Here at Volunteer Alberta, we keep our finger on the pulse of volunteer trends in Alberta and across the country. Two strong trends we have noticed over the past couple years: skilled volunteerism and student involvement. Skilled Volunteerism Skilled volunteers share unique skills or talents. Volunteers may share professional skills (accountants, lawyers, veterinarians, or photographers),…
I found lots of tools for supporting interpersonal relationships, including workplace dynamics, at a mindfulness-based counselling workshop I recently attended, offered by Hakomi Edmonton. I wrote about one in my last blog on different staff needs, values, and motivations. One of the most useful tools I gained at the workshop is the idea of expansive…
“Managers of volunteers work hard to make sure volunteer programs run smoothly. They care about keeping volunteers fulfilled and engaged. And volunteers who feel fulfilled in their roles are more likely to stick to their volunteer commitments. That’s something worth celebrating.” -Volunteer Canada November 5 is International Volunteer Managers Day – an opportunity to recognize…
This article originally appeared on the Ontario Nonprofit Network (ONN) blog October 17, 2016. ONN has heard a lot about what works and what doesn’t when it comes to funding. Through our policy work, and our outreach and engagement of our network and working groups of nonprofit leaders, we’ve heard from organizations of all sizes…
I recently attended a two-part mindfulness-based counselling workshop: Working with Couples from a Hakomi Perspective, offered by Hakomi Edmonton. While this may not sound like it would directly connect to work at Volunteer Alberta, I was curious how this mindfulness approach to interpersonal relationships might relate to nonprofit staff management and brought back some insights…
This article originally appeared in FuseSocial‘s September 27, 2016 newsletter. Organizations need volunteers more then ever, and the good news is; people want to volunteer! But volunteerism has changed and volunteer expectations have evolved. It’s no longer enough to just put out a generic “call for volunteers” and then treat them all alike when they…
In May, Alberta experienced an unprecedented natural disaster. The entire city of Fort McMurray, along with nearby communities, were deeply impacted by wildfires. People were evacuated, homes and neighbourhoods were lost, families were separated, and jobs were interrupted, some indefinitely. Alberta Strong was our province’s response to the wildfires. People across Alberta in all sectors…
“Volunteers want to be thanked and shown how they have made a difference – they want to know the impact of their contributions.” -2013 Volunteer Recognition Study, by Volunteer Canada As nonprofit organizations, we all rely on volunteers to meet our missions. With 24,800 nonprofit organization in Alberta, it is clear that the spirit of…
Earlier this year, we shared three ways that being privacy conscious can improve your organization’s reputation. By being privacy conscious you can help strengthen your organization’s reputation, enhance the trust in your staff, and even increase the loyalty of donors, participants, and volunteers. So what steps can your organization take to improve your privacy practices?…
This post originally appeared on the Tamarack Institute blog on July 25, 2016. Join Tamarack in Toronto this September for the Community Change Institute! Last week, Tamarack’s Liz Weaver and Paul Born hosted a webinar on Community Change: The Art of Disruption as part of a Community Change Webinar Series. In this conversation Liz and…