We spend a lot of time in US non-league soccer thinking about the playing side. If you club is going to be sustainable long term, and if it is going to be something your community gets behind, then you need an army of volunteers. There is only so much you and your founder group can do. If you have fans, you have volunteers. And if you have volunteers, you have fans.
But where do you find them, how do you create buy-in to the club ethos, and how do you ensure they stay around and help you grow the club?
Tobi Johnson is an internationally sought after expert and master trainer in volunteer engagement. She is known for her modern thought leadership, highly practical evidence-based strategies, and innovative, “big hat” thinking around engaging, supporting, and acknowledging the work of volunteers. Her website volpro.net offers free resources to help nonprofit organizations improve performance and increase impact through the power of people.
This may not be the episode you were expecting from a non-league soccer podcast. But it is perhaps the one it is most important that you will listen to today.