7 Hidden Strengths of Volunteer Risk Management: It's About Growth! Volunteer risk management is more than just keeping bad things from happening – it can also help you make better planning and management decisions and support the growth and sustainability of your nonprofit. There is no shortage of scandals in the media. Without the funds for [...]
Naturally, leaders of volunteers want to express their gratitude for the contributions of their volunteers and want to encourage them to continue their efforts. As I work on a volunteer recognition and retention plan for one of my consulting clients, I’ve taken a step back to reconsider -- What really motivates us? How can that be integrated into how we reward and recognize volunteers?
A How to Guide on Leading with Gratitude Last week, I was the lucky beneficiary of several expressions of gratitude from clients and friends. Their heartfelt thank you notes and intention of leading with gratitude really helped lift my spirits during an otherwise tough week. Their generosity also got me thinking about the power of gratitude. [...]
The Problem with Hidden Biases and a Strategy to Reduce Bias Have you ever been in a volunteer or board meeting where one person suggests a course of action and everyone just goes with it, without really questioning the viability of the solution? Conversely, have you ever been in a meeting where the group sees a [...]
How to Hire a High-Quality Volunteer Management Consultant Hiring a volunteer management consultant can be a smart investment for your nonprofit, provided you find the right person with a solid mix of expertise, wisdom, credibility, and people skills. Moreover, because consultants spend part of their time reviewing emerging research and best practices, they can bring [...]
12 Volunteer Training Activities You Need to Try Right Now As common as it is, presentation-style training is actually one of the least effective methods for training volunteers, and anyone else for that matter. Presentations, on their own, cannot adequately teach behavioral skills, critical thinking, or values, all of which are an important part of [...]
Out with the Old: Tips You Need to Engage Virtual Volunteers In recent years there has been a fair amount of discussion about virtual volunteers and how to engage them in the work of nonprofits. However, little has been written about the changing nature of the workplace and how technological advances may directly affect how [...]
How to Solve the Challenge of Recruiting Young Volunteers Although many organizations seek to involve younger volunteers, many struggle with recruiting young volunteers and integrating them into their volunteer workforces. In order to become truly intergenerational, nonprofits need to view youth as assets with lived experiences that have unique strategic value to their efforts, rather [...]
volunteers seem like a great match and they show a lot of enthusiasm about joining. But, even though you’ve got them to “yes!”, getting them to show up for training or their volunteer shift, it’s like pulling teeth. Can anything be done, or are folks just not able to commit any more?
It occurred to me that one way to communicate the transformations nonprofit supporters make possible is by pulling the information together into a “Portfolio of Change.”