The three books I wrote on volunteer engagement came at different stages of my career. I wrote them with you, the leader of volunteers, in mind as I realized the version of volunteerism I was experiencing differed from the accepted norm. They are available on Amazon. (links provided-just tap on the photos) Thank you in advance for checking them out. Reviews are most welcome.
My first book, “The Volunteer Shelf Life,” created my blog and podcast. I wrote it because I couldn’t justify my feelings of guilt when a volunteer stopped volunteering, or when asked to leave, and so I studied the reasons volunteers left, and whether retention was the goal versus the impact they had while they volunteered. Did we value longevity over value?
My second book, also available on Amazon, was written after many years in volunteer management. As I thought about engaging volunteers, I realized outdated thinking and a lack of a solid foundation had caged volunteerism in an ancient belief system, one which crippled volunteering’s potential. I thought about how to construct an exceptional volunteer program, step-by-step, one that would benefit the organization, the volunteers, and the communities we exist to serve.
My third book, The Volunteer Engagement, Impact and Value Workbook, is the book I wish I’d had when I began my career. Volunteer engagement is more than recruiting, assigning and retaining volunteers; it’s about creating meaningful experiences for the volunteer, the organization and those whom it serves. It’s about demonstrating impact and recognizing the value volunteers bring. It takes planning and a workable vision. The Volunteer Engagement, Impact and Value Workbook is a practical, journal-style resource designed for volunteer engagement and nonprofit professionals who want to strengthen every aspect of their volunteer engagement efforts.
Through writing prompts, this workbook encourages users to explore the full volunteer journey, step by step, from discovering who your ideal volunteer is, to recruitment ads and role descriptions, to onboarding, recognition, retention, measuring impact and value, challenging situations, creating staff buy-in and building community. Whether you are new to volunteer engagement or a seasoned practitioner, this workbook provides space to capture your ideas and confidently develop actionable strategies tailored to your vision for success. Beyond a tool for organizing your volunteer engagement, impact and value ideas, the prompts help you generate reports that capture all the benefits of a vibrant volunteer program, shape your vision, and discover your voice as a leader of volunteers.
Divided into sections, the workbook gathers all those hastily scribbled notes and ideas that pop in the middle of the night into an organized space where ideas flow from one to another into a workable vision for moving volunteer engagement forward. It is a place to sort through the building blocks of an exceptional volunteer program and to plan them into action.
Thank you for visiting this page and for checking out these books.
-Meridian
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