News in the Volunteer Field

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This Month's Hot Topic 

May 2012

Three Things Volunteer Managers Can Learn from the Social Media Revolution

by Rob Jackson
Guest commentator Rob Jackson draws three critical points from recent social media data that have direct relevance to leaders of volunteers – and gives tips for responding. Are you keeping up with how fast things are changing?
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Long-time, Dependable Journal of Extension Free to All

Submitted by Susan J Ellis
on Fri, 05/11/2012 - 18:36

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We are generally primed to get excited by things that are new. But it's important to remember that traditional materials can remain useful, even vibrant. One great example is the Journal of Extension (JOE), the official refereed journal of the U.S. Cooperative Extension System (which includes 4-H, Master Gardeners, nutrition advisors and other volunteer-centered programs). As of June 1994, JOE has been published exclusively on the World Wide Web at www.joe.org. And the full contents are accessible to any site visitor at no charge.

Voluntourism and Services to Children: Important Questions Raised

Submitted by Susan J Ellis
on Thu, 05/03/2012 - 19:25

Voluntourism, also known as volunteer vacationing, gives people the opportunity to travel for leisure and pleasure and volunteer in the countries they visit. Ideally, the vacationer gives meaningful service in return for getting the chance to meet local people in a personal way. A great place to learn more about all of this is VolunTourism.org, which has consistently advocated for the highest quality of service while genuinely doing good.

May Hot Topic: Three Things Volunteer Managers Can Learn from the Social Media Revolution

Submitted by Susan J Ellis
on Tue, 05/01/2012 - 14:42

Guest commentator Rob Jackson draws three critical points from recent social media data that have direct relevance to leaders of volunteers – and gives tips for responding. Are you keeping up with how fast things are changing?

Paperbacks from Volunteering Risk Management Expert Now Available – While They Last!

Submitted by Tristan Dahn
on Tue, 04/24/2012 - 21:34

The Energize Bookstore is pleased to announce that we have back in stock print copies of four of Linda Graff’s books!  A long-term friend of Energize, she is president of Linda Graff and Associates, Inc., based in Ontario, Canada and is internationally acknowledged as the volunteer field's leading expert in risk management issues.   Her books have remained consistent best sellers from our store in e-book format, and there’s a good reason.

The Best Conversations in Volunteer Leadership Move from i-Volunteer to the New “ivo”

Submitted by Susan J Ellis
on Thu, 04/19/2012 - 19:32

For some time now I have been impressed at the level and quality of the blogs and discussions across the pond in the UK via the social action platform, i-Volunteer.org,uk.   A range of volunteer management practitioners use this forum to post thoughtful commentary, often on provocative themes, and – amazingly – other members respond in kind!  Bravo to our British colleagues! 

The Best Way to Recognize Volunteers

Submitted by Susan J Ellis
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 19:58

National Volunteer Week is about to start in the United States and Canada, and other countries will have their own celebrations in a few months. Many organizations are in the midst of planning special events to say thank you to the many people who donated time and skills this year. What form of recognition is the most meaningful?

Why Global Youth Service Day is Important to All Volunteer-Involving Organizations

Submitted by Cara Thenot
on Thu, 04/05/2012 - 19:18

Even though Canada and the U.S. are gearing up for their National Volunteer Weeks on the third week of April, and the UK and Australia’s special volunteer weeks are not far away, Energize is challenging all volunteer-involving organizations to carve out time and focus on Global Youth Service Day (GYSD), celebrated April 20-22, 2012.

April Hot Topic: Common Sense and Volunteer Involvement

Submitted by Susan J Ellis
on Sun, 04/01/2012 - 00:00

Energize gets asked a lot of questions about volunteers that would never be posed in relation to paid staff. Susan shares some examples of illogic, overreaction, and unthinking policies that hinder volunteer success.

Join 90,000+ Volunteers in Name-Indexing the New Online 1940 U.S. Census

Submitted by Susan J Ellis
on Fri, 03/30/2012 - 19:45

The 1940 U.S. Census is going online as of April 2—a historical first! But there is no index by name, making it hard to find family members. But soon there will be – thanks to volunteers. On a collaborative and volunteer basis. Archives.com, FamilySearch and findmypast.com have teamed up to sponsor The 1940 U.S. Census Community Project to encourage as many people as possible to help create the index and improve accessibility for all

The 2012 Summit on Advanced Volunteer Engagement

Submitted by Susan J Ellis
on Mon, 03/26/2012 - 16:48

Details have just been released on the Summit on Advanced Volunteer Engagement (SAVE), a preconference for directors of volunteer resources on June 16-18,  immediately before the start of the 2012 National Conference on Volunteering and Service in Chicago.  SAVE (the successor to the previous Advanced Volunteer Management Institute) has gathered a great faculty.

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