Cash-strapped schools turn to volunteers to fill budget gaps

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- As state and local funding for education dries up, schools around the nation are asking their communities to help them maintain their services and programming.

Many are increasing their use of volunteers, while others are boosting their fundraising efforts. Some are even turning to online auctions to boost reserves.

Sun Bank Sets Employee Volunteer Day on Oct. 11

VINELAND — Sun National Bank will host its second annual “Banking on our Communities” day on Mon., Oct. 11, from 1-5 p.m.

The bank is looking for projects at local, non-profit organizations throughout New Jersey where employees can volunteer their time and service.

Volunteerism a way of life for squad members

Wells Fargo launches volunteer program

Do Celebrities Really Inspire Volunteerism?

One thing is for sure – in our celebrity obsessed society many organizations see a benefit in engaging celebrities to volunteer.

Philanthropy thriving in newly rich Singapore

SINGAPORE — If you want to smell like roses and help the world's less privileged people, part with some of that extra money and give it to Lee Poh Wah.

"Philanthropic money is like manure. It smells if you have too much of it in the bank," said the 40-year-old chief executive officer of the Lien Foundation, one of Singapore's most high-profile philanthropic organisations.

"Its intended use is to fertilise and support ideas that can improve society, so we should spread it wisely," the earnest, bespectacled promoter of "radical philanthropy" told AFP in an interview.

The Benefits of Volunteerism, if the Service Is Real

WHEN I was growing up, I don’t remember hearing much about community service. My parents were certainly civic-minded, but they were a lot more concerned about the work I did around the house. Like cleaning bathrooms and weeding the lawn.

Nowadays, some sort of volunteerism is a given in many places. Through schools, churches, synagogues, Girl and Boy Scouts and countless other organizations, children and teenagers are expected to do something, whether it be fund-raising for charities, working at soup kitchens or assisting at animal shelters.

Write-offs: It’s Better to Give and Receive

It turns out it's possible to have fun, support charities and get a tax break at the same time.

The trick, says Gregg Wind, partner at the Los Angeles accounting firm of Wind & Stern, is to connect with a qualified charity that's willing to give you an assigned task “in a genuine and substantial sense throughout the trip.” That's a quote from IRS Publication 526, which explains what volunteers can and cannot deduct.

Serving in the City

Service is up to You: Reflections from the 2010 National Conference on Volunteering and Service

Fortifying the City’s Volunteer Ranks

’Cities of Service’ to expand, mobilizing volunteers nationwide for change

Companies rely on chief executive officers to guide their strategy and vision. Several cities across the U.S. are coming to rely on chief service officers to help do the same.

At last week's National Conference on Volunteerism and Service, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg joined Nashville Mayor Karl Dean and the Rockefeller Foundation President Judith Rodin to announce the second round of 10 cities to receive "Cities of Service Leadership Grants."

N.J. volunteers say giving back is ultimate form of patriotism

New Orleans to Host Major Volunteer Conference in 2011

Mayor Mitch Landrieu is in New York today to be on hand for an announcement that New Orleans will host the 2011 National Conference on Volunteering and Service, the world's largest gathering of volunteer and service leaders from the nonprofit, government and corporate sectors.

New Orleans' selection as next year's host comes as local leaders continue to bang the drum that the city's tourism industry remains intact despite damage to the coastal ecosystem, including the fishing industry, from the massive BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Top Elected, White House, Military Officials; CEOs; Celebrities Join Service Leaders to Address Social Challenges

Mets And Citi Launch "Teammates in the Community Week" to Promote Volunteerism and Service

Mets Players and Executives to Participate in Community Programs in Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn Starting This Tuesday, June 22 "Teammates Week" Joins With Mayor Bloomberg to Highlight Upcoming National Conference on Volunteering and Service

Junior League Takes the Gloves Off

New Jersey native Delly Beekman has one message for female volunteers: This isn't your mother's charity anymore.

The newly elected board president is trying to turn the century-old Association of Junior Leagues International from a pearls-and-white-glove social organization into a powerful women's movement.

Volunteering in America 2010 National Report Available Now

The 2010 National Conference on Volunteering & Service is Coming!

The annual event provides attendees with an opportunity to learn, connect and be inspired through exciting and informative plenary sessions, workshops, special events, service projects, exhibits, specialized corporate tracks and more.

If you or your organization deals with volunteers in any capacity, this is an event you do not want to miss!

Number of volunteers has grown despite recession, study says

Number Of Volunteers Soars, Hours Remain Flat

Volunteering hit highest level since 2003

College Students, Local Nonprofits Kick Off Summer of Service

Volunteers across the Pond Feted

June 1-7th 2010 is National Volunteers’ Week in the U.K.  The United States celebrates its National Volunteer Week in April of each year. Next year’s U.S. dates will be April 10-16, 2011.

Social Media to the Rescue

Volunteers are using Social Media like Twitter to mobilize, organize, and energize cleanup efforts for the Gulf Oil Spill

NYAVA Professional Profile and Salary Survey Results