Smarter Impact Starts Here
COVID-19 Statement by the National Alliance for Volunteer Engagement
The National Alliance for Volunteer Engagement, along with VQ Volunteer Strategies and other leading organizations in the field, has released an open letter to decision-makers in volunteer-supported organizations and entities to ensure volunteers -- and...
What to Say, What to Send: Strategic Communications to Volunteers Amid the Pandemic
One of the most common topics of conversation these days with clients, colleagues, and the nonprofit community-at-large revolves around how much to say to, share with, and ask of volunteers during these challenging times. Volunteer engagement leaders are keenly aware...
Stories from the Field: How Your Peers are Adapting Engagement Strategies
Nearly every day since the coronavirus outbreak, I have had the privilege of participating in calls with organizational leaders and volunteer engagement professionals about how to function amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The funders, nonprofit centers, and professional...
Volunteer Engagement Plan for COVID-19 Response
In recent weeks, we have come face to face with unprecedented challenges as the world is now in full response mode to the Coronavirus outbreak. Many organizations have had to temporarily cease engaging volunteers, yet others see opportunities to engage volunteers to...
Volunteer Engagement Amid a Pandemic
Note from VQ Volunteer Strategies: For four days straight, I have drafted this blog – yet, with each day’s news, I’ve rewritten it to cover the latest developments. The reality is this: This is a swiftly changing situation and recommendations can quickly become...
Is There a Secret Shopper in your Midst?
We had such good feedback on this post when it was originally published in 2011 that we wanted to pull it from the archives and reshare today. Enjoy. For the past two years I have been keeping a secret ... from my bank. I haven't committed fraud, or stashed cash away...
Meaningful Meetings
January isn’t even over, and already I have spent five full days and one half-day in meetings with staff and volunteers together. In New York, Kansas, and Colorado, I facilitated trainings and retreats each with a mix of staff, volunteers, national service members,...
Transforming Holiday One-Timers into Ongoing Volunteers
‘Tis the season. Not just for celebration… but for people to show up in droves to volunteer over the holidays. Together with an increase in required community service for students and the spike in employee engagement, these holiday volunteers are part of a national...
When Counting Hours Really Counts!
Anyone who has heard us at VQ Volunteer Strategies talk about the importance of measuring volunteer impact has undoubtedly heard us say, “We have to get beyond counting hours!” In fact, most people have heard us say that many, many times. And, yet, while the field...
From Workshop to Workin’ It: One Colleague’s Strategic Planning Journey
There is nothing more inspiring and energizing than hearing firsthand how a workshop or tool or webinar equipped someone in the field to successfully make a change and enhance engagement. I had that opportunity recently when I encountered Rachel Ohlhausen at a...
