Placement Eligibility

Placement Eligibility 

The staff of the Lutheran Volunteer Corps (LVC) determine the compatibility of prospective placements with LVC’s mission and goals. An effort is made to recruit placements representing a wide variety of issue areas and communities, ranging from direct service to public policy, community organizing, and advocacy. We take into account the specific merits and circumstances of each prospective placement.

The total number of placements we are able to approve in each LVC city is also a factor. LVC approves a slightly higher number of placements in each city than will actually be filled, because making the best possible placement/fellow match is important to the experience. Therefore, although the probability is high, we cannot guarantee that all approved placements will receive a fellow. Outlined below are the approval criteria, which inform our decisions on placement applications.

Requirements

  • Organizations should be a 501(3)c status non-profit.
  • Placement missions should be related to social justice.
  • Placements agree to uphold LVC values and commit to program policies, procedures, and costs.
  • Placements must be within reasonable commuting distance of LVC houses. Placements must either be easily accessible by public transportation or be willing to reimburse the cost (including liability insurance and mileage) of a private vehicle. If agencies need a fellow to serve evening hours when public transportation is either unavailable or unsafe, they must provide a transportation plan before being approved as a placement possibility.

Mission and Focus

LVC is looking for agencies that address issues of social justice – making sure everyone has access to basic resources and opportunities.  We look forward to working with organizations that demonstrate excellence in their work, and that have a policy of openness and non-discrimination toward people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, religious expressions and racial backgrounds. Learn more about Our Values.

  • LVC places fellows with nonprofit organizations and ministries who are caring for the earth and working for peace with justice.  We seek placements that enable fellows to integrate their values and actions, and that foster a deeper understanding of how to change institutional systems that maintain oppression.
  • LVC’s focus is on underserved communities. 
  • We seek to place in organizations that are not otherwise able to afford a full-time staff person in the position and therefore the position does not displace, duplicate or compete with a regular, full-time, compensated employee.
  • We seek placements that are on a journey of becoming anti-racist/anti-oppression, and include sexual orientation and gender identity in their anti-discrimination policies.

Financial Stability

Fellows make it possible for their organizations to accomplish more with less.  However, a successful application will demonstrate an agency’s ability to afford the placement fees required.

Fellow Position Description

  • The position description must offer a substantive learning position, and support its work for social justice.
  • Positions should be both challenging and of a reasonable workload.

Supervision & Mentoring

  • Placements are expected to interview applicants to understand their skill sets and fit for each position; and should be open to various skill levels and developing them for future work and leadership.
  • Quality training and supervision are expected. The experience, longevity, and accessibility of the direct supervisor are key factors.
  • One of the things fellows hope to receive from their year of service is a deeper understanding of the barriers to social justice, and the ways that people work to bring them down, whether through meeting basic needs or through challenging unjust dynamics in society.  A successful placement is interested in mentoring by example and with supportive supervision. 

Repeat Applications

Placements that applied before 2019, will need to complete a new application.

Applications are accepted from organizations that are current or past LVC placements and from organizations new to LVC.  All applications are considered equally and the same criteria will be used to evaluate them all; current or past placements receive no priority in acceptance decisions.