THE CHALLENGE
The Montgomery County (MD) Volunteer Center (MCVC) holds its annual MLK Day of Service each January to honor the life and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. After many years of managing the event independently, MCVC sought a partner to manage and amplify the annual celebration, centralize planning and logistics, and ensure ongoing awareness and engagement in community volunteer opportunities.
OUR SOLUTION
Montage developed a strategy to manage all aspects of the annual event, including venue logistics, partner management, agency outreach, activities planning, volunteer coordination, and media appearances to accommodate thousands of county residents.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the MLK Day of Service was an in-person event held in a large hotel ballroom. Each year, Montage coordinated the participation of 30+ organizations in the Volunteer Fair, where attendees learned about their missions and volunteer opportunities. Additionally, we helped 60+ organizations host on-site service projects. More than 3,500 people attended the annual activity.
When the pandemic limited in-person activities, Montage worked with MCVC to pivot to virtual and home-based projects, extending the celebration of service from one day to one week. Volunteers could sign up for as many projects as they wanted and complete them at home during MLK Week.
Montage has executed MLK Day of Service for 5 years and continues to support MCVC. We conduct outreach to attract the participation of local nonprofit organizations and to promote volunteer activity among county residents. We work directly with partners to coordinate on-site projects. And we represent MCVC to the media, promoting the MLK Week of Service with appearances on county cable programs and YouTube and interviews with local radio stations and digital publications.
THE RESULTS
- Montage routinely produces a well-executed event with high participation rates from both volunteers and local nonprofit organizations.
- With the expansion to a week, Montage was able to triple participation and project output rates.
- In 2022, the week-long event attracted 2,367 volunteers giving more than 11,745 hours of service and 42 participating organizations completing more than 50 service projects.
