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!
Episodes
146 episodes
146. Expanding Volunteer Jobs to Be Done at Your Nonprofit
In this episode of the Volunteer Nation Podcast, Tobi dives into the art of expanding volunteer roles within nonprofits. Inspired by a recent workshop, she breaks down the essential steps to designing an effective volunteer program that truly m...
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29:41
145. Build Your Program with the NEW VolunteerPro Volunteer Impact Lab!
In this episode of the Volunteer Nation Podcast, Tobi introduces the newly rebranded VolunteerPro Impact Lab, a community dedicated to supporting volunteer-driven organizations in their program development...
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27:21
144. Bringing a Collectivist Spirit to Nonpartisan Volunteer Work with Britt Hogue
In this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast, Tobi is joined by the Founder of the Collective Good, Britt Hogue. The pair discuss the importance of bringing a collectivist spirit to nonpartisan volunteer work, especially in divisive politics...
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59:30
143. 3 Big Problems with Your Volunteer Recruitment Flyer
In the first episode of 2025, Tobi shares her insights on developing an impactful volunteer recruitment flyer. She discusses common problems, such as lack of audience targeting, incomplete journey planning, and ineffective distribution strategi...
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18:10
142. Our Top 6 Volunteer Nation Podcast Episodes from 2024
In this holiday-themed episode of The Volunteer Nation Podcast, host Tobi Johnson shares the top 6 Volunteer Nation Podcast episodes from 2024! Themes include transitioning from doer to nonprofit leader, transforming volunteer leadership, succe...
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31:43
141. 8 Ways to Build Capacity with Volunteer Teams
In this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast, Tobi shares 8 practical ways to build capacity with volunteer teams. These include leadership development, community engagement, program development and evaluation, and technology and data manage...
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24:39
140. Volunteer Performance Issues – How to (Finally) Have that Chat!
In this episode of the Volunteer Nation Podcast, Tobi discusses practical strategies for addressing volunteer performance issues. She introduces a structured approach called the 'Great Communications Model' and emphasizes the importance of sett...
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39:39
139. Unpacking Volunteer Retention Issues: A Case Study
In this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast, Tobi unpacks volunteer retention issues using a real-life case study from a Reddit post titled 'I'm never volunteering for a food bank ever again.' Tobi reads the post in its entirety and offers ...
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25:53
138. Building Community in an Uncertain (and Sometimes Scary) World
In this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast, Tobi Johnson shares an insightful discussion from a recent VolunteerPro membership coaching call. The episode dives deep into ways to create safe, inclusive ...
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44:19
137. Volunteer Stats, Trends, and Benchmarks We're Researching Right Now
In this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast, Tobi Johnson celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Volunteer Management Progress Report survey. Tobi reflects on the evolution of the survey over the past decade and its significant contribution...
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46:58
136. Getting Back to Neighboring with Breauna Dorelus
In this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast, Tobi Johnson discusses the concept of neighboring and its importance in building and sustaining volunteer programs with guest, Breauna Dorelus. They explore the idea of neighboring a...
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1:21:22
135. How to Use Video Storytelling to Connect with Aaron Walton and Emmanuel LeGrair
In this episode of the Volunteer Nation Podcast, Tobi Johnson delves into the potent potential of video storytelling in nonprofit and volunteer sectors. Joined by video storytelling experts Aaron Walton and Emmanuel LeGrair, this discussion foc...
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1:10:17
134. 8 Annual Planning Mistakes & How to Avoid Them
In this episode of the Volunteer Nation Podcast, Tobi explores the importance of annual planning for volunteer services and shares personal experiences of the challenges faced when a plan is absent. Tobi outlines eight common mistakes made duri...
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39:58
133. My Secrets to Building Buy In & Reducing Resistance to Change
In this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast, Tobi Johnson delves into her secrets to building buy in and reducing resistance to change within nonprofit organizations. Drawing on her extensive 25-year background in the nonprofit sector, Tobi...
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36:05
132. Volunteerism in Australia Part 2 - A National Strategy with Zac Reimers and Sarah Wilson
In the second part of this interview, Tobi discusses the implementation and future of Australia’s National Strategy for Volunteering with Zac Reimers and Sarah Wilson. They cover key challenges such as adapting to post-COVID realities, managing...
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39:49
131. Volunteerism in Australia Part 1 - A National Strategy with Zac Reimers and Sarah Wilson
In this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast, Tobi invites Zac Reimers and Sarah Wilson onto the show to talk about volunteerism in Australia, focusing on the development and implementation of Australia's National Strategy. Zac ...
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51:24
130. How to Build a Volunteer Plan for 2025
In this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast, Tobi Johnson provides practical advice on how to build a strategic volunteer plan for 2025. As we approach Q4 of 2024, Tobi discusses the importance of aligning volunteer activities with organiza...
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33:23
129. Paid or Volunteer Role? A Simple Checklist
In this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast, Tobi provides a thorough guide on distinguishing between paid and volunteer roles within nonprofit organizations. Tobi offers a simple checklist and key considerations involving legal implication...
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34:32
128. Insurance for Volunteers - Do You Need It? with William Henry
In this episode of the Volunteer Nation Podcast, Tobi invites William Henry onto the podcast to discuss the critical yet often overlooked topic of insurance for volunteers. They delve into the need-to-have and nice-to-have insurance policies fo...
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1:02:54
127. Volunteer Centric, Community Centric, Organization Centric: What's the Difference?
In this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast, Tobi delves into the different approaches to volunteer engagement: volunteer-centric, community-centric, and organization-centric. Tobi provides insights on the significance of each approach, the...
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34:47
126. 8 Ways to Empower, Not Rescue Nonprofit Employees & Volunteers
In this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast, Tobi shares the 8 ways to empower, not rescue nonprofit employees and volunteers. She discusses the importance of coaching skills for nonprofit professionals who work with volunteers, highlightin...
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41:15
125. Diversity & Women in the Workplace: Claim You Space with Amira Barger
In this episode of the Volunteer Nation Podcast, Tobi Johnson invites strategic communications and marketing counselor, Amira Barger for an enlightening discussion on diversity and women in the workplace. They explore the unique challenges face...
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1:04:49
124. Equity Tools for Nonprofits Volunteerism with Faiza Venzant
In this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast, Tobi Johnson invites Faiza Venzant onto the show to discuss equity tools for nonprofits volunteerism. They highlight the ADEVI project and the Equity to Action Toolkit, which has been designed to...
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1:09:22
123. New Research on the Benefits of Volunteering with Samantha Barlow
In this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast, Tobi invites Samantha Barlow onto the show to talk about new research on the benefits of volunteering. They delve into the benefits for both volunteers and communities, the evolving role of volun...
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48:53
122. Rethinking Community Involvement with Ruth Leonard
In this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast, Tobi invites Ruth Leonard back onto the show and delve into rethinking community involvement, specifically talking about the key themes from Ruth's book, Volunteer Involvement: An Introduction to...
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1:01:55