Tobi gets asked all the time about volunteer recognition and appreciation strategies and tips. And while she can (and has!) shared how to write an effective thank-you letter or create an engaging recognition strategy, real volunteer appreciation is about more than that. It’s about creating a well-run program that meets your volunteer’s core needs.  

We need to thank our volunteers for their unique contributions and express our gratitude. But what really keeps volunteers coming back is a well-managed experience where volunteers feel purpose, find community, and get things done. 

Full show notes: 024-The Best Volunteer Recognition is a Well-Run Program

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast. If you enjoyed it, please be sure to subscribe, rate, and review so we can reach more people like you who want to improve the impact of their good cause.

For more tips and notes from the show, check us out at TobiJohnson.com. For any comments or questions, email us at [email protected].

Tobi is well-known for her big energy and ability to produce high levels of quality content. However, like many nonprofit leaders, Tobi has struggled in the past with feelings of burnout and loss of energy.   

She started paying attention and investigating what might help get over the hump, and in this week’s podcast, she’s going to be your crash test dummy! She’s sharing what she knows, and what you can do to build back the energy you may have lost over the past couple of years. 

Full show notes: 023-Secrets to Managing Time and Energy

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast. If you enjoyed it, please be sure to subscribe, rate, and review so we can reach more people like you who want to improve the impact of their good cause.

For more tips and notes from the show, check us out at TobiJohnson.com. For any comments or questions, email us at [email protected].

Do you celebrate your successes, large and small?  Most people don’t. We tend to minimize or negate our wins and quickly move on to the next thing. 

It can be very easy to only focus on problems, challenges, and goals, but sharing wins with your team reminds both staff and volunteers of all the reasons your organization exists, and all the good your team is accomplishing together every day in big and small ways. 

In this week's podcast, Tobi is leading by example and sharing her most cherished wins from her 30+ years in nonprofit leadership and management!

Full show notes:  022-My Fave 6 Nonprofit Leadership and Management Wins

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast. If you enjoyed it, please be sure to subscribe, rate, and review so we can reach more people like you who want to improve the impact of their good cause.

For more tips and notes from the show, check us out at TobiJohnson.com. For any comments or questions, email us at [email protected].

A lot has changed in the last two years, and there are likely a lot of reasons why volunteers have not yet returned to your organization. Questions of safety, fear about getting back out there after so much time has passed, doubts about skill and the continued ability to contribute…it can feel like a lot to unpack and attempt to resolve.  

However, there are some simple actions you can take to engage volunteers who may have lapsed in service. In week’s podcast, Tobi examines the top reasons why volunteers may be hesitant to return to service and how volunteer leaders can help them overcome those doubts in a compassionate and confident way. 

Full show notes: 021-Engage Volunteers with a Win-Back Campaign

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast. If you enjoyed it, please be sure to subscribe, rate, and review so we can reach more people like you who want to improve the impact of their good cause.

For more tips and notes from the show, check us out at TobiJohnson.com. For any comments or questions, email us at [email protected].

Online volunteering has some unique challenges, especially in the areas of community and retention. However, those opportunities can provide great satisfaction and purpose if you approach them the right way.

Tobi takes a look at current trends for online volunteer opportunities and gives you 10 tips to make your job posts more effective, productive, and attractive to potential recruits.   

Full show notes: 020-How to Design Irresistible Online Volunteer Opportunities

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast. If you enjoyed it, please be sure to subscribe, rate, and review so we can reach more people like you who want to improve the impact of their good cause.

For more tips and notes from the show, check us out at TobiJohnson.com. For any comments or questions, email us at [email protected].

Originally used by businesses to improve customer service, journey mapping can also be applied to improving the volunteer experience of onboarding, training, and serving within your organization.    

Journey mapping is a way of becoming a more purposeful architect of the volunteer experience. The process starts by identifying the key steps in your process and when you are most likely to lose volunteers. 

In this week’s podcast, Tobi breaks down the steps to create the ideal journey map for your volunteers, and explains how this map can improve the overall volunteer experience for your team. 

Full show notes: 019-Improve the Volunteer Experience with a Journey Map

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast. If you enjoyed it, please be sure to subscribe, rate, and review so we can reach more people like you who want to improve the impact of their good cause.

For more tips and notes from the show, check us out at TobiJohnson.com. For any comments or questions, email us at [email protected].

As effective as email is for communication, it lacks the immediacy and relational feel that instant messaging can give. Email inboxes have a way of accumulating inbound messages, and important information can sometimes get lost in the digital clutter.

In this week’s episode, Tobi shares how her team at VolunteerPro has been implementing tools like Slack for a couple of years, why they are an improvement over email or text messages in some situations, and how to effectively use them to help remote volunteer teams stay in touch.

Full show notes: 018-How to Use Slack to Strengthen Volunteer Teams

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast. If you enjoyed it, please be sure to subscribe, rate, and review so we can reach more people like you who want to improve the impact of their good cause.

For more tips and notes from the show, check us out at TobiJohnson.com. For any comments or questions, email us at [email protected].

After 30+ years working with nonprofit organizations and more than a decade of nonprofit consulting, Tobi Johnson knows a thing or two about the sector.   

It hasn’t always been an easy road, and in this week’s podcast, Tobi shares her wisdom and some hard-won lessons from along the way with these top 12 nonprofit leadership tips.   

Full show notes: 017-My Top 12 Nonprofit Leadership Tips Learned the Hard Way

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast. If you enjoyed it, please be sure to subscribe, rate, and review so we can reach more people like you who want to improve the impact of their good cause.

For more tips and notes from the show, check us out at TobiJohnson.com. For any comments or questions, email us at [email protected].

In this week’s podcast, Tobi chats with Joan Garry, founder of the Nonprofit Leadership Lab, on the topic of nonprofit boards.  

This unique subset of service-minded leaders is often overlooked when discussing volunteers. Tobi and Joan take a closer look at the specific needs of this group and share some action steps to diversify and strategically fill your own nonprofit board with the right people for the job.     

Full show notes: 016-Nonprofit Boards with Joan Garry

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast. If you enjoyed it, please be sure to subscribe, rate, and review so we can reach more people like you who want to improve the impact of their good cause.

For more tips and notes from the show, check us out at TobiJohnson.com. For any comments or questions, email us at [email protected].

Take a moment to think about your current online volunteer postings. Do those postings share the inspiring mission of your organization? Do they include photos of happy volunteers in action, and share why the posted opportunity is needed and important?  

Or do your posts simply list the shift, the day, and the duties, hoping that somebody out there just really wants to come work for free?

When you take the time to consider how you are messaging your volunteer opportunities, you can better see ways to more effectively recruit volunteers online by building a sense of vision and value.   

In this week’s podcast, Tobi welcomes guest Jennifer Bennett from VolunteerMatch to discuss effective strategies for recruiting volunteers online, and what to do if your current online recruiting efforts are being met with the sound of chirping crickets.

Full show notes:  015-Recruiting Volunteers Online with Jennifer Bennett

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast. If you enjoyed it, please be sure to subscribe, rate, and review so we can reach more people like you who want to improve the impact of their good cause.

For more tips and notes from the show, check us out at TobiJohnson.com. For any comments or questions, email us at [email protected].