Online Service Learning: Projects for Students & Nonprofits At first glance, it may appear that service learning is not naive but now outdated – nice to have, but not at all possible given the current chaos surrounding back-to-school plans and safety dilemmas during the global COVD-19 pandemic. But, I’d argue that these opportunities are more [...]
Your Guide to Creative Volunteer Appreciation Volunteer Appreciation doesn’t have to be difficult; however, in our training community at VolunteerPro, we are constantly asked to share our insight on the best ways in which to show appreciation to volunteers. How can you get a jump on showing volunteers appreciation, without spending lots of time and money? [...]
Are Nonprofit Volunteers Enchanted with Their Experience? When you think about the experience of nonprofit volunteers how would you rate it? I mean if you were being truly honest about it. How would you rate how supporters connect with your organization, get prepared to serve, and are treated when they show up? Are they greeted [...]
8 Volunteer Human Resources Tools Your Nonprofit Shouldn’t Live Without Most people understand that you’ll get more done if everyone is rowing in the same direction, however, it’s amazing how many organizations neglect to provide the key volunteer human resources documents that can point the way. In the end, to find success volunteer organizations should [...]
If you’ve been involved in volunteer management for any length of time, you’ve inevitably come across people who just don’t get it. They either view volunteers as widgets who can be automatically plugged in to shore up the organizational need du jour, or they think volunteers are too much hassle to be worth it. If the decision makers in your organization feel this way, you’re not likely to get the support you need.
How to Boost the Power of Your Volunteer Orientation Process Most nonprofits use presentation-style training to deliver their volunteer orientations. Research shows, however, that presentations, by themselves, don’t teach behavior skills or promote critical thinking. It’s no wonder volunteers don’t always learn what they need to during the orientation process. Luckily, the effectiveness of presentations [...]
How to Design a Volunteer Training Program that Boosts Learning When designing a volunteer training program, the biggest challenge is how to create a training process that doesn’t scare volunteers away. Often, the programs I work with have daunting amounts of information volunteers must learn in order to perform with confidence. Programs must be assured [...]
As our economy evolves, I hear the frustration expressed that volunteers aren’t available any more. Two reasons are often cited -- 1) Older volunteers are delaying retirement, and 2) Unemployed volunteers are returning back to work. But, I wonder of this is the case.
Volunteer Leadership Skills You Need to Know A few weeks ago I was flying to the coast of Georgia for a speaking gig. I travel fairly frequently, so I have my set routine. Print out the boarding passes the night before (crossing my fingers that I’ll get magically selected for TSA pre-check), fold my travel [...]
Nonprofit Technology Trends You Need to Know to Reach Volunteers In my book chapter for Volunteer Engagement 2.0, I talk about nonprofit technology trends that are impacting how volunteers’ needs and expectations are changing. Technology is one of the most important and rapidly evolving domains in our lives and those of the volunteers with whom [...]