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Sara Ballard Scholarship

The Michigan Community Service Commission, in partnership with the Sara Ballard Volunteerism Fund, is pleased to offer scholarships to support professionals seeking to enhance their careers by developing skills in volunteer management and other areas. The scholarships can be used for either conferences or certification opportunities. An individual is eligible to receive one scholarship. Applicants will need to identify how they are able to meet costs of attending a conference or receiving a certificate if the scholarship does not provide enough to cover all costs. If attending a conference, a recipient must plan to attend the entire time of conference they registered to attend.

Eligible Conferences and Certificate programs

Minnesota Alliance for Volunteer Advancement Leadership Conference – St Paul, MN

Date:                                  June 5-7
Website                             https://mavanetwork.org/         
Registration                      AmeriCorps Members $490         Other Professionals $720
Scholarship                      up to $1,500
Use of Funds                    Registration, hotel, travel costs, food
Deadline                           March 21, 2024 – 12:00 pm

Points of Light Foundation Conference - Houston TX

Website:                            https://www.POLF.org
Date:                                  June 11-14
Scholarship                      up to $2,000
Use of Funds                    Registration, hotel, travel costs, food
Deadline                           March 21, 2024 – 12:00 pm

Minnesota Alliance for Volunteer Advancement Leadership Conference, Virtual

Date:                                  June 12
Website                             https://mavanetwork.org/
Registration                      AmeriCorps Members $55           Other Professionals $175
Scholarship                      Cost of Registration – Early Bird Rate
Use of Funds                    Virtual Conference   
Deadline:                           May 20, 2024                   

Michigan Community Service Commission Volunteer Conference – Lansing, MI

Date:                                 TBD – Potential September 26                                
Scholarship                      Cost of Registration                      
Use of Funds                    Registration, hotel, travel costs, food
Deadline:                           August 30, 2024

Certifications

 Volunteer Administration CVA

Website                           https://cvacert.org/
Testing Timeline             October 1 – 14, 2024
Scholarship                     $400
Requirements                 Meet all qualifications to be able to take exam before applying.
Deadline                         September 1, 2024

Other Certifications

Opportunities   Individuals may identify a certification that fulfills a need as a nonprofit professional and apply for a scholarship
Scholarship      Up to $2,000
Deadline:          Applications no later than August 30, 2024

Application Review Process
• Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, but applicants must meet deadlines listed with each opportunity as identified above.
• After selection, applicants will be notified if they received a scholarship and the amount by March 27 to allow them to take advantage of the early bird registration discounts for the first round of conferences.
• Applicants will confirm their acceptance of the scholarship.

Cost Reimbursement Process
• All expenses are reimbursed following the submission of invoices and will be paid through the Michigan Sigma Vendor system.
• Details about the vendor payment system will be shared once recipients have been selected.
• To open a vendor account with the state, use this link https://sigma.michigan.gov/webapp/PRDVSS2X1/AltSelfService

About Sara Ballard
Sara grew up in the East Lansing area and graduated from Alma College. From a young age, she had a passion for volunteerism. She was active with the Lansing Jaycees and excelled at organizing community events, such as the easter egg hunt on the capital lawn. Her passion for volunteerism was infectious as she challenged her friends and family to give of their time, funds, and talent to support causes that were close to them. In the early 2000’s she served the Volunteer Centers of Michigan and later moved to Washington state where she served as Executive Director of a Volunteer Center in Olympia Washington. Sadly, in 2011, Sara suffered a fatal stroke. In honor of Sara’s love for volunteerism and community service, her parents Jim and Nancy Ballard along with Sara’s brother Paul, have provided scholarship funds to support sending Michigan volunteer leaders to the Points of Light Conference to further enhance and support quality education for this important field of community engagement. This year they have expanded the opportunities to assist individuals attend conferences and certification requirements to further their professional development. The Michigan Community Service Commission and the State of Michigan are honored to be fulfilling Sara Ballard’s desire of supporting Michiganders make a difference in their communities.

 

Sara Ballard Volunteerism Scholarship Application