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State Service Plan: 2017 - 2019 (Draft)

This State Service / Strategic Plan was approved by the Commissioners on June 1, 2017. 

Illinois State Service Plan: 2017 - 2019

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Serve Illinois is working towards an Illinois where all citizens recognize their ability and responsibility to volunteer in their community. We strive to improve the infrastructure for voluntary service throughout the state so that everyone can serve. The greatest problems in the State cannot be tackled in isolation. It will require the collective impact of people of all backgrounds, cultures, ages, and abilities and in all sectors and all communities. Service must be recognized as a solution in Illinois, and Serve Illinois will advocate for that solution.

The following five Strategic Goals will serve as the foundation of the State Service Plan, and are fundamental to supporting the mission and vision of Serve Illinois over these three years:

  1. Serve Illinois will engage in activities to promote volunteerism and community service in Illinois.
  2. Serve Illinois will strengthen and create partnerships for volunteerism and community service across the state.
  3. Serve Illinois will embrace diversity and inclusion throughout the volunteer sector.
  4. Serve Illinois assist in the implementation of effective volunteer management systems.
  5. Serve Illinois will maximize value added to partners and sub-grantees.​

II. MISSION AND VISION

Mission Statement: Serve Illinois improves communities by enhancing volunteerism and instilling an ethic of service throughout the State.

Vision: An Illinois where all citizens recognize their ability and responsibility to help strengthen their communities through volunteerism and community service.

Means to Achieving the Vision: Serve Illinois will expand volunteerism and community service throughout the entire State by connecting rural, suburban, and urban communities, and integrating people of all backgrounds, cultures, ages, and abilities. Illinois will embrace and promote the idea that everyone can recognize their ability and responsibility to strengthen our communities through voluntary service.

III. GOALS, TASKS, AND MEASUREMENT

The following five strategic goals represent guiding objectives for Serve Illinois during the period 2017-19. Where appropriate, the Corresponding Tasks and Measurements below each goal provide further clarity on how Serve Illinois will achieve its mission and vision over the next three year. The Commissioners will consistently evaluate Illinois’ efforts toward achieving these objectives.

Goal 1. Serve Illinois will engage in activities to promote volunteerism and community service in Illinois.

Tasks

  1. Schedule meetings with Commissioners and the Serve Illinois Executive Director to promote volunteerism and community service with elected officials, civic leaders, private sector executives, and non-profit professionals.
  2. Create and widely distribute Public Serve Announcements (PSA) to all the new and existing partners of the Serve Illinois and media entities to build awareness of volunteer opportunities in the State.

Outputs

  1. Number of meetings
  2. Number of media products produced

Outcomes

  1. Number of organizations showing improvement due to a Serve Illinois partnership
  2. Number of people utilizing Serve Illinois resources

Goal 2. Serve Illinois will strengthen and create partnership​s for volunteerism and community service across the state.

Tasks

  1. Build the capacity of communities by creating new and supporting existing initiatives and partnerships. These include, but are not limited to: AmeriCorps*State Programs, Volunteer Connectors of Illinois, Generations Serving Generations, Illinois Campus Compact, Cities of Service, Volunteer Connectors Initiative, Senior Corps Programs (RSVP, FGP, SCP), Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD), and Community Organizations Active in Disasters “COAD”, American Red Cross, and United Ways.
  2. Assess gaps and recommend regional priorities for volunteerism across the State by collecting local input from leaders of volunteerism and formulating a recommended implementation plan promoting both local and state volunteerism.
  3. Facilitate the Volunteer Management Network (VMN), an extensive resource network of voluntary agencies, faith-based organizations, and other community partners.

Outputs

  1. Number of partnerships created
  2. Number of organizational meetings attended
  3. Number of participants in the VMN
  4. Creation of an asset map

Outcomes

  1. Number of organizations that show increased capacity due to Serve Illinois partnerships​​​

Goal 3. Serve Illinois will embrace diversity and inclusion throughout the volunteer sector.

Tasks

  1. Develop partnerships that promote the development of volunteer opportunities for people with disabilities.
  2. Assess gaps and recommend regional priorities for volunteerism across the State by collecting local input from leaders of volunteerism and formulating a recommended implementation plan promoting both local and state volunteerism.
  3. Ensure that volunteers are recruited from diverse pool of individuals and those volunteers represent the communities that they serve.
  4. Ensure that volunteers come from all generations with an emphasis on youth (0-18) participation.

Outputs

  1. Number of volunteers with disabilities recruited
  2. Number of minority volunteers recruited
  3. Number of youth volunteers recruited

Outcomes

  1. Number of volunteers showing increased involvement due to inclusion efforts​

Goal 4. Serve Illinois assist in the implementation of effective volunteer management systems.

Tasks

  1. Continue sponsorship and participation in volunteer conferences and cross-stream trainings throughout Illinois to maintain a close relationship with volunteer leaders.
  2. Administer a volunteer matching portal, and integrate it with other state and local agencies for use in days of service and traditional volunteerism.
  3. Explore and develop systems that can capture the amount and types of volunteerism throughout the state to use in promotional and advocacy initiatives for volunteerism.
  4. Support days of service and other volunteer recruitment events.
  5. Facilitate the Illinois Disaster Corps (in partnership with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency) to provide volunteers in times of disaster.

