Volunteer – Volunteer U

Motivation Theories

How are our leaders investing in us? Are they just putting us through the paces? Sending us to one class after another to learn and telling us to read books but not taking the time to invest their time in us? A leader’s schedule can become very hectic, and between trying to help others and […]

Creating a Cultural Brand

Scott Cook, the co-founder of Intuit (the company credited with QuickBooks and TurboTax), once remarked, “A brand is no longer what we tell the consumer it is – it is what consumers tell each other it is.” This has become true in our social media-driven environment where one positive or negative post can go viral […]

Getting Attention in a Noisy World

It’s pretty noisy out there. Marketing experts say that most Americans are exposed to at least 4,000 ads every day. Organizations are continually competing for our attention. Brands are everywhere we look, shouting messages to our subconscious without us even noticing. To adjust to the constant barrage of images and ads, most of us have […]

Clash of Culture

We had a leader in our church named Joe. Joe was really great at systems. He could look down a pew and know exactly how many seats were left and could position it so twelve people could fit in a space meant for ten. Joe had a wonderful talent for organizing and led our usher […]

The Reason I Volunteer – Alex

This is Alex. Alex volunteers as a photographer for a local college ministry called The Voice and for various events around town. Her favorite event so far? Make ‘Em Smile: an annual party for kids with special needs hosted by Nathaniel’s Hope. As the founder of Bedside Educators Network, a tutoring company for hospitalized and […]

The Reason I Volunteer – Silvia from Dorcas Ministry

On our social media, we’ve recently begun a campaign called #TheReasonIVolunteer turning the spotlight on some terrific volunteers serving in their communities. (By the way, if you haven’t connected with us online be sure to click on the links below!). It’s been a fun way to hear stories of real-life heroes who donate their time […]

70, Twenty, & 10. How to Train Volunteers Informally.

You may have already heard of the 70:20:10 Model. Originally created by Lombardo, and Eichinger at the Center for Creative Leadership, this 1980s leadership development theory suggests that individuals get 70% of their knowledge from challenging assignments (experience), 20% from developmental relationships, and 10% from formal training/education. If this is true, 90% of our volunteer’s […]

Reducing Volunteer Turnover

Turnover is a natural part of any organization. We all know how difficult it can be to recruit and train good people. And any nonprofit leader will tell you losing valuable team members can be a terrible blow. I can’t admit to having done extensive research on this topic, but I have had my share […]

The Potential of Uniqueness

“Did I ever tell you that Mrs. McCave Had twenty-three sons and she named them all Dave? Well, she did. And that wasn’t a smart thing to do. You see, when she wants one and calls out, ‘Yoo-Hoo! Come into the house, Dave!’ she doesn’t get one. All twenty-three Daves of hers come on the […]