is using the most innovative technologies not only to speak and listen across borders, not only to keep technologies up and going, but to widen opportunities, especially for…

There are mountains of resources for nonprofits who want to perfect the art of telling the stories of the clients and communities they serve. Successfully telling these stories is considered a crucial part of nearly all aspects of nonprofit marketing, from the basics of communicating a mission and vision to soliciting the support of donors, inspiring commitment from volunteers, writing compelling grant proposals and more.

To be sure, these are all very important aspects of defining and promoting a nonprofits’ identity, but individual organizations and the sector as a whole have an even bigger reason to sharpen their storytelling skills.

In fact, a recent Nonprofit Quarterly blog post calls on nonprofits to tell use their storytelling skills on a much broader level; to change the prevailing narrative about being poor in America. This call to action is right on point. After all, nonprofits invest significant intellectual and financial resources in learning to tell rich, vibrant stories as a means of marketing and fundraising. Many organizations are well-positioned to use existing skills to support honest portrayals of their clients in politics, popular culture and the media as well as challenge misconceptions or over-generalizations. As a trusted community resource with intimate knowledge of the hardships and challenges…