Pro RoundUp: A Year of VolunteerPro Member Spotlights (This is Why We Do What We Do!)
Here at VolunteerPro, we’re honored to provide world-class training and resources to help volunteer-involving organizations around the world engage with their communities more effectively. Each month we feature one of these helpers in our VolunteerPro Member Spotlight, and today we’re taking a quick look back to share a roundup of the amazing things that VolunteerPro members have accomplished in the last year.
Every day, we get to “help the helpers” behind the scenes as they change lives in their own communities, and we’re proud to have played a part in the success of thousands of thriving nonprofits through our one-of-a-kind VolunteerPro Membership.
We love sharing these success stories, because this is why we do what we do!
VolunteerPro Member Spotlight: Amber Lancaster and Start1Spark
Start1Spark is a 501c3 nonprofit in Richmond, VA providing support for extracurriculars in local schools through donations of equipment, club fees, uniforms, game-day snacks and so much more! One school, one team, one student at a time, Start1Spark is making sports, music, and the arts accessible to everyone regardless of socioeconomic background.
In the April 2023 Member Spotlight, we sat down with VolunteerPro member Amber Lancaster and founder of Start1Spark, who shared her experience starting a new nonprofit in the middle of a global pandemic and what inspired her to take the leap.
Harbourfront Centre Volunteer
VolunteerPro Member Spotlight: Saskia Rinkoff and Harbourfront Centre
Harbourfront Centre is a charitable, not-for-profit contemporary arts and culture organization covering 10 acres along the beautiful lakeshore on Toronto’s waterfront.
This organization animates multiple outdoor and indoor arts and culture events every year, including literary arts, performing arts, music, dance, theatre, visual arts and craft & design events. In addition, Harbourfront Center offers a vibrant School and Camps program.
In the April 2023 Member Spotlight, we visited down with VolunteerPro member Saskia Rinkoff to discuss some fresh ways this organization is choosing to embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion through “Sight Guide” volunteers, and how those efforts are making the arts more accessible to a larger audience.
VolunteerPro Member Spotlight: Dani Wagner and Humane Fort Wayne
Placing volunteers can be a lot like matchmaking, and finding the right fit for both the organization and volunteer is critical for long-term success. At Humane Fort Wayne, they are taking matchmaking to another level by connecting with volunteer passions from day one.
We were joined in February 2023 by Dani Wagner, CVA to chat about how building relationships with volunteers has helped them think outside the box and find creative ways to utilize volunteer talents to drive the mission.
Habitat for Humanity of Berkeley County Volunteer Team
VolunteerPro Member Spotlight: April Elswick and Habitat for Humanity of Berkeley County
When thinking about college spring break, a beach party might be the first thing that comes to mind. However, for college and university students across the country that have partnered with (HFHI) Habitat for Humanity International, those scholars are thinking about an alternative spring break, a “Sweat Break” if you will.
In the January 2023 Member Spotlight, April Elswick at Habitat for Humanity of Berkeley County explained how some students are choosing to spend their free time giving a hand up to communities in need and the unexpected emotional rewards they reap in return.
Member Spotlight: Sweat Equity & Service Learning – VolunteerPro (volpro.net)
VolunteerPro Member Spotlight: Amanda Maragos and Phillip Aziz Centre for Hospice Care and Emily’s House Children’s Hospice
By engaging volunteers and asking key questions, Amanda Maragos, MHCM, CVRM, Director of Client Services and Volunteer Programs and her team at Phillip Aziz Centre for Hospice Care and Emily’s House Children’s Hospice have built a strong community of motivated volunteers who are mobilized to serve.
In the December 2022 Member Spotlight, Amanda chatted with us about how her program created this community feel with a focus on volunteer care, and the important work her organization is doing to support families walking through the process of end-of-life palliative care..
Member Spotlight: Focusing on Community & Team – VolunteerPro (volpro.net)
VolunteerPro Member Spotlight: Ashley Rieser and Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust one of the largest performing arts organizations in North America, hosting numerous festivals throughout the year in the 1,800-seat theater at the Benedum Center and overseeing multiple art galleries throughout the region.
The mission of its volunteer program is to create a lifelong love of the arts for our patrons, engage them in a magical guest experience, and make the arts accessible for all, and in the November 2022 Member Spotlight, we were joined by Ashley Rieser, Director of Volunteer Services and Front of House Guest Experience, who shared how her organization is empowering volunteers to do just that!
