We are excited to invite your partnership in Rooted, Grounded, Growing, a $2.2M Campaign for Quaker Voluntary Service to build Spirit-led leaders for the future of Friends and the world.  

Long time QVS supporter, Pat Hunt, serves in Korea through an AFSC workcamp in the 1950’s. More on the legacy of Quaker Service here…

Quaker Voluntary Service is the dream of Young Adult Friends and fellow seekers to re-enliven our prophetic tradition of service, recognizing its power to shape and transform lives. Prophetic service, as opposed to secular service, embodies hopefulness and imagination, and is rooted in a communal religious experience. In the Quaker tradition, there is a deep history of engaging in this type of service, from the workcamps of the 1940’s and 50’s to the formative experiences of Quakers active in the civil rights and anti-war movements of the 1960’s and 70’s.

In a time of perpetual war, violence, unprecedented greed, and the destruction of the earth, Quaker Voluntary Service is a living expression of a deeply rooted tradition.

We invite you to be a part of this living and growing story.

Since 2012, QVS has grown to support more than 35 Fellows annually, expanded the capacity of over 60 site placement organizations, and actively partnered with 15 Quaker Meetings and Churches in five different cities. We have established a successful model that is grounded in Quaker faith and practice.

Our program attracts and keeps young adults within the Religious Society of Friends, while developing a new leadership pool to transform our society and the larger world. QVS is financially sound, with a model that has allowed us to grow quickly and successfully. Our alumni have gone on to continue their work for justice and to play key leadership roles in many meetings, non-profits, and Quaker organizations, infusing our Religious Society and the wider world with new life and vision.

 

2017-2018 Fellows, National Orientation at Pendle Hill

At this time, the potential to deepen and expand the opportunity for Spirit-led service and leadership development is tremendous. We have grown consistently since our founding, expanding the numbers of participants, alumni, and partners each year.

With our expansion in numbers we have paid careful attention to the depth and quality of our program, investing resources to strengthen support for our Fellows, Quaker partners, and site placement organizations. The QVS financial model is uniquely efficient and strong.

Now is the time for investment funds to build the program and ensure the longevity of this opportunity for young adults yearning to serve and to explore the Quaker Way and their spiritual lives.

 Goals of the Campaign

We are embarking on a campaign that reflects our multi-directional movement: a continued deepening of our roots in the legacy of Quaker service, staying grounded in our successful model, and growing in our reach and impact. We are at a pivotal moment and want to leverage the incredible groundwork that we have laid. You can learn more about each of these program areas by exploring our blog links below.

1. Annual Fund
Sustained growth of the QVS Annual Fund over the next few years and beyond is critical to our ability to move into our next phase of development. We seek to expand our donor base significantly, increase the level of gifts from current and new donors, and reduce our reliance on start-up grants.

 

Target Goal: $1,020,000

2. Program Empowerment Projects
Our long-term sustainability relies on a series of initiatives to further empower our program. Investment in our Program Empowerment Projects will expand our recruitment capacity, further our equity and inclusion initiatives, provide support and training for Quaker Meeting partners, enhance our program offerings for Fellows to deepen the QVS experience, upgrade communication systems, and support expansion to new cities. You can read more about these initiatives here.

 

Target Goal: $780,000

3. Planned Giving & Endowed Fellowships
Many see QVS as a re-emergence of the same idealism, energy, and vision that drew them to Friends and a life of service. Building on this legacy, QVS is well positioned to enter conversations about planned gifts, despite being a young organization. It takes roughly $12,000 of raised funds annually to support one QVS Fellow. Through Endowed Fellowships (outright and deferred), an individual donor, church, or community can provide full or partial funding for a QVS Fellow. Learn more about the opportunity to Sponsor a Fellow here.

 

Target Goal: $200,000

4. Campaign Costs
We know that growing our program, sharing our vision with new friends, and raising funds all require time and investment. We are estimating that 10% of our campaign total will be used to cover the cost of staff, fundraising consultation, campaign materials, and travel.

 

Target Goal: $200,000

Addressing Financial Challenges

Photo: The QVS Fellows and Staff at National Orientation in August 2023.  Young adults are feeling enormous financial pressure. This is one of the greatest obstacles to participation in QVS. We’ve received this feedback over and over, from the survey we conducted...

Stipend Increase 2023

This is an update on the reasoning behind the upcoming Fellow Stipend Increase.In December, QVS Staff and Board decided to increase the personal stipend for Fellows to $225/month, up from the stipend of $150/month. Next program year, starting in just 7 months (Sept...

Recapping Our 2nd Annual QVS Supporters’ Briefing

On June 17, 2021, QVS hosted our 2nd Annual Supporters' Briefing. We held our first ever Supporters' Briefing in summer 2020 to offer Friends an inside look into programmatic and financial shifts due to COVID-19. This year, in addition to a report and recap from the...

2020 End-of-Year Reflections

Hilary Burgin, QVS Executive Director, offers reflections on 2020.

Campaign Update: 3% to go!

Over the last four years, we have raised $2,141,000 of the $2.2M campaign goal. With just 22 days left to go, we’ve got 3% left to raise.

“This year has taught me that I can have a “no more” line. This year told me that I can draw it. This year put the pen in my hand over and over again, [and] said, “go where you are led;” asked “is the spirit here;” asked “where are you going and how can I guide you?” I am learning to trust myself. I am learning that I am worth more than I have been treated, and that that is social justice. I am fighting in myself, in my house, and in the streets for a world that I want to live in.”

Zenaida Peterson

2016-17 Boston Fellow

Claire Hannapel

Claire Hannapel

Contact Claire, our Development & Outreach Coordinator, for more information about our Campaign: 404-600-1128 or [email protected].

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