Sarah Jane Rehnborg, Ph.D.

Lecturer and Associate Director for Planning and Development

Email: rehnborg@mail.utexas.edu

Sarah Jane Rehnborg joined the RGK Center at its inception. An expert in volunteerism, Dr. Rehnborg is a published author in the field and has served as a consultant and trainer to organizations including the Points of Light Foundation, AARP, the Corporation for National and Community Service, the Texas Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service, the Texas Department of Mental Health/Mental Retardation, the Comptroller's Office of the State of Texas and numerous local groups.

Dr. Rehnborg's RGK contribution includes grant development and reporting, community outreach and research. As a researcher, Dr. Rehnborg lead a cross-disciplinary University team which developed a valid and reliable tool to assess programs engaging volunteers and national service participants for the Corporation for National and Community Service. In addition, she completed a study on volunteer engagement in state agencies and analyzed Texas data collection practices in the field. Under Dr. Rehnborg's direction the RGK Center produced The Investigator, a periodic publication designed to encourage research in volunteerism. Currently, Rehnborg is leading an analysis of the effects of intensive service experiences on the development of Jewish identity among young Jews for the United Jewish Communities (UJC). In addition, she is developing case studies about volunteer engagement as part of a UPS-funded Volunteer Impact grant.

In addition to establishing a program of volunteerism and community education at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic in the 1970s, Dr. Rehnborg established the Institute for Volunteerism at the Community College of Allegheny County and served as Associate Administrator of Human Resources at John J. Kane Hospital. As president of the international Association for Volunteer Administration, Dr. Rehnborg testified before a Congressional hearing sponsored by Senator Durenberger (R-MN).

Her high school curriculum in service-learning was adopted by the State of Maryland and was the lead component of the United Way of Pittsburgh's Volunteer Youth Training and Leadership, which received the national Second Century Award from the United Way of America. During her tenure with the University of Texas, Rehnborg worked as a Program Director for Community Engagement at the Charles A. Dana Center prior to joining the RGK Center.

Currently a member of the Nonprofit and Philanthropic Studies Bridging Discipline Committee, Dr. Rehnborg teaches at both the graduate and undergraduate level. She received her undergraduate degree from Denison University and her Masters and Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh.

Rehnborg Publications

The Investigator

Rehnborg, S. J., M. K. Roemer and P. Frumkin, Lance Armstrong Foundation LIVESTRONG Survivorship Summit: Final Evaluation Report. RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service, LBJ School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin. Oct. 26, 2007

Rehnborg, S..J., W.L. Bailey, and M. Moore. "Volunteers: An HR Asset?" (Under review).

Rehnborg, S.J., D. Poole, M. Roemer, L. Mangrum, K. Casey, and D. Duvall. "Designing and Testing the Volunteer Assessment Tool (VPAT)." Nonprofit Management and Leadership (Under review)

Rehnborg, S.J., M. Roemer, and T. McVey. 2007. "Volunteers in US State Government Agencies: Using Texas as a Model." Vrijwillige Inzet Onderzocht (Voluntary Effort Researched-Holland) 3(2):27-40.

Rehnborg, S.J. (2006). A US perspective on volunteerism. In J Butcher y Maria Guadalupe Serna (Ed.), El tercer sector en Mexico: Perspectivas de investigacion (pp. 372-388). Mexico City, Mexico: Centro Mexican para la Filantropia.

Rehnborg, S. J., Barker, C. & Pocock, M. (2006). How much is an hour of volunteer time worth? Various methods to monetize the contributions of a volunteer's time. E-Volunteerism, The Electronic Journal of the Volunteer Community. VI:2 (January-March 2006).

Rehnborg, S. J. (2005). Government volunteerism in the new millennium. In J. L. Brudney (Ed.), Emerging areas of volunteering (pp. 93-112). Indianapolis, IN: Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action.

Rehnborg, S.J., Poole, D., Casey, K., & Duvall, D. (2004). Tools for improving programs: A national quality assessment project for national and community service programs. Austin, TX: University of Texas at Austin, LBJ School of Public Affairs for the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Rehnborg, S. J., & Musick M. (2004) In the heart of Texas: Student volunteerism at the University of Texas at Austin, Journal of Volunteer Administration, 22:2, pp 26-34.

Rehnborg, S. J. & Pocock, M. (2004) Pioneering project helps researchers get volunteering right. E-Volunteerism, The Electronic Journal of the Volunteer Community. IV:4, July-October 2004.

Rehnborg, S. J. & DeSpain, M. (2003). Investing in volunteerism: Recommendations emerging from the study of the impact of volunteers in Texas state agencies. Journal of Volunteer Administration, 21:2, pp 33-38.

Rehnborg, S. J., Fallon, C. K., & Hinerfeld, B. (2002) Investing in volunteerism: An analysis of service initiatives in selected state agencies. Austin, TX: University of Texas at Austin, LBJ School of Public Affairs under contract with the Texas Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service.

Rehnborg, S. J. (2002). Coping with change: An experiential exercise. E-Volunteerism, The Electronic Journal of the Volunteer Community. II:3, April-June 2002.