How to Build an Awesome Volunteer Network A colleague and I were chatting today about the ever-present issue of finding enough volunteers to support your cause. We seem to focus all our attention on the individual we hope to recruit instead of taking a look at how we can use our volunteer networks and larger [...]
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 Engage the New Remote Volunteers In Part I of this post, I discussed the changing nature of the workplace and how technological advances affect how we can work with remote volunteers. In today’s world, most volunteers are both virtual and mobile -- even those that work on-site -- because many already access information, [...]
Whether you are trying to recruit volunteers, raise money, or advocate for an increased budget there’s nothing quite like a captivating testimonial to build support. The only problem is that it’s hard to come up with factual stories “on demand” when you need them. That’s where storybanking comes in
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 [...]
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?
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 [...]
If you are struggling to find ways to motivate volunteers, or don't seem to have enough "leader" volunteers available, consider rennovating how you make decisions. Try leading from within, rather than from the top, by using a shared leadership model.
MP900387727In today's wired world, volunteers can make significant contributions to an organization, even if they live tens, hundreds, or thousands of miles away. Working virtually volunteers can be just as effective (or as ineffective) as those working on site.
In his recent Ted Talk, “The way we think about charity is dead wrong,” author and fundraiser Dan Pallotta raises some serious questions about our current mindset in the social sector. He argues that a discriminatory belief system about nonprofits stunts our growth and capacity. This also impact how we think about and resource our volunteer programs.