Ever Wonder What It’s Like To Work With Us?

 

We talk a lot about the types of skills we have on offer and the processes we go through to ensure that organizations get the biggest impact out of their match. What we haven’t done was share what it feels like for the organization to work with us from their point of view.

To really drive the point home of what it’s like working with Spark we want to share some feedback that we received over the year from organizations who have done it.

 

What is it like working with Spark?

 

“Awesome as always.  They are so curious, energetic, and creative at finding the perfect match/”

“So fun and impactful, as always.  They always seem to understand what we need.”

“Amazing experience, understanding and catering to our needs.”

“Easy! [Spark staff] was great to work with and was always responsive. We were in a position where we weren’t quite sure what we needed, but the match was a great fit and gave us some really useful results.”

What did the organization like about their volunteer?

 

“They were flexible, patient, and creative but still kept our plan and ideas in mind.  [The volunteers] were very in-tune with our agency, mission, and people we support and serve, which assisted in the authenticity of the final product.”

“She was friendly and more than just ‘a volunteer’. ]The volunteer] was more than happy to share her work experience and non-profit experience.  We were able to build a connection other than just a volunteer to organization connections.”

“[The volunteer] is not only highly skilled in her role, but is also super caring and self-competitive! Meaning you can see her motivation is internal, and she always pushes herself to do better.  She was able to view my needs holistically, and then break it into manageable chunks for working on/”

 

This is great, but what did organizations dislike?

 

The overwhelming response was time- organizations wish they had more time for the project, a wish to keep the volunteer longer for other projects, and deadlines being expanded for unforeseen reasons.

 

And perhaps the most important question, what difference did the match make?

 

“This match has taken a project that for us has very very long-term and turned it into a short-term and completed project that exceeds our expectations in what we thought could be done!”

“We have been able to pilot the products of the project in our current activities immediately, and will incorporate the results into our evaluation practices this year.”

“This match made me a stronger leader.”

“I have more confidence in communicating what our agency is doing in the community as a result of the support I received from the Spark match.”

 

What’s next?

 

If you are interested in getting in on the fun have a read through these blog posts to help you prepare for pro bono, understand what types of skills we have on offer, and learn about our process.  Don’t forget to also read our blog on the reasons some matches breakdown.

 

We would love to hear from you.