Strengthening volunteer engagement isn't always about doing more with your own program. Sometimes it's about letting go of the need to hold onto every volunteer and instead building connections across your entire community.

In this episode of the Volunteer Nation Podcast, part of the Impact Lab POV Series, Tobi Johnson is joined by Kristi Sebald, a guest advisor and expert in volunteer and community engagement. Kristi shares how an abundance mindset and intentional coalition building can transform isolated volunteer efforts into powerful, community-wide networks. Drawing from her work with Habitat for Humanity and other local collaborations, she explains why collaboration is a force multiplier – increasing trust, sharing resources, and amplifying impact far beyond what any single organization can achieve alone.

The conversation challenges the myth that we must keep volunteers for ourselves and instead explores practical strategies for outreach, referral, and relationship-building with community leaders, faith groups, and corporate partners. Kristi also offers real-life success stories and actionable tips for effective communication and follow-up that nurture long-term partnerships.

If your organization is ready to stop working in a silo and start building a sustainable volunteer network that expands your reach, this episode – and Kristi’s upcoming Impact Lab seminar on May 12th – will give you the playbook to get started.

Volunteer Networks – Episode Highlights

• [00:00] Introduction to Kristi Sebald
• [04:33] Importance of community collaboration
• [08:13] Volunteerism in today’s world
• [16:12] Mindset shifts in volunteer management
• [32:23] Practical outreach steps
• [37:45] Success stories in coalition efforts
• [44:37] Cross-referral strategies
• [50:00] Power of gratitude and follow-up
• [55:07] Upcoming Impact Lab Seminar

Helpful Links

• Volunteer Strategy Scorecard™
• Volunteer Management Progress Report
• Volunteer Nation Episode #152: What Every Nonprofit Executive Should Know About Community Engagement
• Find Kristi on LinkedIn

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast. If you enjoyed it, please be sure to subscribe, rate, and review so we can reach more people like you who want to improve the impact of their good cause.

For more tips and notes from the show, check us out at TobiJohnson.com. For any comments or questions, email us at WeCare@VolPro.net.

Effective volunteer training is more than checking a box; it builds confident, engaged volunteers who stay longer and deliver greater impact. Yet many organizations rely on long, one-size-fits-all sessions that frustrate volunteers and miss chances to align with staff development.

In this episode of the Volunteer Nation Podcast – Impact Lab POV Series, Tobi Johnson welcomes Dana Litwin, volunteer management expert, President of Dana Litwin Consulting, and past president of AL!VE. Dana shares how to move from reactive, siloed training to strategic programs that boost retention, performance, and community connection. She explains why well-trained volunteers become powerful ambassadors for your cause.

Together, they unpack common mistakes like treating volunteer and staff training as fundamentally different, then offer practical strategies for flexible, accessible training from online tools to micro-learning. If you're ready to turn volunteer training from a burden into a strategic advantage, this conversation gives you proven tips and the confidence to get started.

• [00:00] Introduction to Volunteer Training Programs
• [07:01] Dana's Journey into Volunteerism
• [11:38] The Importance of Volunteerism Today
• [15:03] Common Misconceptions in Volunteer Training
• [21:58] Evolving Training Methods for Volunteers
• [25:33] The Importance of Quality in Volunteer Training
• [31:09] The Importance of Intentional Training
• [34:02] Efficiency in Volunteer Training Programs
• [38:24] Pruning Training Content for Effectiveness
• [43:52] Real-World Examples of Effective Training
• [51:30] Practical Steps for Revamping Training Programs
• [55:50] Creating a Positive Culture Around Volunteer Training
• [01:03:42] Final Reflections And Wrap

Helpful Links

• Volunteer Strategy Scorecard™
• Volunteer Management Progress Report
• Volunteer Nation Episode #033: New Research on Volunteer Funding with Dana Litwin
• Volunteer Nation Episode #124: Equity Tools for Nonprofits Volunteerism with Faiza Venzant
• Volunteer Nation Episode #202: Volunteer Events without the Headaches – My Training Takeaways
• Find Dana on LinkedIn
• Dana’s Priceless Advice with Volunteers on YouTube
• Dana Litwin Consulting

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast. If you enjoyed it, please be sure to subscribe, rate, and review so we can reach more people like you who want to improve the impact of their good cause.

For more tips and notes from the show, check us out at TobiJohnson.com. For any comments or questions, email us at WeCare@VolPro.net.

Volunteer engagement doesn't exist in a vacuum—it's deeply shaped by community values, national infrastructure, and a spirit of collective care. In New Zealand, where over 115,000 not-for-profits operate and most are volunteer-led, best practices for volunteer management must reflect local culture and real-world challenges like low tech adoption and the need for more informal opportunities.

In this episode of the Volunteer Nation Podcast, host Tobi Johnson welcomes Marg McLachlan and Heidi Quinn from Tūao Aotearoa Volunteering New Zealand. They share how their organization developed best practice guidelines through a genuine co-design process, centering volunteer voices and using plain language to make principles accessible. The conversation also covers Volunteering New Zealand’s role in advocacy, research, and training, and how community cohesion is vital to a country with a small population.

If you're looking to move beyond generic volunteer management and learn how community-driven, co-designed guidelines can strengthen your program, this episode offers practical insights and a inspiring look at how one country is putting community spirit at the heart of volunteer engagement.

• [00:00] - Introduction to Community-Centered Volunteer Best Practices
• [12:15] - Structure and Size of New Zealand’s Volunteer Sector
• [22:30] - Challenges in Volunteer Management
• [49:23] - Tips for Developing Standards and Getting Buy-In
• [54:26] - Challenges Around Volunteer Exit and Succession Planning
• [60:07] - Values, Language, and Grounding Standards in Purpose
• [64:32] - How to Learn More and Connect with Volunteering New Zealand

Helpful Links

• Volunteer Strategy Scorecard™
• Volunteer Management Progress Report
• Volunteer Nation Episode #131: Volunteerism in Australia Part 1 – A National Strategy with Zac Reimers and Sarah Wilson
• Volunteer Nation Episode #132: Volunteerism in Australia Part 2 – A National Strategy with Zac Reimers and Sarah Wilson
• Tūao Aotearoa Volunteering New Zealand website
• Tūao Aotearoa Volunteering New Zealand Best Practice Guidelines
• Assess your practices against the Volunteering New Zealand Best Practice Guidelines
• Find Marg on LinkedIn
• Find Heidi on LinkedIn
• Mural Online Collaboration Tool

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast. If you enjoyed it, please be sure to subscribe, rate, and review so we can reach more people like you who want to improve the impact of their good cause.

For more tips and notes from the show, check us out at TobiJohnson.com. For any comments or questions, email us at WeCare@VolPro.net.