Introduction
Founded in 1987, New York Cares is an organization that seeks to address an array of social issues in the city of New York. With time, the organization has developed and now accommodates over 60000 volunteers who endeavor to aid over 400000 needy New Yorkers. Ever since its incorporation, New Yorker Cares central mission has to alleviate the society's living standards by mobilizing the volunteers. To date, New York Cares is the world leading volunteer organization with a flexible management approach. Most of the organization's projects include education, children literacy, health, recreation, public wellness, feeding the homeless, distributing gifts to the less fortunate, and walking shelter dogs among many social responsibilities.
Question 1: Organization Leader
In 2004, New York Cares appointed Gary Bagley as the organization's Senior Director of Programs and Associate Executive Director. After serving four years in the post, Gary Bagley rose to the organization's helm in 2008 to the Executive Director's post. To date, Gary is in charge of directing all aspects of the organization that includes programming, strategizing, fundraising, board relations, finance operations, as well as public relations (Gary, 2014). In the last fiscal year, Gary managed to triple the New York Cares volunteers to 150000, complete over 18000 projects and serve over 1300 non-profit making organizations. Gary holds a M.P.A from the Baruch College and with vast experience in non-profit making management; he lecture Adiunct in the city of New York.
Question 2: Organizational Structure
New York Cares has a typical up-down hierarchical structure. In most instances, New York Cares handles projects in diverse and distinct fields. The organization uses community partners (also community agencies) to organize the projects and mobilize volunteers to complete the projects. Each month, New York Cares plans and manages over 1500 volunteers allotted to different projects. Each of the organization's projects has a team leader responsible to direct control and organizes the team to complete the assigned project. All New York Cares team leaders report to the program managers in charge of regional projects around New York. Project managers work in liaison with different agencies to achieve stipulated objectives (Team Leader Position Description, 2014). It is worth noting that the community agencies are independent and autonomous bodies each bearing distinctive goals.
However, New York Cares work with such institution to achieve a common goal, which entails alleviating living standards of the marginalized in society. Volunteers are at the bottom of the organizational hierarchy and have a mandate to complete assigned tasks in line with the project's objectives. Volunteers work between six months to a year on extremely flexible schedules that accommodate innumerable adjustments. A volunteer can apply for a team leader's position after attending three consecutive meetings and successfully passing the recruitment process. The recruitment process entails a written application, an interview with a staff member, a routine background check, and training on team leadership (Team Leader Position Description, 2014). Each leader has to possess' confidence and the ability to resolve dynamic problems that emerge during the project's duration. Each team meets either once or twice every month to discuss potent issues within the periphery of the project.
Question 3: Interaction among the Four Frames in the Organization
Just like any other organization, New York Cares structural frame assimilates the human resource frame. Both frames work together to ensure that New York Cares recruits proficient volunteers for the assigned tasks. Since some volunteers have preferences on the desired line of volunteering, the organizational structure seeks to reinforce the human resource frame. In most instances, the New York Cares Human Resource docket intends to recruit and retain self-reliant volunteers who require minimal supervision to deliver assigned tasks. Since finance is among the ever scarce yet vital resources, New York Cares seeks to spend minimal sum on human resource yet deliver quality services and commodities to the marginalized.
The organization's political frame goes alongside its symbolic frame. The key agenda in New York Cares is to deliver quality services to the less fortunate in New York and its environs. The symbolic frame is to associate with disadvantaged while the political frame seeks to solicit for funds from donors. While the symbolic frame stipulates the organization's objectives, the political frame garners for funds to finance New York Cares course.
Question 4: Change
Change is the only permanent element in any organizational setting. In New York Cares, stakeholders conclusively discuss any emerging issue and pass the required change through a vote count. Staff member enacts the proposed change in a gradual manner giving project managers time to assimilate to the change. With time, team leaders and new recruits enact the envisaged changes fostering effective and efficient operations.
Question 5: Recommendations
Gary has achieved a notable milestone as a leader of New York Cares. However, the number of homeless and destitute New Yorkers is increasing by the day. Gary has to formulate astute legislative mandates that seek to empower marginalized areas within the city (Gary, 2014). Additionally, the leader should endeavor to flatten New York Cares organizational structure as this will permit increased feedback from staff members.
Questions to the Class
What is New York Cares strength?
What challenges faces New York Cares organizational structure?
References
Gary Bagley. (n.d.). Retrieved November 24, 2014, from http://www.pointsoflight.org/people/board-members/gary-bagley
Gary Bagley, Executive Director, New York Cares. (n.d.). Retrieved November 24, 2014, from http://philanthropynewsdigest.org/5-questions-for/gary-bagley-new-york-cares
Team Leader Position Description. (n.d.). Retrieved November 24, 2014, from http://www.newyorkersvolunteer.ny.gov/docfiles/VolManagement09/Team Leader Job Description.pdf
