What does Volunteer Alberta mean by skilled volunteerism? At Volunteer Alberta, we often speak of and promote skilled volunteerism and the value skilled volunteers can bring to nonprofit organizations. But what do we mean by “highly skilled volunteers”? Highly skilled volunteers include any volunteer that offers specific skills, knowledge, or expertise in an area where…
Rebecca Swanson started her volunteering journey back in high school and has since volunteered for over 20 years. Swanson’s involvement in volunteerism first began when her friends started to volunteer as a way to spend more time with people she knew. However, what motivated her to volunteer after high school was the idea of supporting…
How we can support and welcome newcomers Supporting and welcoming newcomers to Canada grows our communities and makes our communities more vibrant, diverse and strong. But, the integration process for newcomers is not easy. In 2016, Paula Speevak from Volunteer Canada wrote the following about nonprofits’ and volunteers’ roles in assisting Syrian refugees: “Integration is…
Imagine a room full of people excitedly anticipating for a concert to start. The room goes dark, lights flood the stage, and the crowd goes wild as the headliner takes the stage. But, this night isn’t just for anyone. This concert is exclusively for dedicated volunteers who generously donate their time to their community. What is…
[su_note note_color=”#DDDAE8″ radius=”9″] Make sure you’ve read part 1 of Jodi’s story! [/su_note] Getting creative Jodi was inspired and wanted to read more about how to improve her volunteer engagement, so she dove into the Volunteer Recognition Study published by Volunteer Canada in 2013… she found it highly relevant and insightful. It highlighted that volunteer…
Our blog today is in the form of a story… one part fictional story, informed by real-world information, one part practical information that might help change the way you work, one part mindset shift that could change the way you think, and one part shameless promotion of helpful resources and information. The tale of a Volunteer Manager who…
The hands that give are never truly empty. – Gabby Gibbs, Leader of Tomorrow If there is one thing I have experienced as a volunteer, it is that I am surrounded by individuals who love as if it is their last day on earth regardless of where I happen to be. I have been involved…