Frequently Asked Questions
All
What is Vesper Service Network?The Vesper Service Network is an online community of people of faith and faith-based, not-for-profit organizations. Here, individuals can connect to mission-driven organizations that need their business skills. Organizations can find the help they need, at an attractive cost.
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Is Vesper Service Network a not-for-profit organization?No. Vesper Service Network is a social venture enterprise, jointly owned by a for-profit consulting firm and a foundation. Some of the proceeds of our work are reinvested in the company and some of the proceeds support not-for-profit organizations that strengthen our communities.^ top ^
How does Vesper Service Network connect advisors and organizations?Vesper Advisors submit information about their business and volunteer experiences when they join Vesper Service Network. This information becomes part of a searchable database. Client organizations search this database when they are looking for help with projects. Vesper Service Network helps organizations and advisors communicate and come to an agreement on what they want to accomplish and how to do the work. We believe if we give smart people the tools they need to find each other they will accomplish great things together.^ top ^
How does Vesper Service Network support organizations and advisors once connections are made?Organizations and advisors can use the website to keep track of their projects throughout the process. Advisors can log in and see a list of the projects they have been invited to, projects they are currently working on and projects they have completed. Organizations can also see their projects in the creation stage, those that are active and completed projects. Both organizations and advisors can use discussion forums to post general questions or get project advice from other Vesper Service Network members. Once a project is complete the advisor and the organization can rate their experience, which becomes part of their online record.^ top ^
What resources does Vesper Service Network provide?We look for resources that help individuals discover their strengths and how to use them to create significance in their lives and the mission of the organizations with which they work. We also look for resources to help not-for-profit organizations effectively achieve their missions. We post links to these resources on the Vesper Service Network website. We are always looking for suggestions and recommendations so please let us know if you have a favorite resource.^ top ^
Partner
What is a Partner?Partners are larger organizations, such as associations, foundations, or colleges and universities that serve individuals of faith and not-for-profit organizations. Partners make resources available to Vesper Service Network members and provide ways for their members to connect to each other. Vesper Advisors can choose to opt into any Partner's network, which means they may receive additional information and resources directly from that Partner, and may have more opportunities to work for organizations affiliated with the Partner.^ top ^
What types of organizations are Partners?Partners are any organization that cares about the health and mission of small, faith-based not-for-profits. Some examples of Partners include church bodies, foundations which fund churches and ministry organizations, associations of not-for-profit organizations, and organizations that engage large numbers of volunteers.^ top ^
What are the benefits of being a Partner?Partners benefit from the Vesper Service Network in many ways. First, Partners have a way to provide additional resources to churches and other small, faith-based organizations they care about. By partnering with the Vesper Service Network, Partners subsidize the membership cost for their constituent organizations. These organizations can be a part of the online community at no cost and have access to all of its resources.
Second, Partners have a unique way to engage individuals in their mission and a set of communication tools that allows the Partner to connect directly to Vesper Advisors in multiple ways. Vesper will create a customized user interface for Partners, which promotes their mission and brand, and provides another way for the Partner to communicate its message to constituents.^ top ^
What does a Partner do?Partners support the work of small, faith-based not-for-profits by inviting them to be members of the Vesper Service Network and giving them access to the resources of the Network at no cost. Partners decide what kinds of customization and communication tools it would like on its front page to the Vesper Service Network, and how much marketing support it needs from Vesper to promote the Network within its own constituency groups. Vesper does the rest, maintaining the technology, providing marketing support, and reviewing the Partner's network activity to maximize traffic to the site.^ top ^
What is my commitment as a Partner?As a Partner, you will meet with a Vesper Service Network account executive to define what kind of customization and marketing support you would like for your Partner web page. You will also be responsible for giving passwords to the organizations that you would like to have access to the site. The Vesper Service Network takes care of the rest. We provide marketing support to drive traffic to your Partner web page and help you maximize network usage.^ top ^
How much does it cost to be a Partner?Membership fees for Partners depend on the level of customization and marketing support required as well as the number of client organizations you wish to invite to the Network.
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What happens to my money?Partnership fees help to maintain and improve the website and resource tools for members. Fees also help to support the membership for small organizations. And 50% of all profits are returned to the community in the form of grants from the Vesper Society.^ top ^
Will I be able to network with other Partners?Yes. The level of networking you choose is up to you. Vesper Service Network provides the tools and we hope that you make full use of them to connect to other Partners in the Network.
