177. Manage Volunteers Like a Pro: 7 Rookie Mistakes and How to Avoid Them Artwork

Volunteer Nation

Nonprofit leadership author, coach, and expert Tobi Johnson shares weekly tips to help charities build, grow, and scale exceptional volunteer teams. Discover how your nonprofit can effectively coordinate volunteers who are reliable, equipped, and ready to help you bring about BIG change for the better. Rather than continuing to “do more with less,” achieve abundance for your organization by engaging community talent that helps you do more with more. Society is evolving and so, too, is volunteerism. With over 25 years of experience working in nonprofits, public sector agencies, and grassroots campaigns Tobi is known for her modern “big hat” thinking and straight talk about what it takes to achieve success in today’s world. You will learn how to coordinate volunteers, improve the volunteer experience, recruit volunteers, appreciate volunteers, and do it all more efficiently with the right volunteer management software and digital tools. It’s a mix of interviews and solo shows you’re not going to want to miss. So, if you’re ready to ditch the stress and harness the power of people to fuel your good work, you’re in exactly the right place. Hit subscribe and let’s DO this!

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Volunteer Nation

177. Manage Volunteers Like a Pro: 7 Rookie Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

August 28, 2025 • Tobi Johnson, MA, CVA

In this episode of the Volunteer Nation Podcast, Tobi Johnson dives into the 7 common rookie mistakes non-profits make when managing volunteers and shares practical strategies to help volunteer managers reduce stress and rediscover the joy in their work.

Tobi highlights the power of maintaining a positive mindset, setting clear boundaries, and focusing on community-building over paperwork. She also shares actionable tips for creating effective systems for delegation, engaging episodic volunteers for long-term impact, and prioritizing warm, relationship-driven recruitment strategies.

Whether you’re a seasoned volunteer manager or just starting out, this episode is packed with insights to make volunteer management more effective and more enjoyable.

Full show notes: 177. Manage Volunteers Like a Pro: 7 Rookie Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Manage Volunteers - Episode Highlights

[03:45] - Rookie Mistake #1: Not Minding Your Mindset
[07:53] - Rookie Mistake #2: The Department of One Mentality
[13:00] - Rookie Mistake #3: Choosing Paperwork Over People
[16:39] - Rookie Mistake #4: Not Building a Community Before Asking for Volunteers
[22:41] - Rookie Mistake #5: Not Setting Clear Boundaries
[26:39] - Rookie Mistake #6: Focusing on Cold vs. Warm Recruitment
[28:27] - Rookie Mistake #7: Not Building and Documenting Clear Systems

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Thanks for listening to this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast. If you enjoyed it, please be sure to subscribe, rate, and review so we can reach more people like you who want to improve the impact of their good cause.

For more tips and notes from the show, check us out at TobiJohnson.com. For any comments or questions, email us at WeCare@VolPro.net.

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Tobi Johnson, MA, CVA

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