Get your staff excited about volunteer involvement

You know how the volunteer management cycle goes: you have a need for volunteers, you put out the call, then you recruit, screen and select some amazing volunteers. Then comes the ongoing challenge of supporting those volunteers in their new...

Four ways to create a more rewarding volunteer experience

More than four in 10 Canadians volunteered in 2013, according to the latest General Social Survey released earlier this year. While that’s impressive, volunteering is down since 2010, the last time the survey was conducted. That’s not terribly surprising considering...

Getting the best from your volunteers through the SAVE approach

Want to learn more about how to get the best from your volunteers? The author, Lori Gotlieb, presented a free webinar on September 24 - you can watch the full recording here.Register here. Managing a volunteer program can be a...

You can lead a volunteer to giving, but can you make them give?

Interviewing potential volunteers is one of the greatest parts of the volunteer recruitment process. Think about it. Someone has come out of nowhere, and they want to donate their time to you. Not just any time, but their priceless, unwaged,...

It’s not just fun and Games: The volunteer legacy of large-scale sporting events

More than a thousand colour-coordinated volunteers came together to sing the theme song at the opening ceremonies of the 1988 Calgary Olympics, standing where they were told to stand. One of the volunteers said later, “We made a flag standing...

The tool that every volunteer coordinator needs

How often has this happened to you - you interview a prospective volunteer, love their background, love what they offer, and love what they could bring to your movement, but you never hear from them beyond the initial interview? If...

The changing face of volunteering in Canada

The recent Global Volunteer Conference addressed the vital role of volunteers in an increasingly polarized and fragmented world, calling on all sectors to make volunteering a priority and to recognize the contribution of volunteers in making the world a better...

Getting ready for the skilled volunteer

A new kind of volunteer is emerging. More today than ever before, people with high-level skills are offering their services to respected nonprofits. The “skilled volunteer” is someone who has specialized professional skills to offer, skills that do not fall...

Top ten tips for volunteer management and retention

Any volunteer can become a great volunteer, but sometimes you just won't know how wonderful they truly are until after they are involved with your charity or nonprofit. In my experience, attracting volunteers is relatively easy but learning to retain...

Playing for keeps: Recruiting and retaining volunteer staff in volunteer-run organizations

Volunteers face many challenges in organizing a successful nonprofit group. Balancing the growth and demands of an organization with family, career, and a personal life can be incredibly difficult. According to Tina Patterson, president of the Fraser Valley FiT Network,...