volunteerplaintalk

Category: podcast

  • VPT Podcast Episode 5: Tracey O’Neill, Manager of Volunteer Engagement at Austin Health in Melbourne, Australia

    Volunteer Plain Talk Podcast Episode 5

    Helping to create a positive culture of volunteering in many organisations can be tough work for leaders of volunteer engagement.  How do you ensure that volunteers feel valued by everyone, from the CEO and board down to the frontline staff? How do you have an impact on strengthening the value and impact of volunteerism when you, as a leader, already feel invisible or unheard?

    Tracey O’Neill, Manager of Volunteer Engagement at Austin Health in Melbourne, Australia discusses the strategies she has employed to strengthen the culture and buy-in for volunteering across her large health service.  From the small-scale, easy things she did as a nervous newcomer, to the more bold and brave approaches she has harnessed in recent years as she has gained skills, knowledge, confidence, support and credibility.

    Tracey is a passionate advocate for the strategic engagement of volunteers and the professionalisation of volunteer management because she believes volunteers change the world, and sustainable effective volunteering happens when supported by skilled leaders of volunteer engagement. 

    Listen to Tracey speak further on advocacy in volunteer leadership in this Volunteering Victoria webinar alongside volunteer engagement colleague, Ang Cuy, Active Executive Director Youth Services, YMCA Victoria and Volunteering Victoria Sector Development Manager, Sara Sterling, by registering here.  You can find links to other Volunteering Victoria webinars for leaders of volunteer engagement here.

    Read Tracey’s blog, Volunteer Village, here.  Volunteer Village is a place for leaders of volunteer engagement across the globe to share our stories about the impact of volunteers, the vital nature of our roles and why our organisations, governments and communities should support and resource effective and transformative volunteer management.

    Find Shawn Callahan and Mark Schenk’s podcast, Anecdotally Speaking, here, where they share business stories and talk about why it works and where you might tell it at work.  Get some great ideas for how you can grow your story bank.

    Tracey can be contacted at volunteervillage@outlook.com or tracey.oneill@austin.org.au, or at her LinkedIn page; https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracey-o-neill-cva-57447b20/

    Thanks so much, Tracey for sharing your passion, stories, tips and successes with us!

    -Meridian

  • Happy New Year! Volunteer Plain Talk Podcast Episode 4

    Happy New Year! Volunteer Plain Talk Podcast Episode 4

    https://www.buzzsprout.com/605416/2382236-episode-4-interview-with-sam-clift-volunteer-resource-manager-london-transport-museum

    How do you evolve your volunteer program for the volunteers of tomorrow whilst meeting the needs of your volunteers today? Sam Clift, Volunteer Resource Manager at London Transport Museum talks through achieving senior management buy-in, involving volunteers in strategy planning, getting volunteers on board with organisational change and using technology and volunteer support to make volunteering more accessible and inclusive. Sam can be contacted at sam.clift@ltmuseum.co.uk or alternatively at his LinkedIn page: http://linkedin.com/in/sam-clift-0363a821
    Tips I learned from Sam:
    Court senior manager buy-in by chiming with their priorities. 
    Keep volunteer value continuously in view.
    Technology can be embraced by volunteers.
    One change can create looking at other ways to change and grow.
    Use incentives to make changes more palatable.
    Involve volunteers in strategic roles.
    Be honest about limitations.
    Elevate volunteers to mentor roles.
    Find new ways to embrace inclusion.
    Meet challenges head-on.

    Thank you to Sam for his hard work and insights and for sharing his program with us. And here’s to an exciting new year.

    -Meridian

  • Volunteering and Gen Alpha, Mental Health, Recruitment and Happiness: Podcast Ep 3

    Volunteering and Gen Alpha, Mental Health, Recruitment and Happiness: Podcast Ep 3

    Volunteer Plain Talk Podcast episode 3 features an interview with Dr. Jesse Bolinger, author of the new book, “Calling All Volunteers which is based on his research into volunteer motivations and needs.” We discuss modern volunteer recruitment, the Happiness project, how generation Alpha will eventually change volunteering, why millennials are being compared to the WWII generation and how mental health, work and education are tools to get to know our volunteers.

    https://www.buzzsprout.com/605416/episodes/2120331-episode-3-interview-with-dr-jesse-bolinger

    Dr. Bolinger can be contacted at his facebook page or at his linkedin page and is in the process of creating a project that encourages changes to volunteer management through conversations with organizational leadership.

