Volunteer Referral Center

Annual Report 2004

Volunteer Referral Center, Inc.

161 Madison Avenue, Suite 5 SW

New York, NY 10016

Telephone: 212.889.4805

Fax: 212.679.5316

Non-profit Status: 501(c) (3) status

President: Nancy Carr

Contact Person: Brienne Cliadakis

Email: brienne@volunteer-referral.org

www.volunteer-referral.org

The Volunteer Referral Center (VRC) mission is to provide solutions for both not-for-profit agencies and volunteers. Our much-needed service matches qualified individuals with volunteer positions at non-profit agencies in the five boroughs of NYC. VRC believes that volunteers enhance the programs they serve, while also benefiting from the experience themselves.

The Volunteer Referral Center in the year 2004

Thousands of people are anxious to donate their time and abilities but become frustrated because they don’t know where their talents are needed. At the same time, hundreds of NYC non-profit agencies are seeking competent volunteers to enable them to carry on their very important work. As a service organization, VRC has a dual role: providing solutions for both the volunteer and for the not-for-profit agencies. VRC is, in fact, a matchmaker. We assure a good agency-volunteer match by gathering pertinent information about both prospective volunteers and non-profit agencies.

VRC has compiled information on several hundred non-profit organizations throughout the five NYC boroughs. They range from A to Z and include agencies that provide services to people with Aids, to court monitoring organizations, homeless shelters, museums, services for the elderly and children as well as Zoos. We contact each agency registered with us on a regular basis to ascertain the kinds of volunteer positions available and the number of volunteers needed to fill those positions. Agencies pay an annual fee of $50 to cover administrative expenses.

In 2004 VRC conducted nearly 1000 personal interviews and made approximately 2500 referrals to over 250 non-profit agencies in the five boroughs. Volunteers come to our office from all sectors of society. We have found that, in 2004 approximately 70% of those seeking volunteer opportunities were women. Approximately 35% of the volunteers were employed, while another 24% were unemployed. Students and retirees both count for 15%. About 50% of the volunteers were aged between 18 and 35.

The primary motivations for volunteering most often cited were:

• To help those in need;
• To gain skills while helping out;
• To keep busy; and
• To “give something back”.

Our services we provide are free to volunteers.

Board of Directors  (as of January 1, 2004)

Nancy Carr, President

Alice Greif, Vice President

Lois D’Alimonte, Vice President

Arline Brown, Secretary

Kenneth Noble, MD, Treasurer

Noreene Storrie, Assistant Treasurer

Susan Baker

Denise Cruickshank

Elizabeth Guiher

Sarita Gupta

Roberta R. Hodgson

Kerry Jacobson

Mary Lambert

Kathleen Leisure

Kathryn Pershan

Barbara Rosenberg

Mary Schachne

Jack Vensel

Robin Withington

Executive Director: Brienne Cliadakis

Staff

VRC has two paid staff members, an Executive Director and a (part time) Program Associate. VRC also relies on the services of 25 volunteers, 20 of whom are interviewers. Other volunteers schedule appointments, compile statistics, raise funds, assist with benefit planning, conduct agency visits, and maintain agency relationships. Five of the members of the Board of Directors also volunteer at the VRC.

Financial Information 2003 (the most recent fiscal year ended)