Center For Volunteer And Nonprofit Leadership Of Marin

Volunteer Services In 2024, CVNL's Volunteer Services department connected over 3,600 volunteers across Napa, Solano, Sonoma, and Marin Counties, engaging individuals, nonprofits, government agencies, businesses, and community groups in meaningful service opportunities.Through our VolunteerNow.org matching portal, 788 volunteers were connected with causes that matter to them. Additional volunteer engagement came through our key programs:Secret Santa: 722 volunteers supported holiday giving effortsCourt Referral Program: 2,059 individuals completed court-mandated serviceThe Sonoma County Human Race: 50 volunteers supported this community fundraising eventParatransit Services: 2 volunteers supported transportation assistanceBeyond matching, CVNL worked directly with nonprofits to build their volunteer engagement capacity and disaster readiness. In 2024, our training programs focused on topics such as disaster leadership, continuity of operations, communication strategies, donations management, and emergency volunteering.A highlight of the year was the launch of Napa County's first Teen CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) course in partnership with Napa City CERT and On The Move, a pilot initiative to bring disaster preparedness training to youth.CVNL also operates Emergency Volunteer Centers (EVCs) in each county during disasters such as wildfires, floods, and pandemics. In 2024, CVNL remained an active member of Solano and Marin County Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOADs) and the Napa and Sonoma County Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COADs), contributing to a coordinated regional disaster response network. Through these efforts, CVNL continues to strengthen communities by mobilizing volunteers and equipping organizations with the tools to lead through service and resilience.

Management Services Nonprofits throughout Marin, Napa, Sonoma, Solano, and the surrounding Bay Area rely on CVNL for expert guidance, professional and organizational development, and nonprofit management expertise through Volunteer Services, Leadership Programs, Executive Search, and Consulting Services. In 2024, CVNL's Learning & Leadership department delivered a portfolio of 10 capacity-building course series, serving 92 nonprofit professionals. These programs offer leadership training and professional development designed to strengthen organizational effectiveness across the sector. Key offerings included: Management Essentials: A Roadmap for Managing People (Spring, Summer, Fall) Board Governance Boot Camp (Summer and Fall; Fall session held in person in Napa) Excellence in Leadership (Spring) Grant writing (Spring and Fall) Program Development & Evaluation (Spring and Summer) All sessions were delivered via Zoom, with the exception of the in-person Fall Board Governance Boot Camp. During this period, 25 nonprofit professionals across Solano, Napa, Sonoma, and Marin counties received partial scholarships based on applicant needs, totaling $5,830 in support for participation in Learning & Leadership programs. In addition to our course series, CVNL also hosted 11 Peer Learning Networks (PLNs) that were attended by 191 participants. The topics for the PLNs included fundraising and marketing, finance and HR, and volunteer services. CVNL's Executive Search department placed three senior level nonprofit professionals in the Bay Area. CVNL's Consulting Services advanced the capabilities of 375 organizations through 850 hours of consulting projects and capacity-building activities related to board governance, organizational assessment, strategic planning, executive coaching, and meeting facilitation, among others. In addition to the consulting services offered, our team provided brief pro bono sessions to new member organizations and supported general information and referrals to the broader nonprofit community. Our Membership Program included free and discounted workshops for staff, board members, and volunteers of member organizations; one-on-one support and consultation services from CVNL staff; and opportunities to network with other nonprofits in the community. In 2024, there were a total of 134 CVNL member organizations, of which 18 were new members and 116 were renewed members. Another member benefit involves GrantStation. 19 CVNL members were provided discounted access to the proprietary database which supports nonprofit professionals conducting grant research and strengthens their fund development process.

Events: Produced by CVNL, the 31st Annual Heart of Marin Awards, hosted at the Marin Center Exhibit Hall, recognized outstanding Marin nonprofits and the committed individuals who served throughout the previous year. This event was attended by approximately 525 community leaders, volunteers, local dignitaries, and distinguished members of the business community. Our honored recipients were presented with awards totaling $35,000. Similarly, the 9th Annual Heart of Napa Awards was successfully executed at the Yountville Community Center. Approximately 250 were in attendance and $22,500 was awarded to outstanding nonprofits and leaders serving Napa County. The 4th Annual Heart of Sonoma County Awards drew a crowd of over 300 and distributed $35,000 to local nonprofits, volunteers, and leaders. The Secret Santa program is a partnership of CVNL, KZST Radio Station, and Friedman's Home Improvement, along with local businesses, agencies, volunteers, and donors who work together to bring joy and hope community-wide. In 2024, the Secret Santa program raised over $416,00 and benefitted 19,080 individuals. Court Referral: This program is the referral agency for residents of Sonoma County who are assigned community service work by the Sonoma County Courts and Probation Department. The program provides placement, follow-up, monitoring, and reports on people referred to complete community service work. Those referred to the program may be from traffic courts, adult diversion services, the adult and juvenile probation departments, or directly from the criminal and civil courts with conditional sentences. Referrals for community service work are made in lieu of fines or jail, as a condition of diversion or dismissal, or as a condition of sentencing. Clients are matched by holding telephone and virtual interviews to determine skills, availability, and limitations. The court referral program also manages student volunteers from the Sonoma County Office of Education who are completing volunteer hours for their school district or as a condition of a return to school contract. Fiscally Sponsored Projects The Marin Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) fosters effective service delivery to those affected by disasters in Marin through the collaboration of community agencies throughout the disaster cycle -mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. Opening Doors Marin is a public-private coalition working to end chronic and veteran homelessness in our community by increasing housing opportunities for the most vulnerable. We also support the broader efforts in affordable and workforce housing to create a balanced community with options for all income levels. Powerful Beyond Measure educates and empowers underrepresented girls from the Bay Area to become leaders in their communities. Shore Up Marin City, which recently rebranded as Marin City Climate Resilience and Health Justice, is an organization advocating for equitable inclusion of low-income communities in planning and community preparedness with a focus on Emergency Preparedness; Flooding and Hazard Mitigation; Sea Level Rise and Climate Adaptation; Habitat Restoration; and Social Equity. San Francisco Debutante Ball provides philanthropic support for capital and operational projects, community relations, medical education, and research of the California Pacific Medical Center Foundation.