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Volunteer Matters

When it comes to leading, managing is not enough

When it comes to leading, managing is not enough

Sep 28, 2023 / 4:00 am

Do you find yourself caught up in the day-to-day minutia of getting things done? Are you constantly head-down trying to accomplish individual tasks? Once you...

Volunteer training can be all fun and games

Volunteer training can be all fun and games

Sep 21, 2023 / 4:00 am

Do volunteers cringe when you bring up the subject of training—especially repeat or refresher training? Let's face it, volunteer training can...

A 'community of practice' for volunteer leaders can be beneficial

A 'community of practice' for volunteer leaders can be beneficial

Sep 14, 2023 / 4:00 am

Building a thriving community of practice for volunteer leaders We don’t often think about “communities of practice” in the volunteering...

Seven ways to show 'tangible gratitude' toward volunteers

Seven ways to show 'tangible gratitude' toward volunteers

Sep 7, 2023 / 4:00 am

"Tangible gratitude" is one of the four "appreciation languages" I encourage leaders of volunteers to use. Appreciation of volunteers is...

Riding the volunteer merry-go-round

Riding the volunteer merry-go-round

Aug 31, 2023 / 4:00 am

When I was small, a group of us kids would go to the local park, pile onto the merry-go-round and someone would spin us faster and faster and faster, until we...

Sharing volunteers will help attract more volunteers to the sector

Sharing volunteers will help attract more volunteers to the sector

Aug 24, 2023 / 4:00 am

Does your organization hoard volunteers? I had a conversation recently with Mushka from the volunteer management software Volunteero. Among many things, we...

Seven steps to effective succession planning

Seven steps to effective succession planning

Aug 17, 2023 / 4:00 am

Succession planning in a social impact organization is crucial to ensure a smooth transition of leadership, whether at the senior staffing level or the board...

How we define community affects volunteering

How we define community affects volunteering

Aug 10, 2023 / 4:00 am

How do you define community? In my work, I’ve had the pleasure of watching how volunteering can transform our communities. It not only helps the causes we...

Ways to increase your volunteer numbers

Ways to increase your volunteer numbers

Aug 3, 2023 / 4:00 am

What could you do if you had a veritable sea of volunteers? If you had an almost unlimited supply of people who wanted to help your cause, how would your...

The 'customer's journey' is a lot like the volunteer lifecycle

The 'customer's journey' is a lot like the volunteer lifecycle

Jul 27, 2023 / 4:00 am

I’ve been thinking a lot about the volunteer lifecycle lately, and trying to come up with a simple way of explaining it. During a conversation I had with...

8 Lessons for creating an amazing volunteer environment

8 Lessons for creating an amazing volunteer environment

Jul 20, 2023 / 4:00 am

I recently re-watched Patty McCord’s TED talk “8 Lessons on Building a Company People Enjoy Working For,” and the suggestions she made were...

When it comes to leadership styles , they are all good

When it comes to leadership styles , they are all good

Jul 13, 2023 / 4:00 am

I’ve been reading a number of articles and posts recently about different leadership styles. Most of the articles split the styles into those that are...

The four appreciation languages

The four appreciation languages

Jul 6, 2023 / 4:00 am

Do you know the appreciation languages of the volunteers in your organization? You may have heard of “love languages,” the different ways that...

Joint application design sessions for volunteer programs

Joint application design sessions for volunteer programs

Jun 29, 2023 / 4:00 am

Digging through my files today, I came across an old invitation to a joint application design (JAD) session. Many loops back on my very wiggly career path, I...

Intergenerational volunteering benefits everyone

Intergenerational volunteering benefits everyone

Jun 22, 2023 / 4:00 am

I learned today that June 1 was Intergenerational Day here in Canada, so I missed the best time to write about intergenerational volunteering. As the old saying...

A rising tide really does lift all boats

A rising tide really does lift all boats

Jun 15, 2023 / 4:00 am

Organizations can improve their volunteer programs by harnessing the power of collaboration. Have you ever heard the phrase “anything you can do, I can do...

Importance of gathering feedback from volunteers

Importance of gathering feedback from volunteers

Jun 8, 2023 / 4:00 am

At a recent speaking engagement, I was asked by an audience member how they should get feedback from volunteers: surveys or exit interviews. The answer, of...

Create a culture of problem-solving in your organization

Create a culture of problem-solving in your organization

Jun 1, 2023 / 4:00 am

Do you have a culture of problem-solving in your organization, or are you the person everyone in your volunteer program comes to for solutions? When anything...

Making a case for selfish volunteers

Making a case for selfish volunteers

May 25, 2023 / 4:00 am

When you recruit for your organization, do you avoid selfish volunteers? Should you? Can self-interest drive positive change? I’d like to challenge you to...

The art of getting club members to volunteer

The art of getting club members to volunteer

May 18, 2023 / 4:00 am

Does your group have challenges getting club members to volunteer? How about the parents of members? I spoke with the leaders of a wholly volunteer-run sports...

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