The VolunteerMatters Podcast

The Y Changed Our Lives—Now We Help Them Change the World | Ep 22

“The Y is more than a gym and swim — it’s a powerful force for good, driven by dedicated volunteers.” 👉🏻 Want a guide to the YMCA & VolunteerMatters partnership? Downloa

From Eyeballs to Action: How to Actually Recruit Volunteers | Ep 21

“The number one reason volunteers don’t engage is fear of the unknown." 👉🏻 Want a guide to recruiting volunteers? Download the FREE guide: https://public.volunteermatter

Training That Scales: How to Train Volunteers Consistently Across Locations | Ep 20

“Training that needs to be repeated adds a layer of complexity most nonprofits aren’t tracking well.” 👉🏻 Want a guide to scaling volunteer training? Download the FREE gu

Trust Your People: Why Empowered Teams Outperform | Ep 19

“The higher you go, the less you should be doing. Your job is to equip, empower, and get out of the way." 👉🏻 Want a guide to building a strong volunteerism team? Downloa

How to Re-Engage Lapsed Volunteers and Boost Retention | Ep 18

“Retaining volunteers is 70% less expensive than recruiting new ones—so why aren't we doing more to bring them back?"  👉🏻 Want a guide to re-engaging volunteers?  D

Origin Story of VolunteerMatters | Ep 17

Sophia interviews Mark, President and Co-Founder of VolunteerMatters, to uncover the inspiring origin story of the company. Mark shares his journey from custom software d

Tracking Volunteer Hours with Confidence | Ep 16

Whether you're running a small program or managing thousands of volunteers, knowing how to accurately track hours is a game-changer for funding, program efficiency,

Barriers, Benefits, and Balance: Volunteers are Not Employees | Ep 15

We address HR professionals stepping into the world of volunteer management—an increasingly common trend as seasoned HR leaders transition from for-profit to nonprofit ro

Volunteering in Senior Living Communities | Ep 14

Episode 14 | In this episode, we discuss the incredible impact that volunteer programs can have in senior living communities. From fostering meaningful connections to imp

Corporate Volunteering: The Win-Win Mindset Every Nonprofit Needs to Know | Ep 13

Tune in with us to explore the multifaceted benefits of corporate volunteering, providing insights into how nonprofit organizations can harness these programs to deepen i

How to Handle Bad Volunteers | Ep 12

Mark and Sophia tackle a tough but necessary topic for nonprofits: dealing with "bad volunteers." They break down what it means to have a "bad" volunteer, distinguishing

The Difference Between Volunteer Orientation & Training (And Why It Matters) | Ep 11

In this episode, Mark and Sophia clarify the important distinctions between volunteer orientation and training. These two elements often get confused, but each plays a un

Volunteer Email Communications: How to Engage Volunteers Effectively | Ep 10

Mark and Sophia explore the role of email communication in volunteer management. They discuss why email remains a powerful tool to engage, recruit, and inspire volunteers

Choosing the Best Training Format for Your Volunteers | Ep 9

Mark and Sophia discuss the essentials of training volunteers effectively. They explore various training types, scheduling methods, and best practices to create confident

Document Uploads & Certifications for Volunteers | Ep 8

In this episode, Sophia and Mark tackle a commonly time-intensive aspect of volunteer management: collecting, reviewing, and securely storing volunteer certifications and

Simplify Volunteer Onboarding with Digital Agreements | Ep 7

Sophia and Mark dive into an essential topic in all volunteer programs: Volunteer Electronic Agreements. They address the growing importance of volunteer agreements, disc

Volunteer Vetting: When to Background Check Volunteers | Ep 6

We delve into the critical process of conducting background checks for volunteers. Understanding when and how to implement these checks is essential for maintaining a saf

Allowing minors to volunteer? Listen to THIS first. | Ep 5

The Future of Volunteering: Best Practices for Minor Volunteers This episode focuses on the critical aspects of involving minors in volunteer activities within nonprofit

Mastering the Art of Volunteer Applications | Ep 4

We explore the elements that make a great volunteer application. Learn what information to ask for and how to structure your application to attract the right candidates f

These ARE the ingredients, to an extraordinary volunteer program | Ep 3

Episode 3 | The Recipe for an Extraordinary Volunteer Program Welcome to this episode of our podcast, where we delve into a unique six-step recipe to maximize the power