Volunteer Nation

This week, Tobi sits down with strategic volunteer engagement expert and consultant Dana Litwin to talk about a brand new research project in the volunteer sector, and how the data uncovered in that research can help connect organizations and potential funders more effectively. Tobi and Dana discuss some of the common barriers to volunteer funding, including the disconnect between what grant writers are asking for and what potential funders are willing to offer.  Dana offers suggestions on how to specifically and confidently express what you need for your program and how nonprofit executive leadership can more effectively make the “ask” to properly fund their volunteer staff needs.  Full show notes: 033-New Research on Volunteer Funding with Dana Litwin - Tobi Johnson & AssociatesThanks 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.

This week, Tobi sits down with author and fundraising expert Julia Campbell to talk about ways for nonprofits to get involved in Giving Tuesday, and how to include volunteers. Nonprofits usually focus their Giving Tuesday strategies around a fundraising push. Tobi and Julia look at ways to craft those Giving Tuesday pitches effectively, and ways they can quickly go wrong.  As with any fundraising effort, how you express it, when you express it, and to whom you express it all matter. Julia gives her tips on how to construct a fundraising strategy around the momentum that Giving Tuesday provides, and warns you on some of the pitfalls to look out for. Full show notes: 032-How to Utilize Volunteers for Giving Tuesday with Julia Campbell - Tobi Johnson & AssociatesThanks 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.

This week Tobi welcomes Lori Gotlieb to the show to talk about the volunteer engagement cycle, and some of the innovations going on throughout the sector right now. Tobi and Lori discuss each of the steps in the traditional volunteer engagement cycle: role design, risk management, recruitment, screening, orientation and training, supervision and support, and recognition. Lori shares the ways these roles have shifted and what areas leaders of volunteers will need to focus on to stay relevant AND offer their volunteer team the absolute best service experience. Full show notes: 031-Rethinking the Volunteer Engagement Cycle with Lori Gotlieb - Tobi Johnson & AssociatesThanks 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.

This week, Tobi welcomes authors Beth Steinhorn and Jerome Tennille to discuss how organizations have responded to the volunteer disruption they’ve experienced over the past few years, and what lessons can be learned.  The pandemic brought some vulnerabilities to light in our sector and sparked some innovation in spite of the challenges nonprofits faced due to lockdowns.  Ageism, fear of transmitting the virus, shutdowns, loss of in-person volunteering AND an increased need for many services...these are just a few of the volunteer disruptions we all faced over the last few years. This upheaval, and the changes it brought about, inspired the latest book from Beth, Jerome, and their team: Transforming Disruption to Impact: Rethinking Volunteer Engagement in a Rapidly Changing World.  Tobi chats with her guests about this book, based on the assumption that the way we approach volunteer engagement is in need of an overhaul, and the COVID pandemic simply brought this into high relief for volunteer-involving organizations.  Full show notes: 030-From Volunteer Disruption to Impact with Beth Steinhorn and Jerome Tennille - Tobi Johnson & AssociatesThanks 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.

This week, Tobi sits down with Chris Jarvis from Realized Worth to talk about corporate social responsibility (and what that oft-used term really means), as well as how to nurture your volunteers through three stages of commitment, and how volunteers are literally changing the world by serving their communities.   First of all, what the heck is “corporate social responsibility” anyway? There are some often-heard, sometimes obscure terms used when describing a corporate “giving back to the community” focus. CSR, ESG, CR…all these acronyms identify a version of the same idea: companies encouraging employees to serve as volunteers in their local communities, and those same companies donating financial resources in a variety of possible ways.That all sounds great…and corporate social responsibility really IS a fantastic way to connect nonprofits who need support to the people and the corporations who can offer it.  However, not all nonprofit organizations have truly tapped the power and potential of corporate social responsibility in the traditional sense, let alone kept up with how it’s evolving. Tobi and Chris discuss the potential reasons why those CSR service hours (and those financial donations) are so often left on the table.  Full Show Notes: 029-Evolutions in Corporate Social Responsibility with Chris Jarvis - Tobi Johnson & AssociatesThanks 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.

Have you ever considered starting a podcast to tell the world about your organization? Podcast creators can strategically use podcasts to build community around a common interest or goal, create awareness about their organizations, and even raise needed funds for their cause. And, it may not be as hard as you think!  This week, Tobi sits down with Anthony Wilson, founder and host of the Groupfinity Podcast, to talk about ways to do just that.   Full show notes: 028-How Nonprofits Can Use Podcasts to Build Community with Anthony Wilson - Tobi Johnson & AssociatesThanks 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.

Do you remember the first time you experienced a sense of community with other people? It may have been a team sport, an academic group, or a faith-based gathering. For Tobi, it was the Norpoint Dashers middle school soccer team! But what exactly made that sense of community so strong? Tobi examines the core ingredients that all healthy communities share and applies those principles to volunteer programs.    Tobi also shares some of the unique challenges and benefits of online communities and shares expert advice on how to build, nurture, and manage your virtual volunteers.Full show notes: 027-Secrets to Building a Sense of Community with Volunteers - Tobi Johnson & AssociatesThanks 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.

What should be included in a volunteer coordinator job description? (And is that even the right title for the job you’re hiring for?)Leaders of volunteers can go by many names…coordinator, manager, supervisor, or director, to name a few. In this week’s podcast, Tobi breaks down the job duties that each title should contain (in an ideal world) and details the most important skills and abilities hiring managers should include in their volunteer coordinator job description. Finding the right person for the right role is key, and a well-written volunteer coordinator job description should include a wide variety of skills – leadership, interpersonal, organizational, tactical, analytical, and team building. Tobi goes over all these in detail to help you design the perfect description for your next hire. Full show notes: 026-Hiring? What to Include in Your Volunteer Coordinator Job Description - Tobi Johnson & AssociatesThanks 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.

Here at VolPro, we’ve been following Beth Kanter for a LONG time – since 2009 when Tobi started her consulting practice (only two years after smart phones first hit the market … and Beth had already been blogging for six years)! Beth is an internationally recognized thought leader and trainer in nonprofit tech, digital transformation, and well-being in the workplace. She is the co-author of the award-winning Happy Healthy Nonprofit: Impact without Burnout and co-author with Allison Fine of the bestselling The Networked Nonprofit. Beth’s first book introduced us to the idea that nonprofit tech was directly linked to the future of sustainability of our space and was the key to unlocking our connections with communities.  In this week’s podcast, we’re thrilled to welcome Beth to the Volunteer Nation to talk about her new book and share more about how nonprofit tech is driving change for today’s volunteer-driven organizations.  Full show notes: 025-Nonprofit Tech Transformation + Wellness with Beth Kanter - Tobi Johnson & AssociatesThanks 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.

Tobi gets asked all the time about volunteer recognition and appreciation strategies and tips. And while she can (and has!) shared how to write an effective thank-you letter or create an engaging recognition strategy, real volunteer appreciation is about more than that. It’s about creating a well-run program that meets your volunteer’s core needs.  We need to thank our volunteers for their unique contributions and express our gratitude. But what really keeps volunteers coming back is a well-managed experience where volunteers feel purpose, find community, and get things done.  Full show notes: 024-The Best Volunteer Recognition is a Well-Run ProgramThanks 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.