Meaningful Engagement with Volunteer Communities
The theme for this years’ International Volunteer Manager’s Day (IVMDay 2021) is ‘What is Excellence? – Pushing us beyond the ordinary’. When I think of excellence...
Leading a Volunteer Program Through a Pandemic
International Volunteer Managers Day on the 5th November is fast approaching and the theme for this year is ‘what’s next?’ The COVID-19 global pandemic has challenged...
The Connection Between Volunteers and Philanthropy
Giving Australia (2017) has highlighted the strong connection between volunteers and philanthropy and noted that volunteers have a higher giving participation rate and a higher average...
Employee Supported Volunteering to Build NFP Capacity
Employee Supported Volunteering (ESV), also referred to as corporate volunteering has the potential to accelerate the capability and capacity in not-for-profits (NFP). For clarity, when discussing...
Propel Your Efficiency with Volunteer Software
To increase the sustainability of volunteer involvement, a leader of volunteers is required to utilise resources in the most efficient way possible. Embracing technology provides an...
Group Interviews to Engage, Inform and Select
Introducing group interviews to your volunteer recruitment process is a valuable way to increase engagement with applicants and volunteers. Done well, group interviews are an effective...
Collaboration for a Stronger Volunteer Sector
As volunteer engagement professionals, we aspire for volunteers to be appreciated for their important role in our communities. We strive to increase our understanding of the...
Setting Clear Expectations to Minimise Conflict
Having difficult conversations and managing conflict is an unfortunate reality for a leader of volunteers. These discussions can be awkward, challenging and may create anxiety for...
The Art of Reflection in Volunteer Management
Everyday there is an opportunity for leaders of volunteers to develop and improve their leadership capabilities and this doesn’t necessarily need to involve expensive training, specialist...
Appreciate Your Volunteers Through Integration
This year National Volunteer Week will be celebrated in Australia on May 21st-27th. Whilst it’s important to regognise and celebrate volunteers during National Volunteer Week, it...
Align Your Volunteer Strategy with Organisational Goals
Developing a volunteer strategy provides a framework to build a strong and sustainable volunteering culture within your organisation. Through the development of a volunteer strategy, you...
Building Capacity Through Volunteer Leadership
In a world where people are increasingly time poor, volunteering competes with work commitments, family and recreational activities. As a result, many individuals are seeking a...
Develop Partnerships to Support Your Volunteer Program
Being a leader of volunteers certainly comes with many complex challenges. For many, one particularly difficult challenge is discovering ways to increase the effectiveness of the...
How To Cultivate a Passionate Volunteer Community
A sense of community and connectedness is likely the strongest influencer in determining how long a volunteer remains with your organisation. Fostering a sense of a...
Creating Sustainable Volunteer Engagement
Today, November 5th is International Volunteer Managers Day and Flutterbye’s first birthday. The premise for Flutterbye is ‘sustainable volunteering’ with the aim of increasing the long...
Effective Leadership in Volunteer Programs
Regardless title, if you lead and manage volunteers you’re in a position which requires the continuous development, refinement and improvement of your leadership skills. Through your...
Effective Storytelling in Volunteer Programs
Storytelling has the capacity to inspire, evoke emotion, communicate ideas and to create a connection. Through the use of storytelling, leaders of volunteers can promote their...
Data Driven Decision Making in a Volunteer Program
The use of data and analytics to support informed and evidence based decision making is a powerful tool to employ when improving a volunteer program. Recognising...
Addressing the Human Side of Risk Management
The emerging discipline of risk management is a growing organisational requirement that leaders and managers of volunteers have increasingly been expected to address more and more...
How to Influencing as a Leader of Volunteers
Dale Carnegie’s ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’ contains timeless insights which can be beneficial for those managing and leading volunteers. Fostering positive relationships with...
Improving the Flow of a Volunteer Recruitment Process
An effective and sustainable volunteer program should utilise resources in the most effiective way possible to support the achievement of organisational strategic objectives. Simultaneously it is...
Volunteer Managers: Stand up and Advocate
Leaders and managers of volunteers often experience frustration and annoyance specific to the lack of awareness about their role. How often have you told someone you...
Applying a Customer Mindset to a Volunteer Program
Have you ever thought about considering a volunteer as though they were your customer? Do they have an expectation about your volunteer program? Yes, absolutely. It...
Volunteer Management – Are You Change Ready?
Have you ever been responsible for developing and launching a new program, procedure, system or guideline across your organisation and to your volunteers? What about volunteer...
Welcome to Flutterbye – Join the Conversation
For over ten years now I’ve had the absolute pleasure of working in Volunteer Management across the not-for-profit and local government sectors. Working alongside volunteers who...