In every community, there is a volunteer who shows up for every single shift and sometimes takes on extra work without being asked. There are board members who have offered their governance expertise for years, often across multiple organizations. These are the people we count on to keep showing up, and the question is: do…
This past February, our team explored how acts of kindness can support wellbeing. Our month-long initiative, Winter Whimsy, gave VA staff the chance to show kindness and create moments of joy, connection, and care. By Erin Navarro and Francine Wong Zentner Making Space for Care January can be a tough month. Shorter days, colder weather,…
Though background checks are intended to protect vulnerable populations, they often uphold systemic barriers, especially for folks navigating inequities tied to race, income, or mental health. In this blog, guest writer Jose Guevarra explains how goal-based, relationship-centred, and healing-informed screening practices can help to align volunteer screening practices with values of trust, dignity, and inclusion….
Vulnerable Sector Checks are intended to protect communities, but overreliance on them can unintentionally exclude potential volunteers—especially those from marginalized backgrounds. Restorative justice calls for a more balanced approach that values growth, equity, and inclusivity. Thank you to VA Volunteer Jose Guevarra for writing this article and shedding some light on equity and inclusivity in…
Re-imagining Volunteerism: Bridging the Gap Between Formal Service and Community Care Our friends from InWithForward have written this informative post about the focus of (Re)Engaged and the ‘what,’ ‘why,’ and ‘how’ of using a generative research approach to understand how we may re-imagine volunteerism to bridge the gap between formal volunteering and informal volunteering. Volunteerism…
October is Cyber Security Awareness Month and our friends at Co-operators want your organization to stay safe. Here are some valuable cyber security insights. In today’s fast-evolving digital climate, cyber security impacts every organization. Non-profits, charities and community groups often collect and store sensitive data — including personal details of employees and volunteers. Taking extra…
Our partners at Co-operators have shared an article on how insurance protects organizations and their volunteers. Co-operators is here to help you manage risk so you can get back to what matters most: making a difference in your community. As someone who works with non-profit organizations and volunteers, you understand the value that’s created when…
Volunteer management is an integral part of any nonprofit organization. At its core, a volunteer manager’s role involves ensuring that volunteers are actively engaged through proper inclusion, training, and recognition. These elements are key to promoting volunteer well-being, which in turn fosters greater retention over time. In this second blog post of our Volunteer Specialist…
Recruiting volunteers can be one of the toughest challenges nonprofit organizations face. At the heart of all recruitment processes are 3 key questions: In this first blog post of our new Volunteer Coordinator Resource Series, we’ll take a look at these key questions to gain a high-level understanding of what the recruitment process looks like…
October is Cyber Security Awareness Month and our friends from the Co-operators are sharing important insights on how to keep safe online with the essentials of cyber insurance coverage. Cyber security continues to be one of the biggest risks – topping the annual business “Risk In Focus” survey at ICAEW 1 – for businesses; with…