March 2, 2023 Episode #047: The State of Volunteer Engagement with Dr. Sue Kahl and Dr. Nathan Dietz In this week’s episode, we welcome guests Dr. Sue Carter Kahl and Dr. Nathan Dietz to discuss two fascinating new studies on the state of volunteer engagement. These reports [...]
November 9, 2022 Episode #031: Rethinking the Volunteer Engagement Cycle with Lori Gotlieb This week Tobi welcomes Lori Gotlieb to the show to talk about the volunteer engagement cycle, and some of the innovations going on throughout the sector right now. Defining the “Volunteer Engagement Cycle” [...]
How to Forge Stronger Bonds with Remote & Hybrid Volunteers Hybrid volunteers – or volunteers contribute time to nonprofits both online and in person – can be invaluable assets to a nonprofit. They can bring special skills and talent to the table that a nonprofit might otherwise not have available or would need to pay a [...]
I often write about how organizations can improve their volunteer programs from the perspective of an experienced nonprofit consultant. Today, I thought I’d write from a different angle and explore my current volunteer experience in order to better understand why it works. And, I’ll suggest some key takeaways for volunteer-led organizations.
What is the #1 thing that creates loyal customers? It’s the social construct of reciprocity. Reciprocity is one of those social norms we live by. No matter where we come from, we feel obligated to return a favor. But, how can this concept work for volunteer programs?
In the harried rush to meet deadlines and respond to email, phone calls, and crises, we often communicate the best we can to our colleague, cross our fingers, and then rush of to the next thing. But is this most effective tactic in the long run? Probably not -- not with our paid staff and certainly not with our volunteers.
We assume that volunteer programs enhance the capacity of nonprofit organizations by supplementing and extending the work of paid staff. But by how much? Maybe it’s time for us to get down to the business of calculating our volunteer program ROI.
I have a new friend who is an engineering professor at a local university. He’s been struggling with implementing a new student service program in one of their dorms. He asked for suggestions, so I thought I’d share them with my readers, too.
7 Resources for Volunteer Coordinators That'll Gain You Respect We’ve been interviewing volunteer program managers across the country for a new service we are launching in April. It has been so much fun to hear stories about how people get started in the field of volunteer management and the challenge they face in finding quality [...]
How to Mobilize Communities: Top Lessons from the Women's March If you followed the meteoric response to the Women's March on Washington, you can't help but admire this tremendous feat of community organizing, resulting in the largest march in US history. Nonprofits, activists, and leaders of volunteers can learn a lot about how to mobilize [...]