Enrollment Details

• How do I enroll? 
• What are my payment options?
• Can I sign up at any time of the year?
• Do I have to sign up for all three years of the 36-topic cycle?
• Can I share any of the materials with others in my organization?
• Is there a discount for multiple individual subscriptions?
• What if I’m already a subscriber to e-Volunteerism?
• What are the technical requirements and support?

About the Learning Community

• For what kind of learner is the content of Everyone Ready designed?
• Will Everyone Ready be relevant to my setting or type of organization?
• What about continuing professional education credit?
• How can I find time to make best use of Everyone Ready resources?
• How did Everyone Ready start and who is already enrolled?

Have a question not covered here?  Contact us

How do I enroll? 

Since this is an individual enrollment, with all benefits provided electronically, you can enroll through our special signup page which is where we are able to process your payment.  This assures that you set up your own account with the all the correct information as you want it to show in your record.  If you need assistance, contact us.

You may pay the cost of membership by credit card – we accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.

If you prefer paying by personal check, an international money order, or need to request payment through your organization’s accounting office, you may select “Other Ways to Pay,” generate an invoice, and then postal mail a check (all the instructions are provided on screen as you finalize your purchase in the bookstore). 

Once you have enrolled and paid, we will welcome you to the program with an e-mail and confirm your activation date (the 3rd Monday of the month to come). We will also send further details about the program.

All of our features and new topics are released on the 3rd Monday of each month, so you’ll start with the release of the very next feature following your enrollment.   Then your membership will remain in effect until the Saturday before the third Monday in the same month one year later.  So you are guaranteed full access to 12 monthly features.

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What are my payment options?

When you start your enrollment, you will see two options:

• Credit Card: You may pay the cost of membership by credit card – we accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.           

• Other Ways to Pay: If you prefer paying by personal check, an international money order, or need to request payment through your organization’s accounting office, you may select “Other Ways to Pay,” generate an invoice, and then postal mail a check (all the instructions are provided on screen as you finalize your purchase in the bookstore).  Your membership will be activated once we receive your payment.

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Can I sign up at any time of the year?

Yes!  You may join for any 12-month period, starting on the third Monday of the month when the newest feature is released.  You will join the sequence of topics in progress and therefore will receive whatever seminar or guide is currently “live” on the site for that month.

You can process your membership application and payment at any time.  All of our features and new topics are released on the 3rd Monday of each month, so you’ll start with the release of the very next feature following your enrollment.   Your membership will remain in effect until the Saturday before the third Monday in the same month one year later.  So you are guaranteed full access to 12 monthly features.

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Do I have to sign up for all three years
of the 36-topic cycle?

No!  There is no obligation to enroll for more than one year at a time, although we do give you a discount for committing to two or all three years when you first enroll.  Memberships cost US$500 for 1 year, $900 for two years, and $1200 for three years. About the 36-topic cycle

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Can I share any of the materials with others in my organization?

Your enrollment will be tied to your unique e-mail address and password, and is intended for access from your computer only.  However, you may do the following with your individual membership:

• Invite a few colleagues within your organization to sit at your desk with you as you watch an Online Seminar on your computer and discuss how it relates to your setting.

• Print out up to 5 copies of the Self-Instruction Guides to share in-house with others.

This flexibility recognizes how many of our colleagues work in single-site, grassroots organizations with few paid staff.  

However, we offer organizational memberships for organizations wishing to train many staff and leadership volunteers.  In the organization membership, any and every person in the organization’s network can access the materials directly from his or her own computer through a Main Page reached through that organization’s password-protected intranet or Web site. 

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Is there a discount for multiple individual subscriptions?

Yes!   Here is the breakdown:

1 - 4 enrollments = US$500 each
5 - 10 enrollments = $450 each
11 - 15 enrollments = $400 each
16 - 20 enrollments = $375 each

For organizations with 21-75 learners, it's smarter to sign up for the “Small Organization” plan under which up to 75 potential participants can have access for the single rate of $7,500 and will receive the full benefits of a Basic level organizational membership.

To arrange for multiple individual memberships or to inquire about organizational memberships, contact us.

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What if I’m already a subscriber to e-Volunteerism?

If you are already a subscriber to e-Volunteerism, we will gladly credit the prorated value of the remainder of your subscription period to the cost of your Everyone Ready membership.  Please contact us directly if you are eligible for this credit so that we can process the transaction with you.

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What are the technical requirements and support?

Everyone Ready has been pilot tested with a wide range of hardware, operating systems, and Internet connections. You can log in on any type of computer, from any location. However, to view the Online Seminars optimally and avoid lengthy download times for PDFs, it is best to have a broadband Internet connection.

We provide full online instructions for accessing all materials.  We also respond quickly to questions or problems related to our site (we cannot provide technical support for issues related to your hardware).  We’re available Monday through Friday, 9a.m. to 5p.m. U.S. Eastern time, by e-mail or telephone.

