VIP Resolution: Leave your legacy

This year, let's resolve to leave a legacy - one that will last far beyond this year, or even this decade.  Let's make volunteer systems and constructs that will last in our nonprofit partners.  As a VIP Fellow, get started early in leaving behind instructions and explanations of what you're doing for those who come after you.  If you haven't already started, now's a good time to begin!

Take these 4 steps to prepare to leave your legacy later this year:

1. Get a labeled binder.  Or any other, labeled place to store your knowledge.  The most important thing in leaving a legacy is to leave a record (paper or digital), label it well, and make sure that everyone at the organization knows where to find it.  Information most often gets lost in transitions because it either isn't recorded or isn't left where it can be found.  Get around both those problems by making your binder, file, computer folder, or portfolio ready now.
2. Record your contacts.  Knowing who to contact or where to go is a big part of recruiting volunteers - so make a spreadsheet of every place or person you contact.  Include contact info for: volunteers, community centers, businesses, schools, or anyone else you contact over the year.  If you can, leave notes to explain who the person is and why you contacted them.  Highlight the places and people who were most helpful for you.
3. Develop instructions.  You recruited volunteers - so how did you do it?  Who did you contact?  Where did you go?  What was your interview process?  What do you do to recognize volunteers? Make a step-by-step instructional packet for every successful effort you made... don't make the next person relearn all of the lessons you learned this year!  Give them a clear-cut instruction guide for success.
4. Collect resources. If you read a helpful article, copy it and leave it in your binder.  If you attend a helpful training, takes notes and leave them in your binder.  If you make recruitment flyers or volunteer sign-in sheets, leave them in your binder.  Make a habit of collecting all the useful information you use and the resources you create and organizing it all in a helpful way.