Fall Series: Volunteer Workshops (Session 2)

Fall Series: Volunteer Workshops
Let’s make the most of this Fall to focus on how you can effectively recruit, retain, manage and show your appreciation and deepen your relationship with your volunteers. This series of brief, one-hour seminars are designed to be taken as stand-alone sessions or you can attend all four!

 

Session One: Volunteer Recruitment

Wednesday, September 11 at 11:30 a.m.

Volunteers can support your organization in a myriad of ways: time, resources, connections, and more. But how do you effectively recruit volunteers which meet t he needs of your programs? In this interactive workshop, we’ll explore best practices for volunteer recruitment, such as:

• Designing your recruitment strategy

• Creating targeted recruitment communications

• Writing attractive recruitment appeals

• Sweetening the deal: volunteer-benefits-centered recruitment

• Utilizing your agency’s website and social media for recruitment

• Maximizing your networks for volunteer recruitment

• Beyond the initial contact: guiding interested prospects into volunteerism

• And more!

 

Session Two: Volunteer Retention

Wednesday, October 9 at 11:30 a.m.

In this interactive workshop, we’ll delve deep into volunteer appreciation and retention, going beyond the annual recognition luncheon to the core motivations and strategies that keep volunteers engaged and energized for your mission. Together we’ll explore:

• The core motivations/needs of volunteers and how to fulfill them

• Writing a strategic appreciation and retention plan

• Designing your volunteer program for maximized satisfaction and retention

• Creating a motivating environment and preparing volunteers for success

• Engaging your entire organization in volunteer recognition and retention

• Using targeted appreciation to ensure maximum impact of your recognition efforts

Participants will gain an in-depth understanding of volunteer appreciation and retention and leave the workshop with practical strategies to increase volunteer satisfaction and engagement.

 

Session Three: Volunteer Management

Wednesday, November 13 at 11:30 a.m.

Volunteers can support your organization in a myriad of ways: time, resources, connections, and more. But how do you create and maintain a strong volunteer program which meets the needs of your agency while ensuring that volunteers are happy and engaged? In this interactive workshop, we will discuss best practices for the basics of volunteer engagement, such as:

• Volunteer recruitment

• Volunteer intake (application, interview, background, check, etc.) and orientation

• Volunteer job descriptions, handbooks, release forms, and other essential documents

• Volunteer retention and appreciation

Participants will leave the workshop with a comprehensive understanding of basic volunteer engagement best practices, plus excellent resources to help them design and/or update their volunteer engagement program.

 

Session Four: Volunteer Appreciation

Wednesday, December 11 at 11:30 a.m.

Volunteers are crucial to the success of your programs, and true rock stars deserve our thanks! But how can you effectively show your appreciation and deepen your relationship with your volunteers, ensuring that they continue to happily support your organization with their time, resources, and connections? In this interactive workshop, we’ll discuss:

• Volunteer appreciation – beyond the annual luncheon

• Creating lasting relationships with volunteers

• Engaging volunteers as donors, community ambassadors, and advocates

Workshop participants will learn how to:

• Create strategic volunteer appreciation initiatives that make a lasting impact

• Build enduring, mutually beneficial relationships with volunteers

• Cultivate existing volunteer relationships into a deeper level of engagement

 

Sessions will take place the second Wednesday of the month (September-December) from 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. You can register for each session for $25 or all four for $80.

 

 

About the Presenter

Julie Strassman is an experienced volunteer engagement professional and educator, dedicated to helping organizations build mutually beneficial relationships with volunteers. Julie is the Manager of Support Services for Bethesda Hospice Care and has over a decade of experience in volunteer engagement. She passionately believes in utilizing best practices to create and sustain volunteer programs that mutually benefit organizations and their volunteers.

Julie currently serves with the Greater St. Louis Hospice Organization (GSLHO) Volunteer Coordinator Cohort. She has served on the board of the Metropolitan Volunteer Management Association (MVMA) as the VP of Programming, and was awarded MVMA’s Volunteer Director of the Year in 2019. She has also served on the Certification Committee for the United Way of Greater St. Louis’ Volunteer Center. She has presented on volunteer engagement best practices for many local and national nonprofit organizations, including MVMA, Send Me St. Louis, CASA, YNPN, Nonprofit Marketers – STL, Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, Lindenwood University, University of Missouri – St. Louis, and the We Raise Foundation.

 

Register HERE