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For what kind of learner is the content of
Everyone Ready designed?

Our featured resources introduce you to the most important topics and issues involved in being successful with volunteers. Then, we direct you to even more resources (e.g., discussion boards, published books, online articles, and other Web sites) so that you may take your learning to a deeper level.

If you are already a full-time volunteer program manager, but new to the role, Everyone Ready will be your starting point for developing the wide range of skills you’ll need.

If you’re an experienced leader of volunteers, you’ll probably approach the material a bit differently than a new leader.  Since we produce all of the Self-Instruction Guides and Online Seminars exclusively for our members, you will undoubtedly find many new ideas to spark your interest.  Also, if you feel that you are already more advanced on a particular subject, you can truly make the program work for you. Take your learning to the next level with the following suggestions:

• Post questions or comments to the discussion boards and get the current trainer to help you on whatever level you need and even explore your particular setting (e.g., hospice, museums, animal sheltering).  Each of these experts welcomes thought-provoking exchange, so take the initiative!  You have the option of posting anonymously.

• Delve into the additional resources we give you as a starting point…and continue your research.

• Engage others in your organization (or other individuals enrolled in Everyone Ready) in some in-depth discussion (or debate!) about any of the points raised on any topic during the year.

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Will Everyone Ready be relevant to my setting or type of organization?

The basic principles of successful volunteer management are applicable to any type of volunteer engagement.  The resources in this program have been field-tested with organizations in various settings including social/human services, literacy, animal protection, emergency services, healthcare – even the military!  Naturally, any single seminar or guide will be of great interest to some and of less interest to others but, cumulatively, the monthly cycle of materials has proven relevant to all our members so far. 

We have selected a wide range of topics with universal interest. Because we are especially concerned with learners new to the field and for whom managing volunteers is only part of their job, we present the material as an introduction or overview. We then direct you to even more resources to delve deeper into the subject for full analysis and consideration.

We provide two important things:

• Each seminar and guide always includes a bibliography and resource guide directing you to more details on the subject, plus the Main Page of the Everyone Ready site changes monthly to recommend specific resources on the featured topic.
• You have the opportunity to ask questions and get direct responses on every featured topic from the expert trainer who created that resource!  These exchanges allow you to focus on whatever might be a special situation in your setting.  Plus, we post the Q&A so that everyone benefits from the information (you always have the choice to remain anonymous to the public). 

The resources we provide are meant as a catalyst  for learning.  You’ll benefit the most when you give yourself the opportunity to think about the points raised, reflect on your own philosophy and values of volunteerism, and talk with others about how to apply the information to your setting and situation.

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What about continuing professional education credit?

Everyone Ready  Online Seminars and Self-Instruction Guides are eligible ways to earn Professional Development Units (PDUs) toward recertification for the Certified in Volunteer Administration (CVA) credential. 

For those in healthcare, "documentation of content hours" may count toward recertification under AHVRP (formerly ASDVS).  Other credentialing organizations may also accept Everyone Ready contact hours as credits towards continuing education requirements, so check with your credentialing organization to see if they qualify.

Each Online Seminar and Self-Instruction Guide is worth 1.5 contact hours.  A certificate of completion is available after you complete an evaluation survey.

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How can I find time to make best use of Everyone Ready resources?

• You can mark your calendar for the change to a new topic and resource on the 3rd Monday of every month.
• Energize will send you two e-mails per month,  one on the 3rd Monday announcing the new topic and another as a reminder when two weeks are left for you to participate in the current training opportunity.
• All featured resources include information about and links to additional related resources, including e-Volunteerism  journal articles and books from the Energize Online Bookstore (in which you now have a year-round 10% discount per purchase!). 
• We note the date of new postings to the discussion board/Q&A with that month’s expert trainer so that a quick visit to the Main Page alerts you to new exchanges.
• We encourage you to form a learning team of a few people with whom you can schedule time to do the training and discuss it.  When you are doing the work with others, you have greater incentive to schedule the time each month.

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How did Everyone Ready start and who is already enrolled?

Everyone Ready was pilot-tested from 2005-2007 by 17 major national organizations (see below), each of which enrolled in Everyone Ready to provide the program’s resources to their full network—all their staff and leadership volunteers, located anywhere. Now, the program is open to the public, with new membership options for large national organizations, organizations with up to 75 potential participants, and for individuals, as well.

Charter Members
AARP
Alzheimer's Association
American Lung Association
American Red Cross
Canadian Blood Services
Catholic Charities USA
Goodwill Industries International, Inc.
Humane Society of the United States
National Kidney Foundation
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
National Wildlife Federation
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
ProLiteracy America
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
US Army Volunteer Corps
Volunteers of America
Youth For Understanding, USA

Our learners are now located in many types of communities across North America and, increasingly, in other parts of the world.  We have urban and rural members; small, single-site agencies and large national organizations; not-for-profit and government entities – and everything in between!  Our common denominator is getting work done by, with or through volunteers!

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