Connect with Your Peers

Connect With Your Peers


Connect with Your Peers in Volunteer Engagement. Nothing is more powerful than sharing human connection with those that understand your struggles and successes. Our regional association has members that have been working directly in volunteer engagement for more than two decades.

If you are new to volunteer engagement this is a great way to hit the ground running. Every SAVMA program has networking time with peers to mingle. Too shy or not sure where to go? That is the membership teams, role! They want you to be successful and so they will seek out the right connections for you. They will make warm hand offs.

  • Voluntary Self-Identification Form picture of smiling group of diverse individuals in business attire

Voluntary Self-Identification Form

Voluntary Self-Identification Form Does your volunteer application include a "voluntary self-identification form" to collect demographic, economic, cultural, and social information? Is it damaging your recruitment efforts? Maybe it is helping? Was it there before you arrived? This is the case for one such Volunteer Engagement Professional, who has a few questions. While holding one VEP's confidentiality, we agree these are valuable questions and our discussion might spark more interest. Why the Voluntary Self- Identification Form? Congress established the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to enforce Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The EEO compliance effort may have birthed the Voluntary Self-identification (VSI) form. Many nonprofit agencies adopted the form over the years as part of federal contract compliance, representing efforts of non-discrimination in hiring practices. The Society of Human Resources Managers has also adopted this form, and variations of this form as a standard of practice. [...]

  • Networking is Volunteer Engagement Gold

Networking is Volunteer Engagement Gold

Networking is Volunteer Engagement Gold Networking is Volunteer Engagement gold and we have the key strategies to meet your outreach and recruitment goals. With volunteer recruitment being the biggest need within the profession, developing your networking skills might be your solution. SAVMA's Roundtable Discussion on Networking identified key strategies: Key Strategy: Do your homework Before you attend an event, find out who will be in the room. If you cannot find out the specific individuals, get a general sense of the audience demographics from the host so you can build a plan. If you are attending a Chamber of Commerce event, you might want to meet business professionals that can join your Board of Directors. Compare that to attending a Public Health Awareness event where your goal might be to meet professionals of industry for your advocacy team. Getting a sense of who will be attending an event, or who [...]

By |March 7th, 2024|Categories: Connect with Your Peers|Tags: , , , , |Comments Off on Networking is Volunteer Engagement Gold
  • Sandra Maxfield: Community Service Recognition

Sandra Maxfield: Community Service Recognition

Sandra Maxfield: Community Service Recognition Sandra Maxfield is the Community Service Recognition recipient, lovingly submitted by Linda, Jennifer, and Tricia Lohse of the Tucson Foundations. Sandy, a Canadian transplant, embraced the Old Pueblo arts and culture and health and human services community as a community volunteer as soon as she arrived. While working in Michigan as a Registered Nurse, Sandy met Robert Maxfield during his medical residency. The two married and moved to Tucson to build a medical career and a family. Sandy fully adopted the Southern Arizona nonprofit community with her enthusiastic and influential volunteer leadership. As a governance volunteer, Sandy has served on the Boards of Directors for the: Tucson Museum of Art, Arizona Theatre Company, Tucson Pima Arts Council, Amerind Museum, and Arizona Aerospace Foundation among others. Her years of governance work in policy building, outreach, and fundraising has inspired many new residents to engage in [...]

By |January 15th, 2024|Categories: Member Share, SAVMA Events, Sponsors|Tags: , , |Comments Off on Sandra Maxfield: Community Service Recognition
  • Picture of smiling volunteer Jennifer Gust: Community Service Recognition

Jennifer Gust: Community Service Recognition

Jennifer Gust: Community Service Recognition Jennifer Gust: Community Service Recognition recipient has been an integral part of our workplace at Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona. After having been a girl member all the way through Girl Scouts, to her High School graduation, Jennifer continued her relationship with the organization by becoming a volunteer. For 11 years now, she is happy to jump into the work of any team. Jennifer is a positive and beautiful energy in our offices, assisting staff with their workloads. We all are so happy to nominate her for this honor! At Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona, every Girl Scout has their own curiosity, dreams, and talents. When they come together to decide which of the thousands of Girl Scout activities to try, the sky’s the limit. Whether visiting an animal shelter, camping, hosting a dance-off, or filming a movie—they’re learning to take risks, trust their gut, [...]

By |January 10th, 2024|Categories: Member Share, SAVMA Events, Sponsors|Tags: , |Comments Off on Jennifer Gust: Community Service Recognition
  • Introducing AmeriCorps Member Lillian hiking in the Gila Wilderness, AZ

Introducing AmeriCorps Member Lillian

Introducing AmeriCorps Member Lillian Through a partnership with Arizona Serve, SAVMA leadership is introducing AmeriCorps member Lillian Ledner to our members. Lillian was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona, where she attended Mountain View High School, and graduated in 2008. She attends Pima Community College, and proudly is an 8- year Crew Member at Trader Joes. Markedly, inspired by a volunteer experience through the Jett Foundation at Camp Promise, Lillian committed to pursuing a career in Occupational Therapy. In her free time, she teaches West Coast Swing dancing. Her adventurous love of the outdoors includes activities like hiking, camping, fishing, jumping out of planes, and trying any new activity or opportunity. She enjoys meeting new people and helping others find their passions, consequently making her well suited for volunteer engagement work (noted Gina Hansen in the interview). Arizona Serve, a program of Prescott College, places AmeriCorps members with local organizations to [...]

