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Archived on February 10, 2026
Trellis is pleased to announce that we have achieved national accreditation in strategic volunteer engagement through AL!VE and the Minnesota Alliance for Volunteer Advancement (MAVA). With this accreditation, our organization joins the top 11 percent of nonprofits nationwide in volunteer management and organizational performance.
The Service Enterprise program is a national change management program that helps organizations gain a greater return on volunteer investment to better achieve their mission. Accreditation signifies that an organization has the capability and management expertise to strategically engage community members and volunteers to meet community needs.
“We are thrilled to be recognized as a Service Enterprise organization,” says Dawn Simonson, Trellis President and CEO. “Our volunteer program is fully aligned with our mission and our values—especially our commitment to ensuring equity and inclusivity in aging services. We are grateful to all the staff, volunteers and partners who made this achievement possible.”
This certification is incredibly meaningful to the volunteer team, who put in more than 1,000 hours of training and coaching and completed an extensive internal planning and change process to better integrate volunteers into Trellis’ mission. With this accreditation, we are now better equipped to leverage the time and talent of volunteers to help people thrive as they age.
“I am so proud of our entire volunteer team for helping us reach this milestone. Our volunteers consistently go above and beyond in service to the community. This accreditation is a testament to their selflessness and commitment,” says Volunteer and Outreach Manager Jetta Wiedemeier Bower.
In addition to the 12 characteristics in the Service Enterprise evaluation, Wiedemeier Bower submitted a new characteristic related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The AL!VE national accreditation board is currently considering using our work as a new standard to evaluate future volunteer programs seeking certification.
Trellis has more than 100 active volunteers supporting all aspects of our mission from community outreach to administrative support and much more. Our volunteers represent the rich diversity of the Twin Cities metropolitan area and focus on sharing resources within historically underserved communities.
Trellis has several volunteer opportunities available for anyone looking to support older adults and caregivers with new opportunities opening in 2024. Visit our volunteer page to learn how you can make a difference as a member of our growing Volunteer and Outreach Team.
Pictured above: A group of Trellis volunteers gathered for an appreciation event in April 2023.