    Thanks for listening.

    -Meridian.

  • Volunteer Plain Talk Podcast Episode 2

    Volunteer Plain Talk Podcast Episode 2

    https://www.buzzsprout.com/605416/1914074-episode-2-interview-with-elizabeth-robinson-volunteer-and-advocate

    What can we learn from a volunteer turned activist turned founder of her own non-profit organization? Turns out, a heck of a lot. Listen in as Elizabeth Robinson, founder of Community Cats of Palm Coast shares insights on effective social media, creating roles that engage volunteers, and the problem with silos. Please visit Community Cats of Palm Coast, give them a like and check out their interactive posts that get the community involved.

    https://www.facebook.com/communitycatsofpalmcoast/

    Thanks for listening!

    -Meridian

  • Volunteer Plain Talk Episode 1

    Volunteer Plain Talk Episode 1


    Welcome to the Volunteer Plain Talk podcast! In this first episode, Mark W. Smith, CVA discusses working with challenging volunteers, professional credentialing, innovative ways to show volunteer value, roles for retired volunteers and why we need to “eat the frog” on Monday morning. A big thank you to Mark for your wisdom!

    Volunteer Plain Talk podcast on Buzzsprout.

    VolunteerPlainTalk podcast on Stitcher

    VolunteerPlainTalk podcast on Spotify

    Would love it if you would consider subscribing. As new outlets are added, I will include the links. Currently, the podcast is live on Buzzsprout, Spotify and Stitcher. Apple and Google Podcasts are in the works. Please let me know what you think, what you would like to hear discussed, etc. If you would like to be a guest, I’d love to hear from you. The contact form can be found in the above menu.

    Let’s talk more with about our profession and reach out to one another. I hope you get something helpful from the podcast. If nothing else, know that you are not alone in your challenges and hopes for the future.

    -Meridian

  • Volunteer Plain Talk Podcast

    Volunteer Plain Talk Podcast

    Volunteer Plain Talk, the podcast is coming! I’m crazy excited because the new Volunteer Plain Talk podcast will launch next Wednesday, September 25th (barring any unforeseen barriers–yep, we leaders of volunteers are always prepared for the unexpected). It’s in the final stages of production right now. I think podcasting is a perfect medium for discussing all things volunteer management and I hope you think so too. The first episode features an interview with awesome Mark. W. Smith, the Volunteer Resources Manager at Project Angel Heart in Denver Colorado (and a huge thank you to Mark; he is not only funny, but full of heart and wisdom too).

    Mark is a volunteer engagement professional with over 15 years of experience and has worked with volunteers in arts and culture, senior services, and nutrition. Currently, Mark serves on the executive committee and as a board member for AL!VE, (Association of Leaders in Volunteer Engagement) and is in his seventh year as the Volunteer Resources Manager at Project Angel Heart, a nutrition organization that prepares and delivers nutritious meals to individuals living with a life threatening illness in the Denver metro area. In 2018, Mark was chosen as a keynote speaker and session presenter for the Colorado Conference on Volunteerism. In 2016, Mark received his Certified Volunteer Administration (CVA) certification and completed the Points of Light Foundation’s Volunteer Management Training Series (VMTS) course. Mark served nine years on the Denver DOVIA (now DOVIA Colorado) board of directors, three years on the Colorado Conference on Volunteerism steering committee, and three years on the National Philanthropy Day in Colorado steering committee.

    Some highlights from our interview include:

    • hey, that volunteer left her post!
    • what rungs on the ladder do volunteer managers work from?
    • eating the frog on Monday.
    • everyday burnout.
    • advancing the profession.

    Next week I’ll publish the places to find the podcast and I hope you’ll consider subscribing. Please listen in as Mark and I celebrate volunteers, volunteer programs and all of you out there who are great leaders of volunteers.

    -Meridian