NCOA/RespectAbilityNCOA/RespectAbility

From Promising to Best

Practices in the

Civic Engagement

Presented by Thomas Endres

V.P. Civic Engagement & Director of RespectAbility

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Key Learning from Our Work to date!Key Learning from Our Work to date!

Our work over the last three years has shown that:

Nonprofit leaders don’t see a compelling case to invest the resources needed to attract and utilize adults 55+ to help them achieve their missions.

Organizations don’t know how to take full advantage of the work styles and experiences of older adults, nor how to accommodate their expectations for more meaningful volunteer experiences; and

Nonprofit leaders lack a systematic way to compare, contrast and measure cost-effective strategies for increasing the engagement of those 55+.

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Framework for Discovery of Local SuccessFramework for Discovery of Local Success

Promising practices were based on evidence of success in one or more of the following key outcomes:

Increased participation-greater involvement through successful recruitment methods of adults 55+;

Meaningful new roles-enhanced quality and greater opportunities within roles for adults 55+;

Improved Quality of Life for Adults in Service-achieved better health, greater social connection, and a sense of purpose for adults 55+;

Enhanced Organizational Capacity-increased capacity of an organization to meet its goals through engaging adults 55+; and

Enhanced Community Impact-demonstrated a greater impact as a result of the service contributions of adults 55+.

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Crossroads to the Future Crossroads to the Future

Promising Practices are flourishing in local communities: The pool of Promising Practices needs to be expanded, digested, and

converted to best practices for the field. Best practices need to be analyzed and elements for success

identified so they can be adopted by others.

New Civic Engagement Principles are emerging. An evidence-based approach to best practices is needed to form the

basis for new 21st Century program planning and development systems.

The capacity of nonprofits to tap the asset of age needs strengthening! We must develop a compelling case for increased commitment and

investment. We must develop the “business case” to show return on investment of

increased investment and other benefits to the organizations.

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Emerging PrinciplesEmerging Principles

The learning to date: eleven areas for which we need to reframe our thinking and approaches!

Re-aligning participant and organizational Interests Placing value of the Assets of Aging Intentionally create opportunities for building Relationships Foster Empowered Participation Focusing on Learning as a Pathway to Engagement Sustain increasing commitment through Leadership Development Embrace diversity by developing Cultural Competency Put Meaning into Partnership through defining reciprocity Communicate the Requirements and Benefits of Change Produce Evidence and Accountability Focus on the foundation of Community and community building

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Guiding our current work are:Guiding our current work are:

The Emerging Principles for Transforming the Civic Engagement of Adults 55+ (building on past research)

A Set of Core Values or Working Standards for the Initiative (including a Participatory and Learning Philosophy)

Three Key Outcomes (defined by NCOA and Atlantic Philanthropies) :

1. Test and promote Models of Significant Service, which are models for the development, coordination and support of capacity building roles for adults 55+ within an organization;

2. Develop a Web-based national Standardized Measurement System to allow organizations to measure and compare their performance and return on investment in engaging adults 55+; and

3. Develop strategies for sustainability and widespread diffusion of Models of Significant Service and availability of web-based Civic Engagement Measurement System.

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What we are doing:What we are doing:

• Conducting a 12 site research and demonstration studyConducting a 12 site research and demonstration study to identify to identify the most effective the most effective Models of Significant ServiceModels of Significant Service for increasing the for increasing the utilization and management of adults 55+ in pro bono service roles. utilization and management of adults 55+ in pro bono service roles. Effective models will produce a return on investment such as increased Effective models will produce a return on investment such as increased funding and more clients served. funding and more clients served.

• Developing, testing and diffusing a standardized measurement Developing, testing and diffusing a standardized measurement system to evaluate outcomes of adult 55+ service (system to evaluate outcomes of adult 55+ service (calibrate the value calibrate the value of adult 55+ contributions and measurable changes in organizational of adult 55+ contributions and measurable changes in organizational capacity resulting from their engagement).capacity resulting from their engagement).

• Establishing a Web-based Continuous Learning and Improvement Establishing a Web-based Continuous Learning and Improvement Community (CLIC)Community (CLIC) to foster an atmosphere of learning, encourage to foster an atmosphere of learning, encourage information sharing, mentoring and continuous learning among NCOA, information sharing, mentoring and continuous learning among NCOA, the sites, funders and others.the sites, funders and others.

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Models of Significant Service

12 nonprofits will develop models to strengthen organizational structure with new capacity-building roles for adults 55+

40-50 nonprofits will demonstrate the value of engaging adults 55+ in volunteer service roles based on a set of standard measures.

A subset of 8-10 will help demonstrate the business case for increasing investment in supporting adults 55+ in volunteer service roles

RespectAbility, with participation of nonprofits, will document model development, demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of models (in terms of meeting defined goals and objectives), as well as, the return on investment measured through SMS.

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RespectAbility Initiative ComponentsRespectAbility Initiative Components

Continuous Learning and Innovations Community

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What are our expectations? To help nonprofit leaders increase their commitment to and investment in developing adults 55+ as an asset.

What are our expectations? To help nonprofit leaders increase their commitment to and investment in developing adults 55+ as an asset.

COMPELLING DATA

Quantified value of adults 55+ in leadership and professional roles

Quantified value of coordinating adults 55+

Tangible knowledge of the most promising and effective approaches for coordinating adults 55+

Tangible knowledge of the most effective leadership and professional roles for adults 55+

Understanding the value of benchmarking for organizational self-improvement and comparative data for funding decision-making

A BUSINESS CASE for GREATER INVESTMENT IN ADULTS 55+

Strengthen organizational and management capacity

Increase in the breadth and depth of services provided

Enhance positive attitudes among non-profit leaders about adults 55+ as a resource

Develop more meaningful and impactful roles for adults 55+

Engage more adults 55+ in meaningful service work

Leads to…