171. Practical Community Building Tips for Your Volunteer Team

In this episode of Volunteer Nation, Tobi Johnson dives into the heart of what makes a volunteer team truly thrive: community. Drawing from both personal experience and well-established sociological principles, Tobi explores five essential pillars that foster a sense of belonging and connection among volunteers and between volunteers and staff. 

This episode is a must-listen for volunteer leaders who want to create a more collaborative, motivated, and mission-driven team. Whether you're just getting started or looking to reinvigorate your program, you’ll walk away with simple, actionable steps to strengthen your community and boost engagement. 

Full show notes: 171. Practical Community Building Tips for Your Volunteer Team 

Community Building - Episode Highlights 

• [04:36] - The Importance of Community in Volunteer Organizations 
• [05:31] - Five Pillars of Community Building 
• [07:23] - Pillar 1: Membership 
• [10:01] - Pillar 2: Influence 
• [12:35] - Pillar 3: Integration and Fulfillment of Needs 
• [14:37] - Break and Resource Promotion 
• [17:46] - Pillar 4: Shared Emotional Connection 
• [22:13] - Pillar 5: Shared Responsibility and Commitment 

Helpful Links 

• Volunteer Management Progress Report  
• VolunteerPro Impact Lab  
• Volunteer Nation Episode #168: Note to Nonprofit Execs – Supporting Volunteers is Everyone’s Job  
• Volunteer Nation Episode #164: Moving from Volunteer Compliance to Building Your Nonprofit Community  
• Episode #138: Building Community in an Uncertain (and Sometimes Scary) World  
• Episode #027: Secrets to Building a Sense of Community with Volunteers  
• McMillan, D. W., & Chavis, D. M. (1986). Sense of community: A definition and theory. Journal of Community Psychology, 14(1), 6–23 

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast. If you enjoyed it, please be sure to subscribe, rate, and review so we can reach more people like you who want to improve the impact of their good cause.

For more tips and notes from the show, check us out at TobiJohnson.com. For any comments or questions, email us at WeCare@VolPro.net.