Volunteer Matters
When it comes to leading, managing is not enough
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
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
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
"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
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
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
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 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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...