Volunteer Plain Talk

Wes began his new job as manager of volunteer services in December 2019 and as the new head of volunteer services, had to almost immediately send volunteers, ones he didn't get to know well, home. In part 1 of this interview, Wes chats about his experiences, including:

• That initial shock.
• The suspension and not knowing what would ultimately happen.
• How do you introduce yourself and say, "Hi, BTW, stay home."
• Nurturin...

In this second part of my conversation with Laura Rundell, we chat about:

• Inspirational volunteers who support people knowing they cannot change circumstances.
• Volunteer appreciation-do we need a luncheon or even a week? Where should our focus be?
• Evolving volunteer recognition.
• Team nomination vs. volunteer of the year.
• No one, including staff gets there on their own.
• Person of the year? What's the point?
• Volunteer voice of desc...

Laura Rundell and I chatted last year about resilience in episode 15. In this episode, Laura and I get back together and chat about today's volunteering landscape. What has changed? What is the same? Laura discusses:

• Are volunteers returning?
• Change means an uptick in needs
• Paid staff are scarce
• Pre-pandemic models vs. post pandemic models
• Where does the program go moving forward?
• Navigating a shifting landscape
• Getting...

In part 2, Paul Falkowski, PHD discusses his vision for designating volunteers as essential workers. He touches on:

• The workloads of nursing home activity directors
• How family members are pushing to be designated essential
• The toll isolation takes on nursing home residents and the surprising statistics 
• Risk vs. gain
• Training for essential volunteers
• Volunteer creativity
• Quirky interview questions that reveal character
• Is reimbursement...

In part 1, Paul discusses how he began his journey to designate volunteers as essential workers. Paul shares how he became a champion for volunteers in nursing homes through a nonprofit he built from the ground up. Paul discusses the importance of team, volunteer education and training, skin in the game, and navigating volunteer management challenges. In the next episode, he discusses his ambitious plan to designate volunteers as e...

Do we assume that engaging kids 9-12 is too much effort for the return on our investment? Are we missing an untapped volunteer potential? In this episode, Summer Neiss, student coordinator for the K Kids program at Mabel Rush Elementary school shares the passions, motivations, and untapped potential of youth volunteers. Summer discusses the upsides such as attracting the kids' parents or guardians, thinking out of the box and ...

In this episode, Laura Rundell chats about resilience, a timely topic during the Covid pandemic: 
Laura shares her experiences on these subjects:
What exactly is resilience?
The filled up cope-o-meter
Examples of resilient volunteers
What resilience is not
Volunteer motivation
Do we confuse volunteers not being resilient with not being heard?
What does individual motivation have to do with resilience...

In this episode, January 2021, Brittany McGarry shares her thoughts and suggestions for:
Where do we go from 2020?
How are volunteer managers viewed?
How to engage volunteers quickly.
How forced opportunities can help us navigate the future.
How a simple coffee hour changed everything.
What volunteers really want.
What volunteer retention is built upon.
Why complicated does not mean better.
How t...

In this episode, Elisa Kosarin, CVA shares her insights on:

• strategic planning and how fun fits in
• how volunteer managers should aspire to move up into senior management
• achieving buy-in and the seven kinds of power
• the future of virtual volunteering
• how volunteer managers are embracing and adapting traditional roles to virtual
• how new looks at virtual roles may create more inclusion and diversity
• how doing uncomfortable things makes ...

In this episode, Corina Sadler shares her thoughts on volunteer managers' personal and professional development. Listen in as Corina talks about:

• Looking outside the box for training to skillset
• Developing a professional story
• Using social media to recruit by not recruiting
• Creating your own content
• Why professional volunteer manager organizations are vital
• Steps to creating a niche volunteer manager peer group

About Corina:...

In this episode, Samantha and Sydney talk about starting their own organization and share their insights on:

• making volunteering social through packing parties 
• innovative ways to procure in-kind donations
• how to use meaningful stats verses volunteer hours
• using social media effectively
• the importance of testimonials
• utilizing networking 
• using gamification to get the word out
• how students’ view of volunteering has drastically changed
• h...

Listen in as Dr. Corinne Devin, Navy officer, accomplished leader and passionate volunteer speaks about her experience volunteering overseas and gives timely tips for elevating volunteer manager leadership. In this episode, Corinne chats about:

• ·       The challenge in stepping outside our comfort zones
• ·       How volunteers can help other volunteers with real time advice
• ·       How volunteer mentors help the organization
• ·      ...

Jaylen Christie, the Director of Public Relations for Moxē, an integrated marketing agency in Orlando and former volunteer manager, chats about:

•  volunteer contingency plans
•  volunteer impact
•  volunteer ROI
•  showing impact to volunteers who don't work directly with clients
• families and groups that volunteer together
• PR for volunteer managers
• strategies for PR (R.P.I.E.)
• bland volunteer recruitment ads
• competition
• integrated converge...

Volunteer vigilante? Balderdash? In this episode, Adam Janes, CVA shares his thoughts on volunteer management during the Covid 19 pandemic. Adam discusses care mongerers, changes in policies, virtual volunteer roles, how to help volunteers utilize video, and what comes next for the volunteer management sector. Adam highlights the "what we can do now" mantra, even during volunteer appreciation week. Adam also shares how he...

In this special episode of Volunteer Plain Talk Podcast, Rob Jackson of Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd. located in the UK, and Meridian chat about coping, challenges and opportunities in uncertain times. Rob offers his thoughts and advice including:

• ·      “There’s a moment here,” for thought leadership
• ·       Connecting and venting vs. isolation
• ·       Readying our profession for what’s next
• ·       Miss Piggy’s quote 
• ·       The ab...

Bo Goliber, who heads up philanthropy at Fingerpaint, a health and wellness marketing agency, shares the keys to a successful relationship between nonprofits and corporate partners. Bo assures us that corporate partners do not want to overwhelm volunteer agencies, but instead, are looking for long-term relationships built on honesty. Bo says, “don’t be afraid,” when companies reach out for a volunteering opportunity. Authentic part...

Helping to create a positive culture of volunteering in many organisations can be tough work for leaders of volunteer engagement.  How do you ensure that volunteers feel valued by everyone, from the CEO and board down to the front-line staff? How do you have an impact on strengthening the value and impact of volunteerism when you, as a leader, already feel invisible or unheard?

Tracey O’Neill, Manager of Volunteer Engagement at Aust...

How do you evolve your volunteer program for the volunteers of tomorrow whilst meeting the needs of your volunteers today? Sam Clift, Volunteer Resource Manager at London Transport Museum talks through achieving senior management buy-in, involving volunteers in strategy planning, getting volunteers on board with organisational change and using technology and volunteer support to make volunteering more accessible and inclusive. Sam ...

Dr. Jesse Bolinger, author of the new book, "Calling All Volunteers," shares his research into volunteering and the future of volunteer management. He adds mental health, work and education to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, calls on us to change the way we recruit volunteers and urges us to use the mental health benefits of volunteering for the good of our communities. Dr. Bolinger's latest project delves into con...