This page is devoted to the management of volunteer programs at the local level, including information for cities, counties, boards, commissions, and districts.

~ May 2007 ~ Topics

What is NAVPLG?
Educating Abroad
California Tackles Law on Volunteers

State Government Page
Federal Government Page
Military Government Page

Volunteer Today has written before about the professional association for managers of volunteers working in local government; city, county, shire, parish. There is an organization for you. Here is some information on who they are and how you can connect with them.

NAVPLG, the National Association of Volunteer Programs in Local Government, is an international association of administrators, coordinators, and directors of volunteer programs in local, city, and county governments. Its purpose is to strengthen volunteer programs through leadership, advocacy, networking, and information exchange. Who should join? People involved in the coordination of volunteer programs in local government settings including but not limited to counties, cities, townships, boroughs, and parishes.

Why join NAVPLG?

NAVPLG focuses on the unique needs of volunteer program leaders within the structure of local government. Attention is given to issues in cities and counties that may differ from traditional nonprofit-based volunteer programs.

NAVPLG serves as a source of expertise for local government officials. The association promotes ways in which volunteerism can strengthen local government programs, shares "best practices," provides networking opportunities, offers training, and represents its members to other organizations and committees. Visit their Website at http://www.navplg.org/.

NAVPLG is an affiliate of: The National Association of Counties (NACo).

The Voice of America (VOA) recently started broadcasts of a series on volunteerism in local government. The series designed to help people in other countries understand how US style democracy works offer up examples from a single county. More information on this program is available at the VOA Website.  http://www.voanews.com/english/About/2007-03-30-voa16.cfm. Here are some snippets from that series.

How America Works: Local Government and Citizen Involvement

While the federal government is the most visible form of government in the United States, Americans enjoy many services that come from their local governments. County and city governments provide schools, libraries, roads, public transportation, parks and recreation facilities, and other services of day-to-day life in the United States.

"How America Works: Local Government and Citizen Involvement," our new 12-part TV series, looks at aspects of what is called "civil society." Montgomery County, Maryland, is a multi-racial and multi-ethnic suburb of Washington, D.C., and is featured as a typical contemporary United States community. By highlighting watch groups, citizen's advisory boards, local press, and volunteers, the series focuses on community interaction, volunteerism, and the coming together of residents to address shared concerns. The first four topics and the broadcast dates of our 12-part series are below.

• April 2, 2007: "This is Montgomery County" describes the area's diversity and looks at the upcoming topics.
• April 9, 2007: In "Stoplight," Garrett Park residents band together after a fatal pedestrian accident to demand and get a traffic light on their main street.
• April 16, 2007: "Fire" portrays those who volunteer to be firefighters in the City of Rockville and how valuable these volunteers are to the community.
• April 23, 2007: Through "Open Government, Watchful Press," we examine how Montgomery County uses its own cable television channel to broadcast official meetings and other county activities as an exercise in transparency and to provide information about their activities. The local press also watches carefully to ensure that these governments do indeed operate in the as they should.

In April 2007, Sacramento Bee political reporter, Dan Weintraub wrote two excellent articles addressing a trend started during the Davis Administration, by the Department of Industrial Relations to "crack down" on groups who utilize volunteers for local projects, but refuse to pay them prevailing wage. So-called "prevailing wage," is a standard to prevent nonunion contractors from winning bids on public work projects. Weintraub cites a 1989 law which states that "volunteer work can only be used when the work is performed entirely by unpaid people, the work is on a project used primarily by unpaid people, the work is on a project used primarily by community organizations, the work will not have an 'adverse impact' on employment and the work has been approved by the Director of Industrial Relations as meeting all of the above requirements.

Tim Smith, the Chair of the Rohnert Park - Cotati Library Advisory Board, contacted the California Library Association (CLA) and shared his concern that, under this law, his local rotary group would not be allowed to landscape the library's grounds, as had been planned. He also shared his story with Bee reporter, Weintraub, who highlighted Tim's issue in his second article entitled, "On Volunteers, State Is Up a Creek Without A Clue." The CLA Legislative Committee agreed that the law is unwieldy and could jeopardize well-intentioned community volunteer programs within libraries. California Assemblywoman Loni Hancock, who has amended a legislative bill (AB 2690) to stipulate that a volunteer or a volunteer coordinator does not have to be paid the prevailing wage. A "volunteer" is defined as "an individual who performs work for civic, charitable, or humanitarian reasons for a public agency or 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt organization without promise, expectation, or receipt of any compensation for work performed." A "volunteer coordinator" is defined as "an individual paid by a corporation or 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt organization to oversee or supervise volunteers." AB 2690 also includes a retroactive clause, making the bill apply to work concluded on or after January 1, 2002.

The National Association of Volunteer Programs in Local Government (NAVPLG) is an association of administrators, coordinators and directors of volunteer programs in local government. Its purpose is to strengthen volunteer programs in local government through leadership, advocacy, networking and information exchange. NAVPLG is an affiliate of the National Association of Counties and is seeking affiliate status with the National League of Cities. Cost is $20 for individuals and $75 for group local government membership. An affiliate membership is $25 and is intended for those who are not local government members but may have an interest in the group. There is a quarterly newsletter, national network, and access to NACo's Volunteerism Project. For more information contact Robin Popik, who is a Volunteer Resource Supervisor. She can be reached by phone at 972-941-7114. Be sure to mention you read about this in Volunteer Today.

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