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UNITED
WAY RETIREES ASSOCIATION MENTORING PROGRAM GUIDELINES Program Description The
Mentoring Program is a one-year formal relationship where a LUW CEO or
other
staff member is partnered with a The program is envisioned to include an
initial
visit intended to launch the program and a concluding visit to bring
the formal
relationship to an end. However, if the mentee and mentor find it more
advantageous to schedule a 2nd visit in the course of the
mentoring
year and wrap of the program through email/calls that is their mutually
agreed
upon prerogative. Also, particularly for
mentee and mentor matches that are in close geographical proximity, if
more
than two visits can be accomplished within the budget than that would
certainly
be encouraged by UWRA/UWA. While
the “contract”
for mentoring is between the individuals involved (subject to UWRA
approval), it is important for
the prospective mentee
to involve the volunteer leadership and his/her governing body (e.g.,
Board of
Directors) in all appropriate mentoring activities as determined by the
mentor/mentee.
Both the Board of Directors of the Should
the
relationship become problematic in any way, either party (or both)
should
report to UWRA/UWA for advice or reassignment.
If it appears the match is not productive, either party
can terminate
the relationship without fault or blame. Program Objective To
match trained volunteers, who have extensive The program is intended to be a
partnership driven
by the mentee’s needs. UWRA
volunteers will provide initial on-site and follow-up assistance
(phone/email
contact) offering counsel, guidance and support on subjects desired by the “mentee”:
administration, resource development, fund distribution,
communications,
community impact, and other facets of non-profit management.
Qualifications Mentee. The prospective mentee desires to have
a
supportive, experienced UWRA member who will provide counsel, guidance
and
support. Ideally, the Support
System The Mentoring Program is a joint United
Way Retirees
Association (UWRA) and Participation
Requirements The
time commitment necessary to prepare for and sustain the mentoring
relationship. This includes: 1) preparation before the site visit
(forms are
attached detailing the type of information needed), 2) mentor site
visit
involving the local volunteer leadership and the Board, 3) development
of an
Action plan, 4) follow-up communication, and 5) participation in all communications
related to the program including conference calls and evaluation
surveys. Benefits
Budget Up
to $1,000
per mentoring relationship, paid for by UWRA, for the mentor’s travel
and phone
expenditures.
General
Process Guidelines Note:
These are Guidelines only - not
requirements. Each mentoring
relationship is unique and should respond to the needs of the mentee as
well as
those of the local
Guidelines
for On-Site Visits Below is a brief outline of the
expectations/goals
of the onsite mentoring visits. While the
program is envisioned to include an initial visit intended to launch
the
program and a concluding visit to bring the formal relationship to an
end; the mentor
and mentee have flexibility in determining the timing of the visits. 1st
Mentoring Visit: This
one year
partnership includes the benefit of on-site visits where all expenses
are
covered by UWRA. UWRA tries to make the
matches geographically proximate – some are more so than others
depending on
the availability/location of mentors.
Geographic proximity has a variety of advantages – lower
cost,
potentially allows for more visits to take place within the budgeted
amount and
the mentor may also be somewhat familiar with the area. The mentor contacts the mentee to begin
the
communication, get to know each other and set a convenient time for the
first
face to face meeting. Once contacted by
the mentor, the mentee agrees to the best date to have the face to face
meeting;
helps arrange accommodations; recruits available volunteers; notifies
the Board
of the meeting date; prepares in advance a mentee list of “wants and
needs”; sends materials and form to the mentor
prior to the first meeting to provide a framework for
discussion; and
is receptive to new ideas.
To get the
most out of the program it is important to involve the Board and
volunteers in
the mentoring process. It is helpful to determine beforehand the time
with the
board and/or executive committee, volunteers, etc. Treat
the 1st day of the 1st visit as fact finding or
information
gathering. Previous mentees have requested
that no suggestions or conclusions be made until the mentor thoroughly
understands the organization. After the fact finding, the mentor and
mentee
should work as a team setting goals for the relationship, taking into
consideration any goals set by the Board. The first meeting provides an
opportunity to get to
know each other; for the mentee to communicate their “needs”; assess
most
critical issues and needs; meet with volunteer leadership, the Board
chair and
any other Board members that are available; set priorities; establish
top 3-5
goals; and begin to build the relationship.
Mentee should give the mentor a tour of the office and
introduce staff,
if applicable and a brief tour of the community if time permits. At the end of the first meeting, a plan will
be mutually agreed upon that includes areas of growth for the mentee. Visits
are to be followed by continuing email and/or phone contact. Decisions are made about how the ongoing
contact will take place and who will initiate it. It
has been suggested that phone calls be
structured to address a particular goal or issue instead of a general
“how are
things going”. In one relationship that
worked very well the mentee provided a brief summary of what had been
accomplished since the last contact and listed specific things to
discuss. 2nd
Mentoring Visit: The
mentoring year concludes with a
meeting to review progress on goals; develop agenda to meet
with Board
Chair; share progress with mentee’s Board Chair and Board of Directors;
and
spend remaining time working on goals. Some Key Tips Toward Successful
Program Implementation ·
A partnership is
developed that is driven
by the mentee’s needs with the mentor in the role of a coach. The mentor’s job is to provide guidance and
support and ask probing, open-ended questions. Key attributes for a successful
relationship are flexibility and good listening skills. Openness &
forthrightness are keys to the program.
Mentees need to tell their mentors if they are not getting
the service
they expected or other concerns regarding the relationship. Mentees need to recognize that with limited
staff and resources it may be difficult to implement all the
suggestions made
by the mentors. That is okay.
The success of the program is not measured in
terms of the number of suggestions that are implemented, but in
strengthening
the mentee’s sense of direction and comfort factor working within the ·
The mentors responsibility is to
respectfully and in a supportive
manner, share talent, expertise, knowledge and ideas; keeping in mind
the size
of the organization and the community being served.
It is important to note that paradigms that
worked in ·
It is
important to determine as a team how the mentor can assist in the area
of Board
Development. From previous experience
some mentees are already strong in this area and others would like
assistance. The key is: 1) to get Board
approval and involvement in the mentoring process, and 2) to not
intimidate the
Board. In numerous relationships the
mentor
has helped plan and run very successful Board retreats. The mentor can
provide guidance
on how to help orient, cultivate and motivate the Board and volunteer
leadership.
·
The Mentoring
program is not a “can do”, a “mini-maxi” or an assessment of how the
LUW is
functioning. The focus of the
mentoring program is not as much on the organization as the individual. However the mentor has to get a good sense of
how the ·
Some mentees
in the past have had a misconception that the mentors actually get in
and help
with things – for instance running the campaign. This
is not the intent. The mentors will offer
tips on how to
organize your campaign more efficiently or grow your volunteer base,
etc. but
they will not actually be performing these duties. Availability of a Second Year of
Mentoring The
new Mentoring Plus Program, approved by the UWRA Board in May 2006 provides an opportunity for the mentee and the
mentor to
expand relationships for another year.
This expanded program is a specific contract with shared
goals and
shared expenses. Each situation is
unique based on the needs of the mentee and the United Way Board and
offers the
local Board an opportunity to be more involved by agreeing to the
monetary
investment and the expanded project. The
UWRA Board approved the Mentoring Plus program because in some cases it
may
greatly benefit the Mentee – Preparation for On-Site Visit Campaign
Results have been
provided to Materials
along with this
form to send
Top 3
organizational
priorities:
Top 3
challenges or
needs/problems you see over next 3 years:
Top
items you would like
to address in the Mentoring Relationship (max of 5):
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