Member Spotlight: Designing an Extraordinary Guest Experience – VolunteerPro (volpro.net)
VolunteerPro Member Spotlight: Lisa Brinkerhoff and Make-A-Wish
Who is at the heart of all wishes granted through the chapters of Make-A-Wish® America? The volunteers!
A few months back, we chatted with Lisa Brinkerhoff, CVA, CNP, the Director, Volunteer Engagement at Make-A-Wish® America, about how volunteers pivoted from in-person to virtual during the pandemic, and how they continue to find new ways to connect and grant wishes for children battling critical illnesses.
Member Spotlight: Blazing a Trail for Virtual Volunteer Opportunities – VolunteerPro (volpro.net)
Special Olympic Arizona Volunteer Team
VolunteerPro Member Spotlight: Heather Turkes and Special Olympics Arizona
There is something special at Special Olympics Arizona, and that is the encouragement that Heather Turkes, CVA shares with everyone around her. From the athletes to her colleagues, we can see her joy and passion for volunteerism and inclusion.
We caught up with Heather last fall to learn more about Special Olympics Arizona’s programming and how its focus on inclusion opens the door to greater learning and lifelong bonds between athletes and partners.
Member Spotlight: Volunteer Encouragement On & Off the Field – VolunteerPro (volpro.net)
VolunteerPro Member Spotlight: Heather Davis and Opportunity Village
As a leader of volunteers, one of your key responsibilities may be to build volunteer community. That isn’t always easy, particularly when volunteers are working remotely or are routinely taking breaks from service.
We were joined recently by Heather Davis, Manager Community Engagement for Opportunity Village in Las Vegas, Nevada to share what she is doing to build a connected volunteer community from the ground up, along with some of the ups and the downs of working as a volunteer leader in these unprecedented times.
Member Spotlight: How to Build Volunteer Community from the Ground Up – VolunteerPro (volpro.net)
VolunteerPro Member Spotlight: Tracee Patterson, Sara Hartley and Holden Forests & Gardens
At Holden Forests & Gardens, the mission is to connect people with the wonder, beauty, and value of trees and plants to inspire action for healthy communities and to cultivate meaningful volunteer engagement, and to create a space where volunteers are supported and appreciated as partners in the work and as leaders in bringing the mission to their homes and communities.
Back in August, we were joined by two members of the HGF team, Tracee Patterson and Sarah Hartley, who shared how they utilized volunteer talent and firsthand knowledge to completely revamp their volunteer handbook, and how their team is working to build a more connected community among their volunteer supporters.
Member Spotlight: Training Volunteers with a Community Focus – VolunteerPro (volpro.net)
VolunteerPro Member Spotlight: Kelsey Preecs and Volunteer Maine
As Program Officer for Volunteer Maine, Kelsey Preecs oversees the funding, management, and support for AmeriCorps programming in Maine.
Kelly joined us to share how her organization is supporting volunteerism within the state by supporting volunteer managers in local volunteer programs all over Maine, and providing them with critical insights into what we’re seeing with volunteers, volunteer programs, and professional development.
Member Spotlight: How to Advocate for the Importance of Volunteerism (volpro.net)
VolunteerPro Member Spotlight: Susan Nussall and Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education
Created because attorneys are strongly encouraged by the Supreme Court to do at least 50 hours (about 2 days) of pro bono work a year, the Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education comes offers members of the state bar that opportunity, and works to balance the scales of justice through engaged and empowered volunteers who serve the community and achieve the mission of access to justice for all Arizonans.
As the Lead Director of Community Engagement, Susan Nussall’s job is to make sure that there are qualified volunteers, and they are put in the right places to do the necessary work, and she joined us recently to share how her team has been able to engage 1,200 to 1,400 episodic volunteers a year, even with staff reductions by collaborating more closely with other departments and making smarter use of technology.
Member Spotlight: How One Manager improved Her Volunteer Manager Productivity (volpro.net)
VolunteerPro Membership Can Help You Build a Strong Foundation To Reach Your Organization’s Most Important Goals
Our VolunteerPro members represent a wide variety of mission, location, and background. However, they have one thing in common: they are all highly motivated to help increase their organization reach and impact through a vibrant and highly engaged volunteer corps.
And whether you’re starting from the very beginning, building on an established program framework, or somewhere in between, VolunteerPro Membership has exactly what you need, right where you are, to help build, grow, and scale a sustainable volunteer team of enthusiastic, committed talent.
We’d love to help you get there!
Monthly and annual subscriptions are available. Learn more today!