Outputs

  1. Number of attendees to Serve Illinois sponsored events
  2. Number of volunteers recruited
  3. Number of volunteer opportunities made available
  4. Numbers of days of service supported
  5. Number of disasters responses

Outcomes

  1. Number of organizations showing increased volunteer recruitment

Goal 5. Serve Illinois will maximize value added to partners and sub-grantees.

Tasks

  1. Support the non-profit arm, the Serve Illinois Foundation, to add flexibility and potential for Serve Illinois through additional resources.
  2. Review, and where appropriate, recommend updates to the state statute governing the Commission on an annual basis.
  3. Continually update the Serve Illinois By-Laws, policies and procedures, and other publications in order to ensure programing information is accurate.

Outputs

  1. Number dollars raised by Serve Illinois Foundation
  2. Number of updated publications

Outcomes

  1. Number of organizations/initiatives funded by Serve Illinois Foundation
  2. Number of organizations utilizing Serve Illinois publications​ ​​

IV. OPERATIONS AND EXECUTION

To best support the mission, vision, and goals of Serve Illinois during the period 2017-19, the Commission will align itself in the following committee structure. This structure will provide an effective means through which our initiatives can be staffed, and it will ensure a unity of purpose among the Commission and its various partners.

The Committees, and a brief explanation of their respective roles, are below. In red under the Committee description lists the Strategic Goals for which the Committee is most responsible.

Executive Committee:
An Executive Committee shall be composed of the officers of the Commission, the immediate past chair (for the first year after his/her term has expired), and the Chairs of the Commission’s other Committees. The past chair shall serve in an advisory, non-voting capacity if no longer a member of the Commission. The Executive Committee shall have general supervision of the affairs of the Commission between its business meetings, make recommendations to the Commission, serve as liaisons among the committees and perform other duties as specified in these bylaws. The Executive Committee shall be empowered to establish ad hoc committees to carry out the work of the Commission, and shall report such appointments at the next regular meeting of the Commission. The Executive Committee shall be empowered to act on behalf of the Commission when the full Commission cannot meet and shall take no action or render any decision that is in conflict with action taken by the Commission. ​ Strategic Goals 1-5

Strategic Planning Committee:
The mission of the Strategic Planning Committee shall be to develop and maintain the Commission’s State Service Plan.

  • Every three years, the Committee will revise and present to the Commission for review the State Service Plan. The Committee is responsible for assessing the Commission’s performance in relation to the goals set forth in the strategy.
  • The Strategic Planning Committee will oversee the commission strategy and coordination in response to disaster(s).
  • The Strategic Planning Committee will be the commission point of contact with outside partners.
  • The Strategic Planning Committee will coordinate with other committees to ensure consistency with commission goals and objectives.

  • Strategic Goals 1, 2, and 3​​

Community Outreach and Public Relations:
The mission of the Community Outreach and Public Relations Committee shall be to educate communities about available Serve Illinois resources and encourage them to increase volunteerism in their communities.

  • The committee is responsible for ensuring that Commission resources are being distributed appropriately to communities in need, that outreach events to communities are conducted and assisting staff in program development.
  • Activities include meeting with community representatives and linking them with the most appropriate national service contact.
  • The committee shall develop a statewide marketing strategy to increase the visibility of volunteerism and national service programs in Illinois. The committee will work with staff to develop marketing materials, ensure the newsletter is published quarterly, and issue press releases as appropriate. The committee is responsible for assisting in the development of a plan to recruit national service participants and promoting national service days.

    Strategic Goals 1, 2, and 5

Volunteer Recognition:
The mission of the Volunteer Recognition Committee shall be to support and host recognition events throughout the state.

  • The goal of these events shall be to promote the work of individual volunteers and organizations while also promoting an ethic of service throughout the year.
  • Events shall include, but are not limited to, the Governor’s Volunteer Service Awards and National Service Recognition Day, and National Days of Service.

    Strategic Goals 1, 2 and 4

Resource Development:
The mission of the Resource Development committee shall be to secure corporate and other non-public funding to support volunteerism, national service programs, and other activities which support the mission of the Commission.

  • The Committee will serve as a liaison between Serve Illinois and the Serve Illinois Foundation. Activities shall include partnering with businesses or foundations to provide support to national service programs, overseeing the development and operation of a non-profit organization that solely supports the work of the Commission, and establishing linkages with potential funders.
  • The committee shall seek in-kind resources, such as printing or professional services, to support the work of other committees and staff.
  • The Committee will work with staff to devise a Request for Proposal (RFP) that ensures the vitality of the Commission’s national service portfolio. The committee will help to market the RFP throughout the state.
  • Once proposals are submitted, the committee will assist in the review process. Annually, the committee will review the Commission’s RFP process to ensure that it is designed and conducted in a manner that allows a diverse group of programs the opportunity to apply for national service support.

    Strategic Goals 2 and 5