Sarah Jane Rehnborg Projects
One of the distinguishing features of the nonprofit sector is the engagement of volunteers in all aspects of organizational work. Volunteers perform important policy work through their participation on boards of directors, they advocate for causes of significance, sit on planning and visioning committees and donate countless hours of direct and indirect support to clients and causes. Furthering the effective engagement of volunteers through high quality management is an educational, research and outreach priority for the RGK Center.
For questions about the Center's activities in this area or to investigate collaborative opportunities, please contact Sarah Jane Rehnborg.
Current Projects
The Impact of Service-Learning
Under contract with United Jewish Communities, the RGK Center is examining the impact of short and long term service programs on the development of Jewish identity among Jewish young people. Download Report >
The Investigator
This series of one-page publications investigates the field of volunteerism, through promoting academic research and providing a bridge from academic research to the hands of practitioners. The series leads the field of volunteerism research by introducing new data sets, exploring characteristics of volunteers, and suggesting fruitful research agendas.
- Investigator Issue #1: Data Sets on Volunteerism: A Research Primer
- Investigator Issue #2: Volunteering by States
- Investigator Issue #3: Volunteering and Monetary Giving in Texas
- Investigator Issue #4: Placing a Value on Volunteer Time
- Investigator Issue #5: Volunteering by State: 2005 Update
Lance Armstrong Foundation
Sarah Jane Rehnborg is creating a logic model and framework for measuring performance of the Lance Armstrong Foundation's Survivorship Summit.
Serviceleader.org
A practitioners resource for information on virtual volunteering and volunteer recruitment. http://www.serviceleader.org/
Volunteer Champions Initiative: A grant-funded project of the UPS Volunteer Impact Fund
The RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service at the University of Texas at Austin will work with several lead consulting firms including Building Better Skills and Energize Inc. along with a national leadership team of volunteer managers, academic experts and funders to develop learning tools, and persuasive messages about the importance of investing organizational resources in effective volunteer management. Specifically, the Volunteer Champions Initiative will increase the visibility and credibility of the field through a series of case studies and instructional resources.
Past Projects
AARP Office of Academic Affairs and Volunteer Alliances (2006)
Conducted research colloquium on the New Aging Enterprise, a think-tank event with leading figures on gerontology and age-specific business.
Central Texas Nonprofit Capacity Study PRP (2005/06)
Joint project with the Bush School of Government at Texas A&M University to research and analyze the nonprofit and volunteer capacity building industry of Central Texas.
- Executive Summary
- Final Report
- Executive Director's Survey Instrument
- Volunteer Manager Survey Codebook
My Improvement Plan
Developed with colleagues from the University of Texas and the University of South Carolina, My Improvement Plan is a valid, reliable, efficient assessment instrument for measuring programs that engage volunteers and national service participants. The tool was created for the Corporation for National and Community Service.
