Volunteer Manual
Thank you for your interest in volunteering with ACCION San Diego! We appreciate the help that our volunteers provide to our staff and clients. At ACCION San Diego, we strive to ensure that our volunteers enjoy and learn from their experience working with us while helping to fulfill our mission. We hope that this manual will help you gain a better understanding of how ACCION San Diego functions, the process to become an ACCION volunteer, and the areas in which you may be able to assist small business owners in the San Diego community. ACCION San Diego s volunteer program is unique in that it offers the opportunity for individuals of varying backgrounds and experience to work with us. Whether you are a high school student or college student, a skilled professional, or an entrepreneur, there is a place for you with ACCION San Diego. In this manual, you will find: An overview of ACCION San Diego s program FAQs about ACCION San Diego A description of our volunteer program A checklist to help us determine where your skills fit as a volunteer An application and informational form to help you get started as an ACCION San Diego volunteer If you have questions, please contact us and we will be happy to make sure your concerns and questions are fully addressed. Thank you again for your interest in becoming a part of the ACCION San Diego team! Sincerely, ACCION San Diego Staff
ACCION San Diego: Who We Are and What We Do ACCION San Diego is a non profit organization that provides small business loans and support to entrepreneurs who lack access to traditional forms of credit. The micro loans, ranging from $300 to $35,000, can be used for business purposes including inventory, supplies, equipment, start up expenses, expansion and more. Business owners come to ACCION for a variety of reasons including lack of credit history, past credit challenges, small loan size, short operating history or lack of collateral. ACCION San Diego s lending methodology is structured to help these traditionally underserved entrepreneurs succeed by offering more flexible requirements than traditional lending programs. Although our requirements are flexible, part of our mission is to also assist clients to build their credit by reporting clients repayment histories to credit agencies and providing resources to help them learn financial responsibility and accountability. In addition to providing loans, ACCION San Diego provides business services and resources to clients through the internal volunteer program and many community partner organizations. ACCION San Diego loan officers spend time helping clients through the loan application process and volunteers provide additional one on one support. Members of the ACCION Volunteer Resource Committee are seasoned micro entrepreneurs who speak from experience and offer to share their expertise with ACCION clients. They provide support and advice to assist clients in working through difficult periods in their businesses. Members of the ACCION Technical Assistance Committee offer additional services, using their own skills to help clients with technical issues such as accounting and web design. When ACCION San Diego clients require further in depth training to improve their business skills, they can be referred to one of ACCION s many community partners. ACCION San Diego maintains partnerships with organizations throughout San Diego County that focus on providing business training as their core service. Representative partnerships include those with the Women s Business Center of California, the Small Business Development Center, Foundation for Women, Consumer Credit Counseling and Southwestern College. ACCION is always on the lookout for new partnership opportunities to ensure that an abundance of resources are available to small business owners as they create the backbone of our local economy. ACCION San Diego was established in 1994 and is located in the World Trade Center building in downtown San Diego. Since 1994, ACCION has approved over 2,000 loans worth more than $10 million. ACCION San Diego currently has over 300 active clients working in businesses ranging from home daycare and restaurants to construction and the media. Approximately 68% of ACCION s clients identify themselves as belonging to an ethnic minority, and 48% are women.
Frequently Asked Questions about ACCION San Diego Q: Where does ACCION San Diego work? A: ACCION San Diego currently provides loans throughout San Diego County. If a client is located anywhere outside San Diego County he/she is referred to ACCION USA which is based in Boston, but provides lending through their nationwide internet program. Their telephone number is: (866) 245 0783 and website is: www.accionusa.org Q: Is ACCION San Diego related to ACCION International, the organization that works in developing countries? A: Yes, ACCION San Diego is an affiliate office of the ACCION network which includes ACCION International, ACCION USA and other independently run offices in New Mexico, Texas, Illinois and New York. ACCION USA s services cover all of the United States via the independent office locations or through their nationwide internet lending program. ACCION International serves various international locations. Q: Where does ACCION San Diego get funding? A: ACCION San Diego receives the bulk of its funding from banks under the Community Reinvestment Act which requires a certain percent of their funds allocated to low to moderate income neighborhoods. Banks provide both grants and low interest loans. We also receive grants from foundations and general companies, as well as donations from generous individuals. Q: Does ACCION San Diego provide training to small business owners in addition to loans? A: ACCION San Diego provides basic training to its clients through its staff and volunteers, as well as referring clients to our extensive network of specialized community partners for further training. Q: What are ACCION San Diego s interest rates? A: ACCION San Diego s interest rates range between 10% and 16% depending on the client s situation. Our interest rates are higher than banks because the loans are higher risk. Q: What is ACCION San Diego s repayment rate? A: Repayment rates have historically been approximately 95%. Q: What types of businesses does ACCION San Diego assist? A: Our client base is extremely diverse and is comprised of store front, start up and home based businesses. Types of businesses range from daycares and restaurants to construction companies and local media. Q: Does ACCION San Diego require collateral? A: ACCION will take vehicles or business assets as collateral, but it is not always necessary and is determined on an individual basis by the loan committee. The loans are rarely ever fullcollateralized and collateral is usually used for symbolic purposes.
