As our organizations and work become increasingly complex, we are called upon to find new ways to inspire volunteer leadership. Volunteer leaders can no doubt take organizations to new levels, but only if they are given the space to do so. Social science research offers some insights into both the individual characteristics that promote successful [...]
Leading Volunteer Teams for Increased Productivity Whether you’re working with a volunteer-led advisory group, a task force, an event planning committee, or a governing board, when leading volunteer teams of any kind, you want to be set for success. Investing in team capacity building now can help you not only offer opportunities to new [...]
The Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. holiday is more than a welcome three-day weekend or time to shop for bargain towels and discounts on bedding. It’s about something more. It is a celebration of the human spirit and the power and promise of volunteerism and citizen engagement. Now, more than ever, it’s a time [...]
In Part 1 of this post, we noted that volunteer program assessments are a great way to get candid volunteer feedback and boost leadership at the same time. We also noted some of the benefits of involving volunteers in an audit of your operations and identified three preliminary steps to setting up your volunteer team [...]
Volunteer program assessments are a great way to get candid volunteer feedback and boost leadership at the same time. Unfortunately, most organizations don’t take time out to reflect on their current practices in a purposeful, comprehensive way. But, if volunteers are truly essential to your mission, doesn’t it make sense to maximize their environment so [...]
If you send volunteer communications emails on a regular basis, you may find that your writing becomes stale and rote over time. It happens, even to pro copywriters. Sometimes it helps to get “outside the box” and rethink your communications, because if they are boring to you, they are likely boring your volunteers. Your writing [...]
New volunteers arrive at nonprofits with expectations and feelings. They negotiate conflicting emotions – surprise, anticipation, joy, fear, ambiguity, etc. – as they acclimate to their new surroundings. During this critical time in the volunteer’s lifecycle, these emotions are important to address but are often ignored, as organizations focus on communicating organizational requirements, policies and procedures versus prioritizing [...]
One of the most researched and validated theories of volunteer motivation is that functional motives drive the volunteers willingness to join and continue the volunteer activity. Scholars argue that certain pre-exiting needs must be met in order for volunteers to start and stay. This theory represents a major finding in the field that has been validated over [...]
