More than a thousand colour-coordinated volunteers came together to sing the theme song at the opening ceremonies of the 1988 Calgary Olympics, standing where they were told to stand. One of the volunteers said later, “We made a flag standing...
In late January, Statistics Canada released the results of its 2013 General Social Survey – Giving, Volunteering and Participating (GSS GVP). The bottom line: Giving and volunteering are up; total number of givers and volunteers are down. And the population...
Janine had been out of the work force for a few years when she decided to ease back into work by volunteering for a local organization whose work she admired. She sent an email enquiry about volunteering. Weeks passed and...
Did that title grab you?? I sure hope it did. Because today, I have a quick guide about something I think could be one of the most revolutionary things to hit volunteering since its invention - get this - more...
Reduce costs or invest in professional development? Seems more organizations are wrestling with this question every day. With economic uncertainty and fiscal restraint the new norm, business leaders are justifiably concerned about costs and demands on resources. A recent pilot...
How often has this happened to you - you interview a prospective volunteer, love their background, love what they offer, and love what they could bring to your movement, but you never hear from them beyond the initial interview? If...
It wasn’t that long ago that nonprofits and charities had the corner on doing social good, and their relation to businesses simply revolved around asking them for money. In the last few years, however, the relationship between nonprofits and businesses...
The recent Global Volunteer Conference addressed the vital role of volunteers in an increasingly polarized and fragmented world, calling on all sectors to make volunteering a priority and to recognize the contribution of volunteers in making the world a better...
“Ah, you studied psychology.” “Yes.” Nervous twitch. Sudden refusal to make eye contact, like they realized I have X-ray vision or can read the darkest secrets of their soul. The squirming is a definite perk of the degree. But what...
A new kind of volunteer is emerging. More today than ever before, people with high-level skills are offering their services to respected nonprofits. The “skilled volunteer” is someone who has specialized professional skills to offer, skills that do not fall...