ACCION San Diego s LEAD Program Leadership & Mentoring Committee Entrepreneurial Training & Assistance Committee Administration, Marketing & Outreach Committee and we will work to find a place for you. ACCION San Diego runs a unique volunteer program that provides opportunities for individuals with varying levels of experience and education to work with ACCION and give back to the San Diego community. The three tier LEAD (Leadership, Entrepreneurial Administration & Development) Program offers individuals a chance to volunteer their time to help ACCION San Diego and its clients. Volunteers may be highly experienced entrepreneurs, high school or college students, or professionals. If you are interested in volunteering with ACCION San Diego, there is a place for you. We do our best to make sure your volunteer experience is personally rewarding. Please review these volunteer program descriptions and our volunteer checklist to try and determine where you might fit in, The top tier of the volunteer pyramid, the ACCION San Diego Leadership & Mentoring Committee, is composed of a seasoned group of entrepreneurs who volunteer their time to mentor rising microentrepreneurs in San Diego County. Committee members apply their personal experience and expertise of owning a business to provide advice to ACCION clients on various issues that can impact any microentrepreneur. From keeping good financial records to business management and conducting marketing efforts, these well versed entrepreneurs offer a wealth of knowledge and skills to our clients. More than just volunteers, members of the committee are mentors to ACCION s clients, helping them through the ups and downs of running their own businesses. ACCION San Diego sees this committee as an invaluable resource to its lending program which will allow ACCION to provide an educational component in addition to financial opportunity. The middle of the ACCION San Diego volunteer pyramid is the Entrepreneurial Training & Assistance Committee. This tier is for college students and professionals looking to apply their skills to help our clients and organization. Some volunteers are available on an on call basis to assist our clients with technical aspects of running their businesses, from basic accounting in Quickbooks to website design or Microsoft Office skills. Other volunteers are available to provide ACCION with technical assistance in areas such as marketing and website maintenance. The purpose of this committee is to offer ACCION clients access to one on one assistance with specified resource skills in addition to loans helping them to run more effectively. The base of the pyramid is the Administration, Marketing & Outreach Committee. This tier is designed for individuals who may not have the technical expertise to provide one on one assistance to our clients, but believe in the mission of ACCION San Diego and have the desire to help. Volunteers in this tier assist ACCION by getting the word out to the community about the loan program and the services we offer. This may include delivering brochures, making presentations to community groups, helping design the ACCION San Diego newsletter, or researching new partner organizations. As members of this tier, volunteers must be thoroughly familiar with ACCION San Diego s program and have the ability to answer various questions.
Volunteer Information Form Full Name Address Street City, State, ZIP Home Phone Work Phone Cell Phone Email Address Level of Education Completed (Please attach a copy of your Resume) Some high school High school diploma Some college Associate s degree College degree Graduate degree Place of work or study Name Address Street Phone City, State, ZIP When are you available to work with ACCION San Diego? Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Which volunteer tier do you believe best suits your experience and skill set? Volunteer Resource Committee Technical Assistance Committee ACCION Volunteer Committee *Please note that ACCION San Diego will make the final determination regarding the tier to which a volunteer will be assigned. One Personal & One Professional Reference: Names Emails Phone # s I understand that completing this form does not guarantee me employment or the opportunity to volunteer with ACCION San Diego. I am aware that ACCION San Diego staff will make the determination as to whether I will be invited to serve as a volunteer. Signature Date
Volunteer Checklist: Where Do You Fit? Please check all relevant information. Name: I am a: High school student College Student Graduate Student Professional Entrepreneur I have experience/skills in the following (check all that apply): Accounting Business management Human resources Website design Public speaking Microsoft Word Microsoft Excel Microsoft PowerPoint Microsoft Publisher Quickbooks Preparing tax returns Recruitment Marketing Fundraising/Event Planning Other, please specify: Languages/Level: Where did you hear about us? (specify) TV: Website: Article: Search Engine: Radio: Nonprofit: Other: I would be interested in/willing to perform the following tasks (check all that apply): Counseling clients on running a business Counseling ACCION San Diego clients on management/hr issues Helping clients with computer programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, etc.) Helping clients with Quickbooks Helping clients with tax returns Helping clients with accounting and financials Planning and/or staffing ACCION San Diego fundraising events Making presentations about ACCION San Diego to community groups/bankers/others Writing/producing the ACCION San Diego newsletter (please attach a one page writing sample) Helping maintain the ACCION San Diego website/helping clients with Web design Delivering brochures and fliers to community organizations Attending expos and other events on behalf of ACCION San Diego Helping recruit volunteers for ACCION San Diego Conducting client satisfaction surveys Grant writing