December 2011

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The “Spark Plug Theory” of Volunteer Recruitment

Submitted by Susan J Ellis
on Thu, 12/29/2011 - 16:08

It’s always fun to apply theories from one field to a completely different one.  In an online Bloomberg Businessweek article, "The Spark Plug Theory of Marketing,"  author Steve McKee notes that many business ads fail because “companies cram too much into them trying to make their case, or expect that they can open and close the sale in one fell swoop. The best advertising is like a spark plug that leaves a small gap for the audience to fill in for themselves . . .

How to Use and Add More Events to VolunteerMatch’s 2012 Volunteer Engagement Calendar

Submitted by Cara Thenot
on Tue, 12/20/2011 - 22:14

Thanks to Engaging Volunteers, VolunteerMatch’s informative and focused blog, for starting Google calendar with dates and ideas for motivating volunteers throughout 2012. You can download the calendar by clicking on the tiny “Google Calendar” button at the bottom of the calendar on their blog post.

Volunteer Journalists Capture Recent European Volunteer Centre Conference

Submitted by Susan J Ellis
on Fri, 12/09/2011 - 21:15

On October 19-21, the European Volunteer Centre (CEV) sponsored a symposium in Berlin on "Volunteering and Active Citizenship: Two Sides of the Same Coin?"  I had the opportunity to participate in this event which was being videotaped by a team of volunteer journalists. The director and editor, Brian Christopher Griffin, just let me know that two videos have been posted to YouTube.

5 Ways to Get Involved in Your Community in the Right Way

Submitted by Cara Thenot
on Fri, 12/02/2011 - 20:54

Have you noticed that the holiday season brings all sorts of public service messages like “5 Ways to Get Involved in Your Community” or “10 Do-Good Activities for You and Your Kids”?  While these notices may have good intentions, they are over-simplified – and have the potential to set up individuals for frustration and disenchantment. People are likely to discover that they can’t just walk into an organization, be received with open arms, and be put to work on the exact day of their choice (and without any application and screening process). 

December Hot Topic: My Personal “State of the World's Volunteering” Report

Submitted by Susan J Ellis
on Fri, 12/02/2011 - 00:09

To close IYV+10, United Nations Volunteers is set to issue its State of the World's Volunteering Report. In this spirit of celebration and reflection, Susan looks back at all that has happened professionally in our field – things we have done or were done to us – and asks for your retrospectives, too.   This hot topic is available at: http://www.energizeinc.com/hot/2011/11dec.php

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