✨ FYI
Social Media Toolkit for VGF Day, April 21
Ashton Batona
Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF) Day Social Media Toolkit
April 21, 2022 — VGF Anniversary
Each year on April 21, America’s Service Commissions encourages all commissions to highlight the impact and importance of the Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF) across the United States in honor of National Volunteer Week (April 17-23, 2022), Global Volunteer Month (April), and the anniversary of when VGF was created under the Serve America Act (signed into law on April 21, 2009).
Are you a state commission or community organization that has benefitted from the Volunteer Generation Fund? If so, we want you to share your story of volunteer impact, VGF grantees/host sites/organizations, and other commission-sponsored volunteer initiatives on social media on April 21 using the following hashtags: #NVW #VolunteerGeneration
Please also tag the following social media handles if space allows (Note: it is easier to tag if you include images because tagging images does not take up character space).
- Tag ASC — @StateCommission
- Tag AmeriCorps — @AmeriCorps
- Tag Points of Light — @PointsofLight
- Tag your Governor, Lt. Governor, Members of Congress, or other elected officials you want to know about VGF!
We are asking every state commission that has ever received VGF funding to participate!
Sample social media posts:
- It’s National Volunteer Week! We’re proud that our state is harnessing the power of volunteers alongside @AmeriCorps to get things done in [state] through the #VolunteerGeneration Fund. Learn more: http://bit.ly/volunteergeneration #NVW [tag additional handles above in image]
- Happy anniversary #VolunteerGeneration Fund from all of us in [state]! Thankful that VGF was created on April 21, 2009 under the #ServeAmericaAct which has allowed us to leverage over ___[#] community volunteers to serve alongside @AmeriCorps programs in our state! [tag additional handles above in image]
- Happy #NVW! Did you know we are one of 20 states that leverage #VolunteerGeneration Funding from @AmeriCorps to enable more Americans to give back through citizen service? Learn more about VGF: http://bit.ly/volunteergeneration. [tag additional handles above in image]
- This #NVW, we celebrate the important role of the #VolunteerGeneration Fund in [your state]! Thank you Congress for making VGF part of the Serve America Act on April 21, 2009 to ensure states can build volunteer infrastructure and capacity to serve communities better. [tag additional handles above in image]
- Happy #NVW to all of our #VolunteerGeneration Fund partner organizations and grantees who are mobilizing volunteers to improve their communities: [tag your VGF partner/grantee organizations]
Graphics:
- We have created graphics on Canva that you can download for VGF Day promotions. Feel free to edit the graphics by adding your logo or swapping out the photos for some of your own. To download the graphics as is, scroll to the bottom of this post. To access editable versions on Canva, use these links.
- Twitter (rectangular): https://www.canva.com/design/DAEcOqiJqoU/yLqYTVXr591thXJYcEoPpg/view?utm_content=DAEcOqiJqoU&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=sharebutton&mode=preview
- Facebook/Instagram/LinkedIn (square): https://www.canva.com/design/DAEcOrW7aOM/xjGGH4DfSwRgLrlbFgXCQQ/view?utm_content=DAEcOrW7aOM&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=sharebutton&mode=preview
Guiding questions to draft additional VGF social media posts:
- How long has your state benefited from the Volunteer Generation Fund, and what issue area(s) is your VGF grant focused on?
- What are some of the organizations or cities/towns that have benefited from VGF support in your state? (List and/or tag them).
- How has VGF helped you improve the capacity of nonprofits and faith-based/community civic organizations to utilize volunteers?
- How has VGF helped spur innovation in the field of volunteerism in your state?
- How has VGF helped enable more Americans to serve through active citizen service? (cite #s of volunteers recruited, managed, retained, etc.)
- What’s the most inspiring impact or outcome you’ve seen from a VGF-funded project?
- How have volunteers been able to support your state’s COVID-19 response efforts so far? (post photos and also use hashtag #COVID19)
- Give a shout-out to a volunteer from your state’s VGF project who is doing amazing things! Share name, photo, organization they volunteer with, a quote, or local news article.
- How can someone find out more about your state’s Volunteer Generation Fund projects and opportunities? (include a link to your website if possible).
- The anniversary of VGF’s creation is April 21 from when it was first created under the Serve America Act on April 21, 2009. Help thank @RepLoebsack for his visionary leadership in creating it and let him know you hope it will keep going another 13 years!
Learn more about the Volunteer Generation Fund and how states are leveraging it: https://www.statecommissions.org/volunteer-generation-fund.
