United Nations Volunteers is set to issue its State of the World's Volunteering Report. In this spirit of celebration and reflection, Susan looks back at all that has happened professionally in our field - things we have done or were done to us - and asks for your retrospectives, too.
The majority of people who lead volunteer involvement do so only part-time, showing a serious disconnect between an organization's desire to engage volunteers and an understanding of how much expertise and time are needed to ensure success.
Susan offers 8 essential approaches to generate greater support from top management - using the tools leaders of volunteers already have in more powerful ways.
Some truly wonderful and provocative blogs have emerged recently. Here are some by authors who are willing - in fact, determined - to address philosophy, ethics, and the "big questions" facing the volunteer field.
Inexplicably, the subject of volunteer involvement is still far from a priority in most organizations. Susan highlights succinct key points to use as "sound bites" or "elevator speeches" in advocacy for our work. Share yours.
Many want a universally-accepted credential to "professionalize" volunteer management. The problem is that we are in danger of settling for a one-size-fits-all accreditation that is too narrow in scope and much too low-level in status.
In the face of serious budget cuts facing the U.S. Corporation for National and Community Service, guest contributor Paula Beugen wonders if the Corporation needs a serious makeover no matter the budget.
Volunteer recognition is a powerful tool for leaders of volunteers that remains largely underutilized. Susan offers some new perspectives on saying thank you in strategic ways.
Is Mother Nature or the economy getting you down? Could you use a good laugh? Energize runs a contest to find volunteer-related humor.
Around the world, too many professional associations of volunteer resource managers are struggling. Whether we work globally or locally, virtually or face-to-face, we will make progress only if we perceive associating as power.
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