Diversity/Inclusion

Many of the resources on diversity and inclusion take a universal approach, covering all sorts of characteristics that might mean "difference," depending on the context. Therefore, any of the materials and sites here may be helpful, even if they seem to focus on certain types of diversity. We have, however, deparated out those resources that deal specifically with physical and mental disabilities.

Racial, Ethnic, Gender, Economic and Cultural Diversity
Volunteers with Physical and Mental Disabilities

Books on this topic

Racial, Ethnic, Gender, Economic and Cultural Diversity

Articles and book excerpts on this subject

Diversifying the Volunteer Base: Latinos and Volunteerism, by Beverly Hobbs in the Journal of Extension (2001).
Diversity Awareness Group Training Exercise, by Adam May (PDF)
DIVERSITY: Different Perspectives on the Same Topic, from the book Megatrends and Volunteerism
Diversity and Volunteerism: Deriving Advantage from Difference from the Journal of Volunteer Administration
Latino Outreach Programs: Why They Need to Be Different, by Beverly Hobbs in the Journal of Extension (2004).
The Need for Diversity – a ‘Whole-of-Volunteering’ Approach from Volunteer Management: An Essential Guide
Time and Money: An In-Depth Look at 45+ Volunteers and Donors, Executive Summary of 2003 study by AARP on the extent of volunteering by older Americans, including informal helping and attention to ethnic minorities
What Does Love Look Like Politically? - Excellent, provocative article by Bob Seidel examining social justice and controversies in service-learning and other places where "diversity" is a focus.

Free electronic books on this subject

A Matter of Survival: Volunteering By, In, and With Low-Income Communities
Points of Light Foundation has made this 36-page report from 2000 available free on their site.

Collective Leadership Framework
A workbook designed to familiarize community organizers with the process of developing collective leadership across the traditional boundaries of race, class, gender and culture. A publication of the Kellogg Leadership for Community Change project.

Community Treasures: Recognizing the Contributions of Older Immigrants and Refugees
Report from Temple University's Center for Intergenerational Learning on a study to gain a better understanding of why and how older immigrants contribute to their families and communities and to identify promising practices that support the engagement of immigrant elders in meaningful roles (64-page PDF, 2008).

Diverse Communities, Active Lives
A comprehensive guide about volunteering and community participation for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, from Beyond Barriers in Scotland.

Mahi Aroha: Maori Perspectives on Volunteering and Cultural Obligations
from the New Zealand Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector (61 page PDF, 2007)

Recruiting and Supporting Latino Volunteers
by Beverly Hobbs, 4-H Youth Specialist, Oregon State University. PDF format.

Recruiting Male Volunteers: A Guide Based on Exploratory Research (pdf file)
Assesses factors that increase male volunteering in service programs and offers concrete approaches to overcoming barriers and designing programs that are attractive to males.

SALTO's Inclusion for ALL Youth Work Booklets
Over a dozen practical, free manuals to support (international) Inclusion Projects for socially excluded young people, from SALTO-YOUTH (Support, Advanced Learning and Training Opportunities within the European YOUTH programme).

Thinking about Diversity and Equality: A Guide for the Voluntary Sector
by Adam May, 22-page Word Document, 2005

Turn Your Organisation into a Volunteer Magnet, 2nd ed.

Edited by Andy Fryar, Rob Jackson, and Fraser Dyer (2007, 204 pp.)

Essays from contributing volunteer managers around the world on attracting the best and most diverse volunteers and then working with them successfully.

Youth Helping America — Leveling the Path to Participation: Volunteering and Civic Engagement Among Youth From Disadvantaged Circumstances from the Corporation for National and Community Service (2007, 32-pages).

Web sites with useful articles on this subject

African-American Philanthropy: A Bibliography and Resource List
http://fdncenter.org/getstarted/topical/african.html
Excellent resources compiled by the Foundation Center.

Diversity Links
http://www.mcf.org/mcf/resource/diversitylinks.htm
The Minnesota Council on Foundations has compiled links to Web sites and resources for philanthropy by diverse communities and cultures, including African-Americans, American Indians, Asian/Pacific Island Americans, Latino/Hispanic Americans, Lesbians & Gays, the Disability Community, and others.

Diversity Module of the VM3 Online Learning Site
http://www.voluntarymatters3.org/diversity/introduction /index.html
Walk through of the issues in gaining volunteer diversity (based on The Media Trust's television series in the UK), with case studies, checklists, activities, and resources.

