Welcome to your skillCONNECT Participant Guide! Both volunteers and nonprofit representatives will find all they need in the information below. Please read everything below carefully and contact Mira Huang ([email protected]) if you have questions or concerns.
We look forward to seeing you at the event!
Pre-Work Before the Event
Carefully read ALL the information below
Learn your Team Assignment and/or more about the volunteer participants in Section 2, Participating Volunteers
Read up on your assigned school and the challenge they are facing in Section 3, Participating Nonprofits
Day Before and During the Event
Review the event logistics in Section 4
Learn how to prepare for the event in Section 5
Access the Shared Workspace that will be used by the whole team during the event in Section 4
1) ABOUT skillCONNECT
skillCONNECT is a guided experience led by Business Volunteers Maryland (BVM) that connects community based organizations to skilled volunteers for discussion, consulting, ideation and development of solutions.
skillCONNECT is...
skillCONNECT is not...
An event facilitated over a brief, distinct time frame.
A multi-month consulting project.
An opportunity for volunteers to strategize around a particular operational, administrative, or business challenge.
Providing schools with a fully realized, final product that is ready to launch.
An opportunity for school representatives to leave with strategies, ideas, and next steps.
A recruitment event for board members, long-term volunteers, or donors (though we love organic connections!).
An opportunity for volunteers to lend their background, skills, and expertise in service.
Restricted to one type or seniority level of volunteer. Everyone has something to add!
ROLE OF THE VOLUNTEER
Volunteers bring their professional skills and experience to skillCONNECT. Pro bono support helps nonprofits understand a challenge and uncover the obstacles they may be facing. By the end of skillCONNECT, volunteers provide the nonprofit ideas, strategies, suggestions for resources, and a possible plan to resolve the challenge.
ROLE OF THE NONPROFIT REPRESENTATIVE
Nonprofit representatives bring institutional knowledge, experience, and the challenge itself to skillCONNECT. They help to guide volunteers through skillCONNECT by answering questions, actively participating in each phase, and helping volunteers better understand their challenge and possible solutions.
skillCONNECT Values
Volunteers joining skillCONNECT will have varying backgrounds. Some volunteers may have a shared experience to the clients being served and some may be understanding the population for the first time. With that, we ask ALL participants in skillCONNECT to enter with shared set of values:
What to Expect
Each volunteer participant will be placed in a small group with one or two leaders from a local nonprofit serving the homeless community.
This IN-PERSON event is guided by a BVM facilitator who will take you through the various components of the skillCONNECT event. BVM will place you at the correct table and ensure you have access to all the files and systems you will need. BVM will help track time, pace your conversation, and guide you through a structured experience.
Volunteers are expected to conduct a small amount of pre-work prior to the start of the program, which entails reviewing any information sent by the nonprofits to better understand them and their challenges. Some nonprofits (not all) have submitted additional background information for you to review before the event.
Most importantly…
Trust the Process!
Business Volunteers will guide you through a process where ALL volunteers, regardless of background or familiarity with the task at hand, will be able to lend insight and thought partnership to the organization. Get ready for a wonderful event!
2) PARTICIPATING VOLUNTEERS
Scroll through the list below to learn more about the incredible volunteers participating in this event. Note that the nonprofits are referred to by the following codes:
- 01 – Dayspring Programs
- 02 – Homeless Persons Representation Project
- 03 – JOY Baltimore
- 04 – Leftover Love
- 05 – Transforming Youths Into Adults
- 06 – Vanessa’s HEART
Volunteers: find your name and pay special attention to your nonprofit assignment! SCROLL to see all the nonprofits/teams and click on the two little arrows next to a volunteer’s name to see their full record. The icon in the lower right corner of the window will expand the entire table.
Volunteers with a check mark next to their name will function as Team Leaders, and help guide others through the event.
Keep in mind that, due to last-minute roster changes, your assigned nonprofit may change. The table above will update in real-time, so continue to check your assignment before the event. Business Volunteers thanks you for your flexibility and cooperation!
Once you learn your team assignment, scroll below to SECTION 3 on Participating Nonprofits to learn more about your schools and challenges for the event.
3) PARTICIPATING NONPROFITS
Scroll through the gallery below to learn about our participating organizations and their top challenges to be addressed at the event. Click each card to read more.
Volunteers, take the time to review the information sent by the nonprofits!
4) EVENT LOGISTICS AND RESOURCES
Thursday, Jul 18, 2:00PM-6:00PM ET
100 Light St, 20th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202
Parking and Entry Information
- Enter 100 Light Street Garage at the Charles Street entrance only. Charles Street is one-way running north and the entrance is a downhill ramp on the right side of the street. The garage attendant will confirm your name is on the approved visitor log. Once parked in the assigned space on the B3 level, take the low-rise elevator to the building lobby. Check in with building security. They will then direct you to the 19th floor elevators.
- If you are a volunteer, please expect an email with your assigned parking spot from Tracey Phoebus ([email protected]).
- You will need to check in with building security using a government-issued photo ID. Please budget at least 10 minutes to get through security.
Recommended Arrival Times
- If you are a nonprofit representative, please try to arrive between 1:00pm and 1:30pm.
- If you are a volunteer team leader, please try to arrive between 1:00pm and 1:30pm.
- If you are a standard volunteer, please try to arrive between 1:30pm and 2:00pm.
Event Run of Show
Access Your Shared Workspace
All participants will use one of the shared PowerPoint decks found in the link below during the event.
CLICK HERE FOR WORKBOOKS
5) HOW TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY
- Arrive promptly within your recommended arrival time block. You will need to park, pass through Baker Donelson’s security, complete a check-in process with Business Volunteers, and settle yourself before the event, so plan accordingly.
- BRING YOUR FULLY CHARGED LAPTOP, as you may need it for the event.
- Have something to write with.
- Be dressed in business attire.
- Bring a government-issued photo ID for the check-in process.
- Bookmark this webpage and the workbook link above so you can easily access them during the event.
- HAVE FUN. Enjoy meeting incredible professional talent in this engaging event while making a big impact! Thank you for participating!
Questions? Contact Mira Huang ([email protected]) or Katie Sutton ([email protected]).
