July Round-Up: Volunteer Podcast Episodes and a Sneak Peek!
As many of you may know, we launched the Volunteer Nation podcast in April 2022.
Inspired by VolunteerPro founder Tobi Johnson’s desire to have a bigger conversation about the future of volunteerism, the Volunteer Nation podcast has been very well received and we couldn’t be more thrilled!
But, did you know that Tobi ALSO co-hosts the Time+Talent podcast with Jennifer Bennett from VolunteerMatch? With three completed seasons already available to download, the Time+Talent podcast focuses more on today’s leaders of volunteers and features a guest from the volunteer management field on each episode.
In this week’s blog, we wanted to introduce these two volunteer podcasts to new listeners and recap some of the highlights for returning fans. We’re also giving a sneak peek at plans for future episodes, and YOU have the opportunity to be a part!
Our Volunteer Podcasts – Where to Start?
Obviously, the best place to start is the beginning!
For Volunteer Nation, the inaugural episode is all about casting the vision. With over 25 years working in nonprofits, public sector agencies, and grassroots campaigns for inspiration, Tobi shares her heart on why volunteers are important right now in today’s crazy world, and why we need volunteerism to truly become our best selves.
It’s good stuff, and as a leader of volunteers, it will have you cheering along and feeling validated as you listen. You know volunteers are important, but sometimes it’s hard to verbalize that value to coworkers and outsiders. Tobi expresses it very eloquently for all of us.
Take a listen to Volunteer Nation, Episode #1 HERE>>
In episode one of Time+Talent, Tobi and Jennifer Bennett, Senior Manager of Education & Training at VolunteerMatch, talk about why they started the podcast and outline the trends and themes that define the first season. It’s all about fearless leadership and bold action steps that take volunteer leadership out of maintenance mode and into a powerful forward trajectory.
These two ladies know what they’re talking about, and it’s a good listen!
Check out Time + Talent, Episode #1 HERE>>
Our Volunteer Podcasts – The Big Vision Stuff
A primary goal for Volunteer Nation was to create a platform for the bigger conversations about volunteerism. More than recruiting and training, this volunteer podcast inspires you to envision what kind of volunteer program you want to create, and gives you the tools to get there.
How do you create buy-in from executive leadership and coworkers on the value of volunteers? How do you cast the vision and build a team of extraordinary, enthusiastic volunteers? Where do you even find the time and energy for all this?!
A great place to start is with the third episode of Volunteer Nation. This episode focuses on how to change your mindset from survival mode to thrive-and-grow mode. It is vital to get this foundational piece established before we can effectively move forward to build our programs successfully, and Tobi lays it out for us in a very clear way.
This episode is NOT one of those generic, fluffy, feel-good motivational speeches. It is full of practical action steps that can help you recognize negative mindset triggers in your own thought patterns and genuinely change the course of your volunteer program. It also comes with a healthy dose of encouragement (and a little tough love) from Tobi.
Listen to Volunteer Nation, Episode #3 HERE>>
In Time + Talent’s second season, Tobi and Jennifer also look at vision building. They welcome guest Alison Jones-Nassar of SOAR365 to discuss how a committed and enthusiastic executive leader, matched with a highly skilled volunteer manager, can propel an agency’s volunteer strategy to the next level.
Alison shares her experience of getting hired to transform her agency’s volunteer strategy and remake the volunteer program from the ground up, with the ultimate goal of expanding volunteerism to every corner of their agency. It’s an incredible story!
Listen to Time + Talent, Episode #208 HERE>>
Our Volunteer Podcasts – Recruiting and Virtual Volunteers
In addition to big-vision inspiration, both volunteer podcasts strive to give listeners specific, useful, applicable tools to utilize daily in volunteer management and leadership roles. Recruitment and virtual volunteerism are a couple of timely subjects for discussion.
Tobi covers the important topic of volunteer recruitment in several episodes of Volunteer Nation, but the two below are great places to start.
In episode two, Tobi shares how to recruit volunteers by building a following first. It’s about the long game and building a solid reputation for your organization in your community, and how that helps with future recruiting.
Check out Volunteer Nation, Episode #2 HERE>>
In episode five, Tobi examines the ways your website may be failing you in your volunteer recruitment goals. Your website is a visitor’s first impression of your organization, and Tobi gives eight ways to improve that experience and help convert those visitors into volunteers.
Listen to Volunteer Nation, Episode #5 HERE>>
The topic of virtual volunteering is also timely, and Tobi and Jennifer discuss it on several episodes of Time + Talent.
In episode 107, Tobi and Jennifer welcome guest Elise Segars from Crisis Text Line, who shares her experience motivating, inspiring, and building relationships with volunteers that she never meets face to face.
Because Crisis Text Line counselors live all around the country and volunteer remotely, Elise has had to work hard to keep these far-flung volunteers engaged. She shares ways to successfully cultivate a vibrant online community and provide a supportive, positive environment even when the work can be stressful.
Enjoy Time + Talent, Episode #107 HERE>>
Tobi and Jennifer also explore virtual volunteering in episode 305 of Time + Talent. They welcome guest Michele Wiesner of Hire Heroes USA, who shares how her organization gained an edge when it came to engaging volunteers during a pandemic, and how they have been growing capacity through remote volunteering since 2005.
Although Hire Heros USA has always operated with remote volunteers, they had to modify many processes during the pandemic and learned some very important lessons along the way.
Listen to Time + Talent, Episode #305 HERE>>
Future Episodes – What Would You Like to Hear?
Tobi and Jennifer are working now on season 4 of the Time + Talent podcast. Each episode will focus on a leader of volunteers and will share the unique story of that organization’s history and volunteer program. They are interviewing guests now and are looking forward to bringing you those stories very soon.
If you have story to tell, or you know a leader of volunteers who would make a great guest for the volunteer podcast, you can make a suggestion to Tobi and Jennifer. They are always excited to meet like-minded volunteer professionals who are passionate about volunteerism as they are!
The Volunteer Nation podcast is currently in production, and Tobi’s desire is to address the topics that are most pressing and important to you, the leaders in the field working with volunteers every day. You can suggest a topic you’d like to hear more about simply by emailing us at WeCare@volpro.net.
