Relationships Matter: Volunteerism in Immigrant Communities

Presented by the Minnesota Association for Volunteer Administration, HACER, Hmong American Partnership, MAP for Nonprofits, Science Museum of Minnesota & United Way of the Twin Cities.

Minnesota has experienced dramatic changes in population over the last 25 years with one of the highest rates of growth in diversity in the United States. How can your volunteer involvement tap into Minnesota’s growing diversity?

MAVA and Dr. Mai Moua of Leadership Paradigms embarked on a study to learn about volunteerism practices in Somali, Hmong and Latino communities. Relying on focus groups, interviews, surveys and literature, the research found critical dynamics at play in understanding immigrant volunteerism practices and a need for nonprofit organizations to be more flexible in their practices and perspectives when engaging immigrant volunteers.

• Explore the value immigrant volunteers offer to your organization
• Hear directly from volunteers from Hmong, Somali and Latino communities
• Assess the readiness of your organization to engage immigrant volunteers
• Study recent research on volunteerism and explore strategies for increasing involvement from New American communities