Service Advisory Council Recommendations
Formed in April 2024, the Service Advisory Council’s purpose was to engage a cross sector, citywide service council to advise the City’s Chief Service Officer on current service trends from the public, nonprofit, and private sectors and produce a set of recommendations. The Service Advisory Council developed a set of recommendations and action plan to strengthen a cross-sector network to modernize service initiatives and accelerate turnkey onramps for residents to engage with city issues. These strategic actions are designed to foster stronger connections, expand access, and create a deeper culture of service citywide.
The recommendations were developed with input from leaders across sectors of the city and led by the Service Advisory Council established in 2024. The recommendations focus on community needs, simple ways to engage New Yorkers, and actions that can be executed in the next 18–24 months. The plan highlights four main areas of improvement based on the principles of inclusivity, sustainability, and tangible action with a priority on high-impact volunteer opportunities that meet real community needs. The four recommendations are:
Recommendation 1 | Foster Stronger Cross-Sector Collaboration and Impact
Build stronger connections across the public, nonprofit, and private sectors, with a focus on collective action and shared goals.
NYC Service Action Plan:
Organize an annual in-person convening to bring together key stakeholders from business, city agencies and community organizations for deeper collaboration focused on creating meaningful partnerships
Complement in-person gathering with follow up task forces and/or virtual convenings to foster ongoing collaboration, connecting people around shared interests, issues or neighborhoods and exploring opportunities for joint advocacy
Broaden the definition of volunteer service and explore ways to better measure and communicate the impact of service in the city
Recommendation 2 | Enhance NYC Service Website for User Experience and Engagement
Evaluate and improve the overall functionality of the NYC Service website to maximize efficiency.
NYC Service Action Plan:
Increase awareness of the existing site’s role as a resource for connecting city residents with volunteer opportunities and enhance matching to better link individuals with relevant activities.
Improve the overall user experience for all stakeholders by refining search functionality, highlighting accessible opportunities more prominently and ensuring clear connections between volunteer activities and community needs, including in-kind giving opportunities.
Explore the application of AI to enhance the user experience for all stakeholders and improve usability through a working group or stakeholder engagement.
Recommendation 3 | Expand Volunteer Management Training and Develop Engagement Framework
Broaden and enhance volunteer management training for community organizations, government agencies, Americorps programs and the business sector to strengthen engagement and improve accessibility across diverse stakeholders.
NYC Service Action Plan:
Develop targeted training, informed by key stakeholders, to equip organizations with the skills to run effective and impactful volunteer programs, covering topics such as articulating impact, fostering cross-sector partnerships, volunteer recruitment and retention, and effective storytelling and communication.
Create a volunteer engagement framework that clearly articulates the value proposition for volunteers and helps organizations expand and diversify their offerings to align organizational needs with volunteer interests and capacity
Provide training and standardized checklists to help organizations assess and improve accessibility, ensuring more inclusive volunteer opportunities
Recommendation 4 | Launch Citywide Campaign to Amplify Volunteer Service and Foster Lasting Engagement
Launch a citywide campaign to harness the current wave of community interest, uniting sectors, neighborhoods and individuals to connect with key needs and opportunities that strengthen our communities.
NYC Service Action Plan:
Foster a sense of community by identifying urgent needs and making it easy for people to take action and contribute to lasting impact, creating a foundation for ongoing involvement and long-term engagement.
Develop compelling messaging that fosters a culture of volunteerism, recognizing all acts of service as valuable contributions, and using creative strategies to engage a broad range of stakeholders.
Use data-driven insights and measurable indicators to track campaign impact, showcasing the value of service locally and citywide while strengthening connections across organizations, businesses, and residents.
NYC Service Advisory Council
Led by chief service officer Laura Rog, the Service Advisory Council is made up of representatives from the public, nonprofit, and private sectors with expertise in social responsibility and community engagement who collaborated to develop a set of recommendations aimed to ensure New York City is the easiest place to make an impact through volunteerism and service. Inaugural members of the advisory council include:
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