Engage Library

One of the most recognizable basics of Volunteer Engagement practice is the “3 Rs:” Recruit, Retain and Recognize. The 3 Rs are in most Volunteer Engagement job descriptions and Volunteer Management 101 texts and blogs, and remain a constant and ongoing topic of conversation…

In the beginning, there were sign-in sheets. Then there were time-tracking tools, followed by web registration forms. While these processes began to engage a volunteer, they did little to help understand who that volunteer is. At the fundamental level, knowing a person means…

In this Ethics column, authors and Volunteer Engagement professionals Gabriella Civico and Rita Marques examine the ethics of voluntourism. Voluntourism is defined as a form of tourism in which travelers participate in volunteering activities - ranging from tracking sea turtles…

For 17 years, author Sam Clift has worked in Volunteer Engagement, in paid and volunteer roles across museums, arts and educational settings. In his role as the Volunteer Resource Manager for the London Transport Museum, he reported a volunteer satisfaction rating of 93 percent…

Without volunteers, community sporting clubs in Australia would not exist. In 2022, according to reports, sport volunteers comprised the largest volunteer sector in Australia and contributed $4 billion annually in terms of labour to the Australian national economy. But the…

Alongside recruitment and recognition, volunteer retention remains a primary concern of Volunteer Engagement leaders and is one of the basic "3 Rs" of Volunteer Engagement practice.  In addition to ensuring that organizations have the human resources needed to get things done,…

In this issue, Voices revisits two favorite Volunteering Engagement “voices” with arepost of a thought-provoking January 2017 column by the late Susan J. Ellis and RobJackson. In this previously published column, Ellis (the Founder and former Editor ofthis online journal) and…

In this recorded interview and open conversation, Ethics features three Leaders of Volunteers who share their journey to find their ethical voices. Emphasizing the importance of on-the-job learning, mentorship and having a trusted circle of peers, these stories from Theresa…

Those who doubt the value volunteers provide are the Yin to the Yang we share in our dedication to the practice of Volunteer Management. They say, “How do you support the idea that community service has an economic value? Your evidence is fluff!” We say, “Human capital is a…

Part Three of a Four-Part SeriesIn Part Three of the Engage series on "Digital Care Circles," authors Dana Litwin, CVA, and Todd McMullin re-introduce some definitions, examples and constructs for Digital Care Circles and provide more how-to’s for getting them operational in…

While volunteers play a critical role in many organizations, it can be difficult to integrate them seamlessly into day-to-day operations. One particular challenge involves a lack of clarity about the role of volunteers relative to the work of paid staff, which can lead to…

What does the volunteering movement want from politicians in an election year? What efforts should Volunteer Leaders make to try and influence political outcomes and government? What important issues should the sector rally around and why is advocacy in the political arena so…

The Australian volunteering landscape has experienced a fundamental shift. The declining rate of formal volunteering, COVID-19 pandemic and soaring cost of living have created a perfect storm. People are less available and less able to volunteer, despite an exponential increase…

Tim Suda is an experienced Volunteer Engagement professional, and has worked in emergency response Volunteer Leadership with the American Red Cross. However, on January 12, 2023, his life turned upside down when he was caught up in a tornado and became a recipient of the kind of…

"We do it because we are supposed to.""We get the most volunteers this day, but they never come back.""I get anxious about navigating this day." "It's clear the legacy doesn't matter anymore." These are real sentiments about MLK Day of Service and the feelings provoked by…

As organizations strive to meet funder guidelines, legal compliance and internal requirements, the notion of “risk” can become a growing spectre. This leads to rampant over-screening of volunteers that creates barriers for candidates and slows down processes in the name of ‘…

In the summer of 2023, Arizona State University and the Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration hosted more than 100 volunteer administrators in 21 virtual focus groups. The topic was attitudes and experience in making organizations more inviting to a greater…

Few topics have been surrounded in contemporary tech lore as much as “The Blockchain.” At the same time, it’s something of a sleeper phenomenon. An author by the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto published a paper in 2008 that many cite as the blueprint for blockchain technology and…

The title of this article suggests that there are two types of people or even jobs – generalists and specialists. In looking at most professions, we see a mix of the two. Yet when we look at Volunteer Engagement, we would argue that we only see generalists. While there may be…

Have you ever considered the ethical implications of storytelling? Leaders of Volunteers regularly use this critical skill in our daily work in efforts to engage emotion and bring a human side to our data. Storytelling convinces people to care, to support, to volunteer and to…