QVS 4th Annual Supporters Briefing Recap

On June 21st, 2023, QVS held the 4th Annual Supporters’ Briefing. Over 30 QVS supporters joined us to discuss how the program is doing, the challenges we are facing as an organization, and participate in discerning a path forward. It was a rich evening filled with concern, creativity, and care for the future of the program. If you missed it, we hope you watch the recording below. 

 Video Timestamps

0:00 – Opening

0:52 – Agenda Overview 

1:52 – Introductions

4:15 – Review of 2022-2023

4:30 – QVS by the numbers 

6:30 – Staff Team

8:56 – Investing in our Alumni Community 

13:12 – Fellow Story 

18:31 – Current Challenges

19:29 – Pausing the Twin Cities Program 

22:31 – Recruitment Trends 

24:18 – Peer Institutions Experiencing Similar Trends 

26:14 – Recruitment Challenges 

33:16 – Recruitment Strategy 

34:00 – Financials 

38:43 – Strategic Plan 

39:33 – Strategic Planning Process

41:38 – Two Meanings of “Radical” 

43:36 – New Growth 

48:23 – Worship Sharing and Q & A

1:15:57 – Ways to Support QVS and Closing

Planting Seeds for New Growth:

Exploring Program Adjustments to Address the needs of a New Generation

It is a unique and challenging time for Quaker Voluntary Service. We are noticing a decrease in interest from young adults, which is not unique to QVS. Across peer institutions, both religious and secular, young adults are less likely to elect to participate in service years. Due to low enrollment, the QVS Board of Directors made the difficult decision to pause the Twin Cities Program. While we are disappointed that we will not have Fellows in the Twin Cities this year, we are hopeful that this will only be a one-year hiatus. If you would like to read more about this decision, check out the blog post from Executive Director, Hilary Burgin.    

While these recruitment challenges are of concern to QVS, we empathize with the new cohort of young adults that are categorized as Gen Z (born 1997-2012). This generation grew up during the Great Recession; active shooter drills have been a regular part of their schooling experience; they were impacted by the pandemic during an important developmental stage in life; they feel the looming sense of climate destruction more than any other generation; and if they choose to go to college, they often have an overwhelming amount of college debt. These stressors lead young folks to crave stability, particularly financial stability, and makes it more challenging to trust in community to support them. 

QVS recognizes that a year of service inherently asks Fellows to put a pause on adding to their savings, which can feel like a big risk to this new generation. We are in the process of exploring changes to the program that will support Gen Z, while staying grounded in the original mission of the organization. Some of the seeds that have been planted include: 

1. An increased stipend for Fellows so that choosing to serve does not feel like a financial burden.
2. Expanding the kinds of site placements we partner with beyond non-profit organizations. For example, this might include small businesses that align with our values.
3. Allowing Fellows to self-design their site placement. This would be appropriate for prospective Fellows who already have a job opportunity in mind or a career path, but would like to live in intentional community and learn about the Quaker Way.
4. Making some changes to lighten the expectations of the program. It is an intense year, and we have received feedback from recent Fellows that it can be overwhelming. We would like to see if we can find a middle ground, where the program is enriching, but not overly tiring.

During the event, we had the opportunity to hear from supporters and get feedback on these ideas. Hearing from our community of supporters is vital in helping us know which ideas to cultivate and grow into seedlings for future visioning. If you have the chance to watch the recording and would like to share your thoughts with QVS Staff and Board, we invite you to complete this feedback form.

Links Shared During the Event

In case you missed any of the links we shared in the chat during the briefing, here they are again.

Invest in QVS

When you give to QVS you are: empowering young adults to explore their spirituality and vocation; increasing capacity of social change and service organizations; fostering intergenerational connections in Friends meetings and churches; and building new leadership for the Religious Society of Friends and the world.

Consider giving a one-time or recurring gift online today to help sustain our program, or be in touch with us about non-financial or deferred giving options.

For more information about giving or to get connected to one of our program cities, contact Claire, our Development Director, [email protected].