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Client
What kinds of organizations does Vesper Service Network have as Clients?Vesper Service Network serves faith-based, not-for-profit organizations. These organizations include parishes, church congregations, social ministry organizations, food pantries, outreach ministries, and any kind of organization that counts spiritual belief as one of its values. We are an ecumenical network serving a variety of faiths.^ top ^
What are the benefits of being a Client?Clients access the network because it provides resources to help organizations fulfill their mission, for example helpful tools and information on how to manage and grow the organization. Clients also have access to Vesper Advisors, who can help them on specific projects, and bring specialized expertise at far less than they would pay traditional consulting firms. ^ top ^
What is my commitment as a Client?Your commitment is very simple. Take advantage of the resources provided by the Vesper Service Network to help your organization. Of course, the more active you are in the Vesper Service Network online community, the more awareness and support you will build for your organization. But your level of participation is up to you. You may simply want to access the online tools and resources, or you may want to engage one or more Vesper Advisors in multiple projects. The choice is yours.^ top ^
What types of projects can I find help with?The type of project is only limited by the network of Vesper Advisors who are members of the community. This network may include CEO's, sales executives, marketing specialists, writers, facilitators, strategic planners, engineers, researchers, top people with a host of other business skills. Most clients are looking for help with facilitation, planning, or growing their organization.^ top ^
How do I present my project so that Advisors will be interested?Most Advisors want to work with organizations that are enthusiastic about their mission and their plans, and are clear about what they want to accomplish and how they will measure success. The Project Creation Tool will help present your project by taking you step-by-step through the process of defining what you want to accomplish and what success looks like. And by actively participating in discussions on the site, more Advisors will know about your mission and want to become part of your project.^ top ^
What types of Advisors can I find on the Network?Vesper Advisors come from a broad array of backgrounds, with many types of skills and experience. Most Advisors have at least 10 years of experience in their primary professional field. And they have a heart for service, bringing the shared value of faith to their work. They are men and women who care about their faith community and want to give back. ^ top ^
Are there Advisors from my faith community?We have members from many different faith traditions, and membership in Vesper Service Network is expanding every day. Chances are you will find one or more Vesper Advisors who come from a faith community with which you are comfortable. And if not, let us know, and also let your denomination know that you would like to expand the network in your own faith community.^ top ^
What is the cost to me?Membership in Vesper Service Network is $100 per year for client organizations. In addition, when you engage a Vesper Advisor for a project, the cost for his/her service is $500 per day. This is about a third of what most traditional consultants charge when working for not-for-profit organizations.^ top ^
How do I know if there are Advisors with the right skills for my project?You can search our database of Vesper Advisors at any time to get an idea of the kinds of skills they bring to the Network. Or, you can let the site recommend the kind of skills you might need for your project based on your project design. ^ top ^
How do I find an Advisor to help me?Once you have created your project in the Vesper Service Network site, you can search for an Advisor to help out. You can search by professional skills, faith affiliation, and geography to find a list of Advisors that match your project needs.^ top ^
How do I select an Advisor?Once you have found a list of Advisors that match your project needs, review their professional background, volunteer experience, Vesper project history, and resume. Based on your assessment of their skills, invite one or more Advisors to consider your project. Vesper Service Network automatically sends an e-mail invitation, along with project description, to the Advisors you select. When you hear back from the Advisors , we encourage you to get to know them through phone or in-person interviews before making a final selection. This gives you and the Advisor an opportunity to review the project and learn about each other before you begin work. Both you and the Advisor must agree on the project time and scope before proceeding.^ top ^
May I use more than one Advisor on larger projects?Yes, you may use more than one Advisor for a larger project, or one that requires multiple skills. Just follow the same process, and select and invite Advisors for each of the project roles.^ top ^
How will I communicate with my Advisor ?Initially, you will send selected Advisors an invitation to your project via the Vesper Service Network site. The Advisors who are interested will respond directly to you via e-mail. From there, we encourage you to communicate through e-mail, phone, and in person. Frequent communication throughout the project is recommended.^ top ^
How can I track the progress on my project?The Vesper Service Network website lets you see the status of all of your projects, whether you are creating a new project, a project is active, or if it is complete. The Project Creation Tool also asks you to outline in detail the steps required to complete your project. The more specific you can be on this document, the better it will serve as a project management guide. We also encourage you and your Advisor to stay in frequent communication while the project is active. Once the project is complete, be sure to update its status on the Vesper Service Network website.^ top ^
What if the Advisor is unable to complete the assignment?If an Advisor is unable to complete the project, you may invite another Advisor to complete the work via the Vesper Service Network site. Simply revise the project description to reflect the time spent by the first Advisor and create a new project for the portion of the work to be completed by the new Advisor.^ top ^
Will I be able to leave feedback after a project is completed?Yes. After the project is completed, you can submit feedback on the Advisor and your overall experience with the Vesper Service Network. Your Advisor will also be asked to submit feedback on his/her experience working with you. We believe the best way to meet the needs of Network members is to constantly ask for honest feedback so we continuously improve the site and its resources.^ top ^
Will I be able to network with other organizations?Yes. We have designed Vesper Service Network to be a community of people who share faith values. We encourage you to actively participate in the community by networking with other organizations. You can do this by posting to the discussion forums. In the near future, we will be adding blogging and video posting to the site. And please let us know what other communication tools you would like to see as part of Vesper Service Network. We are always looking for good ideas from our members.
