Bringing over 100 years of library service to the Estes Valley and surrounding communities, the Estes Valley Library was begun in 1916 by the Estes Park Woman’s Club. The first library was opened in the schoolhouse with 262 volumes. Now with over 40,000 traditional collection items, and over 600,000 digital items, the library serves over 12,000 local residents, hundreds of seasonal residents, and many thousands of visitors to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. The Estes Park Library provides free services, resources, and events for folks in the community who otherwise may not have access to them; this contributes to creating better financial and social outcomes for folks experiencing poverty, and in turns strengthens community engagement and development. The Library invests in the overall success of the community as a space for growth and accessible, equitable, free resources. The VISTA will foster capacity and sustainability at the library so that it can provide more expansive services and reach a larger population, which impacts access to resources for folks living in poverty. Additionally, libraries are a major source of reading material for many children of poverty and contribute to better educational outcomes for these youths, more investment in libraries and librarians means better language and literacy development, and that supporting libraries can help overcome the negative effect of poverty on literacy development and school success. The Library is located in Estes Park, just 90 minutes from Denver, in the eastern entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. A majestic mountain destination known for outdoor adventure, watchable wildlife and scenic beauty, Estes Park is Colorado's quintessential mountain town.
Service Activities
The Resource Development VISTA will focus on 1) Grant Writing: The VISTA will generate and prepare proposals, develop proposals by assembling information and build trackers to increase the libraries funding streams. Write, revise, and edit drafts including executive summaries, conclusions, and organization credentials. 2) Donor Research and Recruitment: Create systems for monitoring development activities including gift processing, donor relations, and donor cultivation. Motivate and identify donors and prospects to make major gifts. Establish a variety of donor appreciation activities, programs, and mailings. 3) Marketing: Create fundraising materials that describe and promote brand. Update social media as well as newspaper communications. Promote mission to donors in the community via communication plans. 4) Systems Building: Research best practices for record retention. Create system for retaining human resource records. Document procedures for new records system.
Community Need Addressed
Increased need for nonprofit capacity building
Position Outcomes
increased sustainable structures for CRC, increased education/programming for nonprofits in rural Colorado
Benefits
Childcare assistance if eligible, Education award upon successful completion of service, Health coverage, Living allowance, Non-competitive eligibility (federal jobs), Relocation allowance (if applicable), Stipend, Student loan forbearance, Training
Discounted Housing or Housing Stipend of $250/month
Skills you will gain
Communications, Non-Profit Management, Fundraising/Grant Writing, Entrepreneur, Public Speaking , Community Organization , Leadership , General Skills , Writing/Editing , Computers/Technology .
Competencies You Will Develop
Communication
Demonstrate sensitivity and empathy, Listen to and consider others' viewpoints, Maintain open lines of communication with others, Speak clearly, in precise language and in a logical, organized and coherent manner, Turn taking, Write cleary and effectively
Creativity & Problem Solving
Able to identify and define the problem, Capable of generating possible solutions, Communicate the problem to appropriate personnel, Improvise, Provide relevant expertise, Select and implement well-considered solution
Teamwork
Develop constructive working relationships and maintain them over time, Establish a high degree of trust and credibility with others, Interact professionally and respectfully with supervisors and co-workers, Stay positive and outcome oriented, Use appropriate strategies and solutions for dealing with conflicts and differences to maintain a smooth workflow
Decisions
Accepts responsibility, Anticipate the consequences of decisions, Identify and prioritize the key issues involved to facilitate the decision making process, Involve people appropriately in decisions that may impact them, Quickly respond with a back-up plan if a decision goes amiss
Tools
Carefully consider which tools or technological solutions are appropriate for a given job, Consistently choose the best tool or technological solution for the problem at hand, Operate tools and equipment in accordance with established operating procedures, safety standards, and ethical guidelines, Seek opportunities to improve knowledge of tools and technologies that may assist in streamlining work and improving productivity
Planning
Able to prioritize various competing tasks, Create environment of contribution, Create plan of action, schedule tasks so that work is completed on time, Demonstrate the effective allocation of time and resources efficiently, Effectively delegate tasks, Facilitate group planning, Set goals
Service
Be pleasant, courteous, professional and respectful when dealing with internal and external customers or clients, Evaluate customer or client satisfaction, Honor the privilege of being able to work with and for those being served, Provide personalized, prompt, and efficient service to meet the requirements, requests and needs of customers, Recognize the importance of maintaining privacy and confidentiality of those being served, Understand and anticipate the needs of others, Understand the importance of one's role in the functioning of the organization, Understand the significance of maintaining a healthful and safe environment