Diversity Trends – free articles
http://www.diversitytrends.com/free_diversity_articles/index.html
Trainer/consultant Tracy Brown (often speaks at volunteering conferences) offers practical information for dealing with diversity, as well as a free weekly e-mail “diversity toolkit tune up.”

LGBT Consortium (UK)
http://www.lgbtconsortium.org.uk/c1/activities/involved/resources_lgbt.php
Have created an entire Web area with free downloadable resources called collectively: Volunteering on a Shoestring (not another toolkit!). Written in 2008 for the LGBT community but applicable to any setting, especially those at the grassroots level. Includes PDF guides, templates and case studies.

Mind the Gap
http://mindthegap.timebank.org.uk/
A new (2004) London-wide campaign to raise awareness among black and minority ethnic communities about how to volunteer as well as the benefits of giving time - for the individual, local communities and society as a whole.

SALTO Training Toolbox
http://www.salto-youth.net/find-a-tool/
Large number of group training exercises on all aspects of diversity and youth action from.

Service-Learning Diversity/Equity Project http://www.nylc.org/inaction_init.cfm?oid=3694
The National Youth Leadership Council's efforts at examining diversity in service-learning programs, with several excellent downloadable reports and articles of relevance to any setting or type of volunteer work.

Stronger Together: Recruiting and Working with Ethnocultural Volunteers
http://www.nald.ca/fulltext/heritage/ComPartnE/Strongr1.htm
Online manual by the Central Volunteer Bureau of Ottawa-Carleton (Canada) about how to make volunteer programs attractive and accessible to ethnic minority volunteers, based on input from program managers with experience.

Volunteers with Physical and Mental Disabilities

Articles and book excerpts on this subject

Accommodation for for Online Volunteers Who Have Learning Disabilities or Emotional and Anxiety Disorders, from the Virtual Volunteering Project Web site
Equal Access: Designing Your Project to Be Accessible to All Participants, by Sheryl Burgstahler on the DO-IT site.
Recruiting Disabled Volunteers by Nan Hawthorne (provides real-life suggestions for involving people with disabilities, especially the vision-impaired, as volunteers).
You Cannot Be Serious: A Guide to Involving Volunteers with Mental Health Problems - by Sherry Clark, National Center on Volunteering, 2003.

Free electronic books on this subject

Can Do! Volunteering: A Guide to Including Young Disabled People as Volunteers
72-page guide from UK's leading services for people with disabilities, Leonard Chesire and Scope (2006). Can also download the guide in sections at http://www.can-do-volunteering.org.

Inclusion: Creating an Inclusive Environment
12-chapter handbook (+ 4 appendices) for the inclusion of people with disabilities from the National Service Resource Center (US). Although written for national and community service programs, the material is adaptable to any setting, discussing outreach, recruitment, selection, and retention of participants with disabilities. Download entire manual in one PDF or as 16 PDF sections.

Mental Health, Volunteering and Social Inclusion, a CSV Report (April 2008, UK, 28 pg.)

Web sites with useful articles on this subject

Blindstorming Q&A
http://www.esight.org/blindstorm_view.cfm
Discussion forum of eSight, in which people with visual impairments respond to questions about workplace issues, including volunteering.

Chances4Volunteering
http://www.chances4volunteering.org
UK site focused on "supported volunteering" (which they define as " an organised effort to overcome the barriers to volunteering faced by a group of individuals with common support needs"), assembling a collection of tools, resources and ideas that might be useful to any group or individual looking to establish or maintain a supported volunteering project.

Creating Accessibility
http://volunteer.ca/en/volunteercanada/evolution/June-July/general-english#3
Volunteer Canada offers tips and model programs for developing inclusive environments for volunteers with physical and cognitive disabilities.

Scope’s Inclusive Volunteering Programme

http://www.scope.org.uk/support/volunteer/
Scope is an activist disability organization in England and Wales whose focus is people with cerebral palsy, but with the broader aim “that disabled people achieve equality: a society in which they are as valued and have the same human and civil rights as everyone else.” The Inclusive Volunteer Programme is a special project to expand volunteer opportunities for people with disabilities.

For information on this topic specifically relating to the Australasian region please visit our friends at OzVPM :

http://www.ozvpm.com/resourcebank/resource_diversity.htm

5/26/09