The Humane Society of the United States has been our partner since the inception of VPA. Their deep and genuine commitment to nonprofits in general and shelter health/animal welfare has driven this initiative and it greatly appreciated.
The Rescue Group Program Assessment (RGPA) is an innovative assessment system that captures the voice of your volunteers, a key stakeholder of your organization.
By surveying volunteers using a comprehensive and validated questionnaire and offering recommendations for improvement, the assessment promotes organizational effectiveness. These services are available free of charge for scholarship recipients.
Program History
RGPA is a direct extension of the Volunteer Program Assessment (VPA). VPA, started in 2009, is a volunteer assessment system designed to promote the effectiveness of volunteer programs within non-profits that operate in a wide variety of industries. To date, VPA has been administered to over 15,000 volunteers in 200 organizations. However, in 2014, the need for VPA services in rescue organizations was identified, but the VPA package did not align with the unique structure of rescues. Through visits and in-depth interviews with volunteers and leadership at various rescues, we identified the issues that are unique for rescues. After extensive pilot testing, the new RGPA was launched and is now accepting scholarship applications for fully grant-subsidized services (at no cost to you)!
RGPA is sustained by faculty members and graduate students in the Organizational Science program at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and other universities. UNC Charlotte has also been a tremendous advocate and supporter of this program. The university’s commitment to positively impacting the community is equally appreciated.
