While people are often open to volunteering when called upon, it can be more difficult to fill volunteer leadership positions in an organization. “I’d love to help with that initiative, but I don’t want to be in charge,” is not an uncommon refrain. Finding suitable people for your board, council, or committee can be especially…
Last Saturday I attended the Alberta Economic Summit hosted by Premier Redford. I, along with 299 other people far smarter than myself, gathered in a room to hear panels of experts tell us about the economic challenges we face in Alberta, and what can be done to address them. Calgary Chamber of Commerce CEO Adam…
Last post, we shared tips 1 and 2 for happy volunteers: know your volunteers’ reasons for volunteering with you, and practice good communication with your volunteers. Here are two more tips for ensuring that your volunteers are enjoying their experience at your organization that will keep them coming back for more. Structure your volunteer opportunities…
If you have ever worked at a nonprofit, I’m sure you already know the value of volunteers. After all, none of our organizations could run without them! Every nonprofit organization has a volunteer board, and in Alberta, 58% of nonprofit organizations operate with no paid staff at all. But, just because we see volunteers doing…
If you’re “most people” you haven’t asked yourself this question in a while, or possibly ever. But, affirming, creating, or updating your brand identity is one of the most important things you can do. But, before you start, what is a brand identity? A brand identity is a concise, but holistic, idea of what your…
Alberta’s unique charitable gaming model is a valuable financial contributor to the robust nonprofit sector Albertans have come to know and rely upon. Provincially, Alberta generates $1.44 billion in annual gaming revenue and the percentage given to nonprofits and charities is invaluable to the sector. According to the Alberta Lottery Fund’s audited 2012 financials, 88%…
One component of Volunteer Alberta’s Volunteer Police Information Check Program is a service that allows you to submit your organization’s screening policies and/or procedures for review before being accepted into the program. Having managed this program since its inception in 2009, I’ve gained a good sense of why people have difficulties with screening. I…
I just finished reading the brilliant book, The Age of Persuasion: How Marketing Ate Our Culture by Terry O’Reilly and Mike Tennant. This was a fantastic book, full of things that remind me why I chose to be a marketer. But, as I finished the book, and remember people’s reactions when I say that I’m…
It’s the most wonderful time of the year… As we approach the holiday season, many nonprofits launch into their capital campaign and annual fundraising efforts. It’s a big time for both staff and volunteers – and everyone is crucial to making these efforts a success. Of course, with so much to do, it’s easy to…
I had heard great things about WordCamp2011, so I knew WordCamp2012 was a going to be a useful professional development experience. WordCamp is a conference revolving around using the open source web development software, WordPress. I was impressed with how incredibly well organized it was, everything from registration to the final keynote. Startup Edmonton were…