Volunteer Sacramento Priorities

Building on the city’s long tradition of civic engagement and volunteerism, Volunteer Sacramento aims to unleash the spirit of service within the city and greater metropolitan Sacramento Area by encouraging and empowering Sacramentans of every age to contribute to the health and well-being of their neighbors, and their neighborhoods. Volunteer Sacramento will set a new standard for community involvement in tackling the toughest problems, and it will promote service as a core part of what it means to be a citizen of the capital of California.

Volunteer Sacramento priorities fall into the following categories:

Help more Sacramentans connect to service opportunities more easily
Sacramento should be the easiest city in America in which to volunteer. Volunteer Sacramento will implement initiatives designed to encourage more Sacramentans to participate in service opportunities, and to make it easier for them to do so. While every indicator suggests that interest in volunteerism appears to be higher than in the past, these initiatives aim to create interest that is sustained over time. In addition, the City will use technology to highlight opportunities and connect volunteers.

Create or elevate volunteer opportunities that address the City’s most urgent needs
While Volunteer Sacramento will celebrate all volunteerism and the many ways Sacramentans give back, a key component of the Mayor’s approach is to drive volunteer activity to those issues or places where the City’s needs are greatest. Efforts will target emerging or existing needs in public safety, education, homelessness and the environment. Impact Service Projects are the initiatives that will be elevated by the Volunteer Sacramento campaign to deliver the energy, talent, and time of willing Sacramentans to the causes that need them the most.

Create more meaningful opportunities for young people to serve
A sustained culture of service can be created by developing programs that encourage young Sacramentans to think about volunteering as a core part of what it means to live in the capital region of California.  Building on the great programs already in place in schools, initiatives will be designed to create a culture of service and to make sure that in Sacramento, all children are taught the value of service and have access to meaningful service opportunities.

Measure progress against clear goals; create accountability for results
The success of Volunteer Sacramento requires that the impact of the different initiatives outlined in its blueprint are carefully managed and tracked. All the initiatives outlined in the Sacramento Service Plan have specific metrics that will be monitored over the next year to measure the impact of each initiative. Volunteer Sacramento is committed to sustaining increased levels of service through a strong management structure and recognition program.