Looking to apply your Lean or Six Sigma skills to a local nonprofit organization of nongovernmental organization (NGO) to help them achieve their mission and have a positive impact on the world?
According to UnitedHealth, of the volunteers who were surveyed over the last twelve months…
- 76% of people said volunteering has made them feel healthier
- 94% of people say that volunteering improves their mood
- 78% of people say that volunteering lowers their stress levels
- 96% of people say that volunteering enriches their sense of purpose in life
- 95% of people say they are helping to make their community a better place
- 81% of people who volunteered through their workplace agreed that
volunteering together strengthens relationships among colleagues - 80% of people say that they feel they have control over their health
A survey conducted by Deloitte in 2016 found that 82% are more likely to choose a candidate with volunteering experience, and 92% reported that volunteering expands an employee’s professional skill set.
Below is the list of organizations around the world that are offering process improvement volunteering to nonprofits, so hopefully you can find an organization close to you that you can get involved with.
However, there are not many groups listed, so consider setting up your own group in your area!
Check out this video (podcast episode #74) about setting up your own group
You can also listen to an interview with Lean Portland founders about how their volunteer group was set up, along with recommendations for other cities looking to set up a similar group
A summary of the tips are below:
- Find an organizer – could that be you?
- Find a small organizing group to help you
- Hold a kickoff meeting to discuss the volunteer group
- Setup a free LinkedIn group, using the format “Lean <<City Name or Region>>” such as Lean Seattle, Lean NYC, Lean Paris, etc. Email us with the group link, so we can add to our site.
- Invite your local co-workers and friends to join the group, and post the new group in other LinkedIn groups and forums that might be interested.
- Setup regular recurring meetings to continue the discussion. Suggest 1-2 times per month.
- Identify a few nonprofits you can meet with and propose a project with them. Hopefully someone in the group has existing relationships with a nonprofit to start with.
- Establish an experienced lead and co-lead for each nonprofit you support (in case someone cannot attend). Less experienced volunteers can help out and develop into future leads.
- Help the nonprofit! Start simple with training and focused events, such as 5S, process mapping, data collection, and gemba walks. We have low-cost Lean and Six Sigma training options for you and your nonprofit contacts, and may be able to offer you free or reduced training and certification. Contact us to learn more!
- Setup recurring meetings with each nonprofit to continue progress and reduce delays and momentum loss.
- Take lots of photos and videos when you make progress.
- Spread the word about the success you are having through social media, and email us with any links to the articles and posts, so we can add to our site.
Need more help or want to connect with other practitioners? Check out the Free LSS4G member community on Mighty Networks
Lean and Six Sigma consulting for nonprofits
USA
- Texas – Dallas (Lean DFW)Â –Â Mark Graban & Mike Lombard
- Florida – Jacksonville (Community Excellence Alliance)Â –Â Karen Davis Cates &Â Michele Boutwell
- Wisconsin – Appleton – Continuous Improvement Community Impact (CI2) – Jason Schulist
- Oregon – Portland (Lean Portland) – Matt Horvat and Maria Grzanka
- Washington – IISE Puget Sound (Seattle) Chapter – Andres Cortes
- Washington – LeanSpokane – Isaac D. Curtis
- Oregon – Eugene/Corvallis – Brion Hurley
- Georgia – Atlanta – Greg Smith
- California – San Francisco (Bay Area) – Michelle Schurig
- California – Los Angeles (IISE SoCal) – Stella Marie Mahakian
- New York – New York City (Lean NYC) – Natasha Blake
- Massachusetts – Boston (Lean Boston) – Joan Schuman and Brion Hurley
- Colorado – Colorado Springs (Lean COS) – Kenneth Lewis
- Nebraska – Omaha Continuous Improvement (CI) Professionals – Andrew Peacock
- Missouri – St. Louis (Lean STL) – Brion Hurley
Canada
- British Columbia – Vancouver ASQ Section – Community Good Works Chair
India
- South India – Lean Six Sigma for Good – India – Sheila Arumainathan
Australia
- Victoria – Melbourne –Â Betsy Kuo