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Advisor
What kind of people become advisors?People who want to use the skills and experience they have acquired in their professional lives to benefit their faith community. It doesn’t matter what kind of work you do. Faith-based organizations need all kinds of people to help out with all kinds of projects.^ top ^
What are the benefits of being an Advisor?Advisor benefits include the opportunity to work with people who are passionate about ministry. Advisors see first-hand the work that God is doing through His people. And Advisors gain valuable experience by working in different situations, while knowing they are doing something that makes a significant impact in their communities.^ top ^
What types of organizations are looking for Advisors?Most of our clients are small, faith-based organizations that make significant impact in the lives of individuals and families in our communities. Clients include churches, parishes, outreach organizations, social ministries, and various organizations that have a mission to serve.^ top ^
What skills are organizations looking for?Organizations are looking for a wide variety of skills. Those in greatest demand include planning, helping to manage or attract financial resources, or assistance in telling more effectively the story of the organization.
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What is my commitment as an Advisor?You are joining an online community when you join the Vesper Service Network. We encourage you to participate in online discussions to get the most from your membership. You have no minimum requirement of advising hours or projects, just a requirement that you want to be a part of the community. The greater your contribution to the community, the greater your reward.^ top ^
How many hours will a project take?That depends on the type of project and what the client is trying to accomplish. If you elect to take on a project, you and your client will agree together on the number of hours (in days) it will take.^ top ^
Do I receive any compensation?We believe that compensation helps demonstrate that your time and skills are important to Client organizations. Advisors receive $100 a day for their time. We also know that you aren't doing this for the money. If you want to, you may return your compensation to the organization for which you worked.^ top ^
How is compensation determined?Compensation is determined by the number of days you and the Client agree it will take to complete the project. The total number of days become part of the project agreement that both you and the Client accept before work begins. You will receive an honorarium of $100 per day.^ top ^
How do I get paid?Both you and the Client organization will mark the project as complete on the Vesper Service Network website after the project is done. Once that happens, you will receive a check in the mail from the Vesper Service Network in the amount of your agreed-upon honorarium.^ top ^
Will I be able to select the projects I want to work on?You will be invited to work on projects by Clients, based on how well your skills and experience match their needs. You may accept or decline a project invitation. You are not required to accept any projects to which you are invited. If you are looking for more projects, it helps to stay active in the discussion groups, which can help client organizations get a better feel for your skills and working style.^ top ^
Am I able to refuse a request for service?You may decline a project at any point in the invitation process. The most successful projects are ones in which both the Advisors and the Client are comfortable with the relationship fit of the project team. We want you to choose those projects that feel right to you.^ top ^
How will I know if I'm on track when working on a project?We encourage all project teams to stay in frequent contact with each other. The Vesper Service Network Project Creation Tool helps to identify what Clients want to accomplish with the project and how they will measure success. It's important to agree on these two points before starting a project, and then use them to check if the project is on track. ^ top ^
What happens if the project requested turns into a more complex assignment than originally thought?It's important to be as clear as possible about the Client's expectations before agreeing to the project. If it isn't clear, don't be afraid to ask the Client to be more specific before you agree to do the work. Also, it's important to be in close communication with the Client throughout the project. If the project is more complex than you expected, have a discussion with the Client, and use the project agreement as a starting point. If you both agree that the project should take more time, you can revise the project agreement on the Vesper Service Network to include the appropriate amount of time. The Client may also engage an additional Advisor if the project is bigger than you can do alone.^ top ^
How will I know if the project was successful?Before every project, the Vesper Service Network Project Creation Tool asks Clients to name how they will measure success. It's important for you to understand and agree to the Client's definition of success before you agree to do the project. If this is defined clearly at the start of the project, both you and the Client will know if you have been successful.^ top ^
Will I get feedback after a project is completed?Yes. After a project is completed, the Client is asked to submit feedback on the project and your performance. This feedback becomes part of your Advisor profile, similar to seller ratings on popular online auction sites. At the same time, you will have the opportunity to rate the Client and your level of satisfaction working with the organization. This becomes part of the Client's profile and will help other Advisors make an informed choice about accepting projects from this Client in the future.^ top ^
Will I be able to network with other Advisors?Yes. One of the greatest benefits, we hope, of your membership is the opportunity to connect with other people of faith who care about their community as you do. By participating in the discussion forums, you can meet others like you, exchange ideas, and get help with questions on how to use your skills to serve. And in the near future, we will be adding other ways to connect, like blogging, video uploads, and even local gatherings for other Advisors in your community.^ top ^
