March 2017
St. Peter Lutheran Church and School in Arlington Heights, Illinois, is pleased to announce they have been certified by Points of Light as a Service Enterprise. A Service Enterprise is a nonprofit that fundamentally leverages volunteers and their skills throughout their organization to successfully deliver on its mission.
Research conducted by the TCC Group, a national program and evaluation firm, found that organizations operating as Service Enterprises outperform peer organizations on all aspects of organizational effectiveness and are more adaptable, sustainable and capable of scaling their work.
St. Peter Lutheran Church and School completed an extensive assessment, over 20 hours of training and consulting, and extensive internal planning and change to better integrate volunteers into day-to-day operations. By achieving this level of excellence and certification, St. Peter congregation is now better equipped to leverage the time and talent of volunteers and better carry out their mission.
As part of the process, they created a Volunteer Handbook, conducted an extensive survey of volunteers and expanded staff training resources. Volunteers and volunteer engagement are now explicitly included in the congregation’s organizational charts, vision and planning documents, staff job descriptions and performance reviews, and employee handbook.
St. Peter congregation affirms it has always been a ministry driven by volunteers using their gifts, talents, passions, and abilities to serve others. Their goal remains to empower and support volunteers and create an unprecedented wave of love and mercy across their community, transforming it for good.
You can find more information on the volunteer program at St. Peter on their website.
Information on the Service Enterprise Initiative, can be found at HandsOn Suburban Chicago.