PALATINE, IL – April 23, 2010 – The Volunteer Center of Northwest Suburban Chicago (TVC) and Executive Network Group of Greater Chicago (ENG) premiere a national model for executive-level volunteering at Little City Foundation (LCF) through the Strategic Action for Volunteer Engagement or “SAVE” program.

“We have hundreds of talented and dedicated staff here at Little City,” commented Executive Director Shawn E. Jeffers, “but when dramatic cuts in state funding are taking place and an increased demand for our services is happening at the same time, we can better meet economic challenges with premier skills contributed by The Volunteer Center and Executive Network Group.”
 
The latest development in the SAVE program, “adopt-a-nonprofit,” will serve as a national model for connecting members of both professional groups with non-profits.  Little City Foundationand the Executive Network Group of Greater Chicago serve as the first pairing where executives’ time and talents will be maximized to its fullest potential.
 
TVC and ENG will present results from the model at the “National Conference on Volunteering and Service” this June 28-30 in New York.
 
ENG Executive Director Chris Campbell commented, “Volunteering is a way for the members to give back while also keeping their skills fresh and building their resumes.”
 
Professional Strategist Tom Gaynor, who developed the SAVE model with TVC staff members Chris Smith and Karla Micheli, added,  “I believe this model has the potential to transform the non-profit sector by giving non-profit organizations access to a whole new pool of talent, for free.”
 
“We have 480 people who aren’t working, who are all professionals; this is a wonderful way to occupy their time in transition and to give back through volunteerism,” Campbell concluded.
 
Executives from ENG, whose backgrounds range from marketing to engineering, will work in project teams focusing on business and revenue opportunities for Little City such as developing plans for social business enterprises and maximizing Little City’s fundraising arm.  
 
“We hope that the positive results reaped from this experience will encourage other non-profits to take advantage of these phenomenal volunteer resources,” added Jeffers. “At the same time, we trust that The Volunteer Center and Executive Network Group will come away with a greater understanding of all the intricacies and challenges involved in running a non-profit organization.”
 
To learn more about the The Volunteer Center of Northwest Suburban Chicago, visit: www.volunteerinfo.net.
 
To learn more about the Executive Network Group of Greater Chicago (ENG), visit www.engchgo.org.
 
To volunteer at Little City, contact Kathryn Nelson at (847) 221-7804 or volunteer@littlecity.org.
 
To support individuals with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities, visit www.littlecity.org/support.
 
For complete information, visit www.lilttlecity.org  or contact Lisa Reyes at lreyes@littlecity.org or 847-221-7825.