It takes a Village (i.e. lots of committed and engaged volunteers)…to create community change.  Ever wonder what it takes to engage volunteers?  Seattle Works knows that effective volunteer engagement doesn’t happen without great Volunteer Managers and Leaders.  So they have teamed up with Washington State’s Association of Volunteer Centers to help support VAN (Volunteer Administrator’s Network) – a professional association that provides support, resources, training and mentoring opportunities for Volunteer Managers and Leaders.  That support for VAN comes in the form of an AmeriCorps VISTA…

There is a relatively new arrival in web-based software available to people who are managing scheduling and communications with volunteers (this is available to anyone- school teachers, non-profits, coaches, you name it)  It’s called VolunteerSpot.com.  It’s not a sophisticated volunteer management tool- there are no features for tracking interests, skills and availability for instance.  It won’t track hours and spit out pretty reports on volunteer involvement.  And it doesn’t really track contact information, except e-mail.  But it’s a great tool for getting people to sign…

Start off the New Year with a renewed commitment to effectively engaging volunteers in your organization!

Attend United Way of King County’s Volunteer Management Basic Training!

Effective Volunteer Program Management 101: A Course for Volunteer Management Professionals

The next session is: January 12 and January 26

Tuition – $170.00

All sessions are from 9:00am to 4:30 pm.

(training participants must attend both sessions)

This 14.5-hour series is offered to meet the special needs of Volunteer Program Managers with less than two years experience. More experienced coordinators seeking “refresher” training are also welcome. The seminar overviews…

Suggested Reads and Resources for Volunteer Managers

Each week I scan through dozens of interesting blog posts and newsletters for content relevant to volunteer management.  There is a lot of new and innovative thinking out there on volunteer management and I’d like to take some time each week to share with you the resources and articles that I find most relevant or compelling.  So here’s my first round of suggested reads and resources:

I recently came across a new resource available to volunteer managers:

OurSharedResources.org is a new service…

Volunteers, this is your moment.  Did you know December 5^th is International Volunteer Day (IVD)?  It is, and it has been since 1985.  IVD was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly through Resolution A/RES/40/212 and is an opportunity for volunteer organizations and individual volunteers to showcase their volunteer contributions, whether local, national or international.  Of course IVD can and should be a year round celebration.  If you consider the committed work of volunteers of all ages around the globe, carrying out every imaginable kind of activity,…

I recently attended City Club’s 2009 Jefferson Awards luncheon and left feeling totally  inspired (and somewhat humbled) by the remarkable service stories of this year’s award winners, Dallas Jessup, Janie Plath and Mariana Quanstrom.   I encourage you to check out their  stories!  

What  really excited me about the award event  was listening to 3 of Seattle’s community leaders – Alison Carl White of Seattle Works, Nancy Long of Executive Service Corps, and David Okimoto of  United Way of King County emphasize the critical role that managers of volunteers play in nonprofit organizations.  It was music to my…

Recession Proofing Your Volunteer Program

September 29^th

9:00-4:00 pm

2100 Bldg, Seattle

Are you concerned about the impact of the economic downturn on your Volunteer Program? Please join us for a full day of training with Martin J. Cowling to learn strategies for recession proofing your volunteer program and preparing your organization for the future of volunteering. Martin will discuss current trends in volunteer management and our role as 21^st Century volunteer managers.

Martin J Cowling, CEO of People First – Total Solutions, an international trainer and consultant working with nonprofits…