Volunteer Nation

Volunteering is an activity that brings communities together and allows people to give back in a meaningful way. However, not all volunteer experiences are created equal. To truly make an impact, organizations must focus on creating exceptional volunteer experiences that not only benefit the organization, but also empower and motivate the volunteers.In today's episode, Tobi discusses different strategies and ideas for improving the volunteer experience. From creating a culture of learning to valuing volunteers' lived experiences, the podcast covers a wide range of topics related to successful volunteerism.Full show notes: 062. 10 Ways to Create an Exceptional Volunteer ExperienceThanks 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.

In today's episode, Tobi discusses about training for nonprofits and how we've got it all wrong. When we do launches and promotions at VolunteerPro, we ask our audience of followers why they didn't buy. We want to know what are the barriers that our community of leaders of volunteers and volunteer driven organizations are coming up against when it comes to enrolling in something that can help them get traction and gain better results. The top four reasons on the recent result broke our hearts. Full show notes: 061. Training for Nonprofits - How We've Got it All WrongThanks 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.

In today’s episode, Tobi interviews Sara Lomelin who is an expert in Giving Circles and collective philanthropy. Here at VolunteerPro, we’re also very interested in doing that when it comes to community engagement, volunteer talent, and thinking about new ways we can engage the community in our missions, which is the most important thing right now.Full show notes: 060– Giving Circles and Collective Philanthropy with Sara LomelinThanks 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.

In today's episode, Tobi talks about how to improve your recruiting volunteers on your website. Tobi worked with many coaching clients around their volunteer recruitment strategies, and she have taken a look at many websites. So today, she's going to share all that information down to some of the most common things she saw that are missing and how can you make these changes on your website. Volunteer recruitment letters are considered old school, and the website is the most vital asset for volunteer recruitment.  Hear from Tobi how she emphasizes the importance of making improvements to the user experience of the website, making volunteering opportunities front and center and how to do it.Full show notes: 059– 6 Must Have Strategies to Recruit Volunteers Using Your WebsiteThanks 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.

In today's episode, Tobi interviews Lucas Meijs about innovative models in volunteerism research. Lucas has been writing about and researching volunteerism for three decades. The discussion revolves around the idea that articles about volunteerism often miss some of the key things and build up a certain model of thinking about volunteers and volunteerism. The focus is usually on volunteers themselves, but sometimes it is the models and ways of connecting with the community that need to be upgraded, evolved, and changed. They also touches on the impact of the pandemic on volunteer engagement and the need to find new ways of doing things. Full show notes: 058– Innovative Models in Volunteerism Research with Lucas MeijsThanks 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.

In today's episode, Tobi features Dacher Keltner and discusses the compassionate instinct, bringing wonder and awe back into our lives, and becoming more resilient.Dacher Keltner is a professor of psychology at the University of California Berkeley and the faculty director of UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center. He is a renowned expert in the science of human emotion, studying compassion and awe, how we express emotion, and how emotions guide our moral identities and search for meaning. His research interests also span the issues of power. He has written a new book on awe and has a podcast called "Science of Happiness" that offers practices for how to feel stronger, even when doing hard work like volunteering. Full show notes: 057– The Compassionate Instinct & Bringing Wonder Back to Work with Dacher KeltnerThanks 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.

In today's episode, Tobi interviews Dr. Elisabeth Clemens from University of Chicago who is an expert in how volunteerism sits and civic society sits in building our nation here in America. Dr. Elisabeth is the William Rainey Harper Distinguished Service Professor of Sociology at the University of Chicago. Her recent awards-winning book, Civic Gifts: Voluntarism and the Making of the American Nation-State (Chicago 2020), traces the tense but powerful entanglements of benevolence and liberalism in American political development. Full show notes: 056– The Role of Voluntarism & Volunteerism in America with Elisabeth ClemensThanks 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.

Today's episode, we are talking with Faiza Venzant on how to get your Certified in Volunteer Administration credential.Faiza Venzant, CVA is the Executive Director of the Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration. With over 20 years of leadership experience in volunteer engagement, she continues this work with a goal of centering community amongst the profession, improving equity and access to volunteerism and increasing diversity amongst professional leaders of volunteers.   Faiza discusses why it is important for volunteer leaders needs to get CVA credential and how it will help not only the current organization they belong to but also as an investment in yourself and in your career as a professional.Full show notes: 055– How to Get Your CVA Credential with Faiza VenzantThanks 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.

Today's episode, we're going to talk about National Volunteer Week 2023. Our theme is a year to be grateful. A year to be grateful, and Tobi shares some of the things she's grateful for.Gratitude is a mindful practice that encourages us to take an abundant view of the world. In the nonprofit sector, it is quite easy to adopt a scarcity mindset and believe that there isn't enough to go around. But when we start to really think about it, there's plenty to go around. There are lots of people out there that wish to support the success of your mission. You just have to establish a connection with them.Full show notes: 054– National Volunteer Week 2023 - A Year to Be GratefulThanks 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.

In today's episode, we are going to be talking with Marianne Chance about promoting a healthy workplace culture for volunteers, not only for volunteers, but in our nonprofits in general.Marianne Chance is the the founder of Work Warrior and she is described as a brilliant, hilarious, awesome sauce and so engaging, you'll forget to eat your snacks. Marianne has trained over 20,000 people in nearly every state and all over the world.  She's recognized as one of the top trainers in America, and in 2013 she started Work Warrior, a training organization that provides manager and team trainings to companies across all states. Marianne provides professional coaching, utilization of certifications and business and entrepreneurship, spirituality, life purpose, and forgiveness. Marian discusses her thoughts on how leaders of volunteers in nonprofit organizations may foster a healthy work environment for volunteers and paid staff alike, as well as how to inspire everyone to bring their best selves to the purpose.Full show notes: 053– Promoting a Healthy Workplace Culture for Volunteers with Marianne ChanceThanks 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.