Volunteer Nation

In this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast, Tobi invites Ruth Leonard back onto the show and delve into rethinking community involvement, specifically talking about the key themes from Ruth's book, Volunteer Involvement: An Introduction to Theory and Practice.  The pair explore critical reflections on volunteerism, the importance of redefining volunteer engagement, and practical insights...

In this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast, Tobi invites Fran Horwich onto the show to discuss intuitive leadership in volunteer coordination. Fran shares stories from her extensive experience, emphasizing the importance of understanding volunteers' personal motivations and the necessity of professional boundary setting.   The pair also provide practical tips for integrating intuitive le...

In this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast, Tobi Johnson shares 10 volunteer interview questions for a perfect match to ensure a good fit between the volunteers and the organization's roles, tasks, and mission.   She emphasizes the significance of understanding volunteers' motivations, skills, and values to enhance retention and create an enjoyable volunteering experience. Tobi also...

In this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast, host Tobi Johnson interviews Megan Vixie, Chief Engagement Officer at Beach Cities Health District, about volunteer manager salary levels and career paths. They discuss the importance of volunteerism, Megan's journey in volunteer engagement, and the professional career pathway survey conducted by the Association for Leaders in Volunteer Engagem...

In this episode of the Volunteer Nation Podcast, Tobi shares eight practical ways to make volunteering experiences much easier! She addresses the post-pandemic challenges of re-engaging volunteers and emphasizes the need for convenience and efficiency.   Tobi covers topics such as running a more efficient program, improving contact methods, offering baby steps for new volunteers, and incorporating...

In this episode of the Volunteer Nation Podcast, Tobi offers a unique format as she travels to England to present a workshop with the Association of Volunteer Managers, sponsored by Team Kinetic. The workshop, titled 'Beyond the Big Help Out: How to Recruit Your Volunteer Dream Team with a Solid Plan for Action,' focuses on volunteer recruitment, creating volunteer personas, and effectiv...

In this episode of the Volunteer Nation Podcast, host Tobi Johnson is in Manchester, England, speaking with Chris Martin from TeamKinetic. They explore new ways of thinking about volunteer data and tech, covering topics such as the role of AI, open data, reusable personal credentials, and techniques for efficiently tracking volunteer hours.  Chris shares his journey from being a physical education...

In this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast, host Tobi Johnson offers a comprehensive guide on planning successful volunteer events. Tobi shares her insights and favorite tips on how to organize events that engage and bond volunteers, making them feel valued and connected. Drawing from her experiences attending various events and conferences, she emphasizes the importance of in-person gatherin...

In this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast, Tobi Johnson discusses the findings from the Volunteer Management Progress Report. This is part two of a two-part series focusing on volunteerism statistics for 2024, offering insights on the internal support within organizations for those leading volunteers.    Tobi highlights the importance of leadership support, the challenges faced by volunteer...

In this episode of the Volunteer Nation Podcast, host Tobi Johnson delves into volunteerism statistics for 2024, sharing insights from the latest Volunteer Management Progress Report. Tobi discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volunteer capacity, the challenges of recruitment and retention, and provides a detailed look at trends in active volunteer numbers and volunteer hours.    Additi...

In this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast, Tobi Johnson delves into the undervalued yet powerful tactic of running effective volunteer Q&A sessions. Tobi discusses the goals of a good Q&A, including making volunteers feel heard, offering relevant information, and gathering valuable insights.   She provides practical tips for conducting high-impact Q&A sessions, such as leaving yo...

In this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast, Tobi Johnson delves into the vital topic of new volunteer orientation. Tobi offers detailed insights on what to include and what to avoid, ensuring a successful onboarding process that fosters long-term commitment. She emphasizes the importance of addressing both informational and emotional needs of volunteers, integrating confidence-building activi...

In this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast, Tobi explores the use of psychographics over demographics in volunteer recruitment, emphasizing the importance of understanding prospective volunteers' beliefs, values, interests, and attitudes to create more effective marketing strategies. Tobi shares personal anecdotes to illustrate the power of targeted advertising, drawing parallels to recr...

In this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast, host Tobi Johnson discusses the widespread issue of scarcity mentality within the nonprofit sector and how it limits organizations' ability to grow and engage volunteers effectively.   Tobi emphasizes that this mentality leads organizations to focus on constraints rather than opportunities, hindering investment in volunteers and the infrastruct...

In this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast, Tobi Johnson delves into the nuanced and often overlooked topic of clearly defining a volunteer and why it matters to be precise. Tobi shares insights into the definitions provided by various authoritative bodies like the Department of Labor in the U.S., the United Nations, and the implications for nonprofits in handling volunteers according to labo...

In this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast, Tobi Johnson celebrates National Volunteer Week 2024, and shares insights into the history and significance of volunteerism! Tobi also highlights the challenges facing the nonprofit sector, including a decline in donor contributions, a labor shortage crisis impacting mission delivery, and decreased volunteer rates.  Tobi emphasizes the promise and i...

In this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast, Tobi Johnson shares insightful tips on how to create smarter volunteer program assessments, without the need for expensive external consultants. Tobi discusses the importance of learning from assessments to grow volunteer programs and shares her step-by-step plan for performing a DIY program audit.   Tobi also discusses the importance of learning fr...

In this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast, Tobi explores the seven habits that make volunteer managers highly effective, inspired by Stephen Covey's famous book 'The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.'   Tobi emphasizes the importance of mindset, setting healthy boundaries, strategic thinking, knowing your numbers, sharing the workload, dedicating time to work on your pr...

In this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast, Tobi Johnson discusses the importance of providing a wow volunteer experience. She emphasizes that beyond traditional methods of appreciation, designing a well-run program plays a crucial role in volunteer satisfaction. Tobi also shares a personal story to illustrate the impact of outstanding service and introduces the 'WOW' acronym to bre...

In this episode of Volunteer Nation podcast, Tobi Johnson discusses how you can create win-win community service projects, and delves into the different types of community service, outlining effective strategies for designing quality projects, and maintaining good relationships with referring organizations.  Tobi discusses the nuances of managing community service projects, particularly those that...

In this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast, Tobi shares the 3 keys to an irresistible volunteer offer. Tobi highlights the need for organizations to align with the anticipatory and excited headspace of new volunteers, emphasizing the importance of adding to their experience rather than dampening it.  Tobi stresses why organizations should be shifting their perspective from organization-centri...

In this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast, Tobi invites Pam Kappelides onto the show to talk about the power of psychological contracts and its critical importance in understanding and managing volunteer expectations within organizations.  Their discussion uncovers how mismatches between volunteer expectations and their actual experiences can lead to early volunteer turnover and affect volun...

In the 100th episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast, Tobi Johnson takes a moment to reflect on the journey of creating 100 episodes since its start on April 11, 2022. To celebrate, Tobi revisits some of the past episodes, offering insights and highlights for new and long-time listeners alike.   This milestone episode includes a special countdown of the top 10 most downloaded episodes, covering a...

In this episode of the Volunteer Nation, Tobi discusses how non-profit organizations can utilize psychology for volunteer retention strategies. She explains the importance of using positive social proof and emotive communication to encourage volunteers to keep coming back.  Tobi emphasizes the need to light up the brain by generating emotions, using clear contrast imagery, visually stimulating con...

In this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast, Tobi Johnson discusses the crucial need for organizations to meet the needs of their volunteers in order to sustain their operations. Tobi addresses the common issue of dwindling volunteer engagement, exacerbated by the pandemic, warning that if change is not embraced, organizations risk losing even more momentum and volunteers.  Within this episode...