By |December 26th, 2023|Categories: Member Share, Member Stories, VEP Ecosystem Offerings|Comments Off on Introducing AmeriCorps Member Lillian
  • National Volunteer Management Insights Survey

National Volunteer Management Insights Survey

National Volunteer Management Insights Survey SAVMA is calling all leaders of volunteers to participate in this national volunteer management insights survey. This is VolunteerPro’s 2024 Volunteer Management Progress Report, their ninth annual survey! As they navigate the dynamic landscape of our sector, everyone is eager to gain a comprehensive understanding of the current state of affairs. Your valuable input is crucial to discovering the most current trends in volunteer engagement. Why Participate? This survey serves as a pulse check for the field of volunteerism by providing a nuanced view of challenges, trends, and opportunities. By taking a few minutes to complete the survey, you contribute to a collective intelligence that guides our industry's evolution. Survey Link: https://survey.zohopublic.com/zs/OqCzf5 Survey Deadline: Friday, January 1, 2024 @5pm EST Your Data Matters: Rest assured, your responses are confidential and anonymous. The aggregated data will be utilized to generate an industry report, providing a comprehensive [...]

By |December 1st, 2023|Categories: Member Feedback, VEP Ecosystem Offerings|Comments Off on National Volunteer Management Insights Survey
  • Presenting the Public Allies Arizona 2024

Presenting the Public Allies Arizona 2024

Presenting Public Allies Arizona 2024 SAVMA Leadership takes pleasure in presenting the Public Allies Arizona 2023-2024 class to the volunteer engagement professionals of Southern Arizona. The AmeriCorps program is operated by the ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation, unquestionably, a valued civic partner of volunteer managers. Therefore, Public Allies Arizona is a perfect addition to the service programs SAVMA is proud to promote. Building a Brighter Future: Public Allies Arizona Kickstarts Their 2023-2024 Program Year Authored by: Lou Haiduk (she, her) A new cohort of Public Allies has embarked on a transformative journey. Public Allies Arizona, a program of the ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation, is part of the national movement committed to advancing social justice and equity by engaging and activating the leadership capacities of all people. This group of emerging leaders in Greater Tucson and Phoenix communities is dedicating the next 10 months of [...]

By |November 17th, 2023|Categories: Member Share, Member Stories|Comments Off on Presenting the Public Allies Arizona 2024
  • willing and able survey

4 minute- willing and able survey!

4 minute- willing and able survey! Members, did you take the "willing and able survey?" The adage it take a village to raise a child, serves rather well when talking about the care of a membership association. The question before you as a member today is, are you willing and able to serve your profession? There survey is not meant to make members feel bad, but rather to identify barriers to leadership and remove them. Willingness Members might be very willing to serve, but completely lack the ability. This could be the case, but we cannot guess. Tell us! That is all we are asking. Take two minutes and tell us you are willing, but not able. Perhaps you are not willing, because you do not like the current leadership. That is ok too. Be honest, the survey is anonymous. Maybe you even think SAVMA is a waste of time. [...]

By |October 26th, 2023|Categories: Learning and Development, Member Feedback|Comments Off on 4 minute- willing and able survey!
  • Level up your leadership! SAVMA leadership positions are open for 2024

SAVMA 2024 Leadership – Raise Your Professional Game!

SAVMA 2024 Leadership: apply by 9/30 SAVMA 2024 leadership on your mind? Never been on a board before? That's ok, a professional association is a great organization to start. You can start in any position and catch on quickly due to the size of the organization and the support you have from the prior year's boards. This process is called institutionalization. What is means is there are lots of materials available to you so you won't be "reinventing the wheel." So you might have questions about serving in a leadership position, like why do you keep saying leadership instead of board member? We say leadership because you might end up serving on a committee, or chairing an event, but not serving on the board. All of those volunteers will still be a part of the SAVMA 2024 leadership team. Here are some more Frequently Asked Questions! SAVMA 2024 Leadership Process [...]

By |September 2nd, 2023|Categories: Learning and Development, Member Share|Comments Off on SAVMA 2024 Leadership – Raise Your Professional Game!
  • SAVMA Member Benefit Alert!

September AL!VE Academy: Volunteer Recruitment Is No Answer

SAVMA Member Benefit Alert! "Volunteer recruitment is no answer" is presented by AL!VE through their Academy series. SAVMA is an Association Member of AL!VE and SAVMA members are able to attend Academy sessions as a Membership Benefit. Please be sure your SAVMA account is in good standing and your name is listed as a contact on the account to register. Presented by Rob Jackson September 20, 7AM MST Everyone knows recruitment can be tricky now, post lockdowns etc.. But the answer isn’t simply trying harder to recruit. We need better, more flexible, opportunities that fit with people’s interests, motivations and availabilities. We need a culture in our organizations that welcomes and nurtures the potential of volunteers, not one that seems them as being nice but not essential. This isn’t just down to the Volunteer Engagement Professional - everyone needs to embrace it. In short we need to see change in [...]

By |August 12th, 2023|Categories: Learning and Development, Member Share|Comments Off on September AL!VE Academy: Volunteer Recruitment Is No Answer

Research study on Volunteer Administrators- Participants Needed

Research study on Volunteer Administrators Career pathways We encourage SAVMA members are to participate in a research study on Volunteer Administrators career pathways. The study is being conducted by Dr. Allison Russell, an Assistant Professor of Public and Nonprofit Management at the University of Texas at Dallas. Along with her doctoral research assistant, Kayla Parker, they are conducting a research study to investigate the career pathways of volunteer administrators. They seek to examine what leads individuals to enter the volunteer administration profession and their subsequent professional development experiences in the field. The goal of this research study is to improve our understanding of the volunteer administration profession through an exploration of the perspectives of volunteer administrators. From the desk of Dr. Allison Russell Dear SAVMA Members! We want to learn directly from volunteer administrators through in-depth virtual interviews, and we are hoping that you will consider participating. During the interview, [...]

By |July 21st, 2023|Categories: Learning and Development, Member Feedback|Comments Off on Research study on Volunteer Administrators- Participants Needed
  • volunteer administrator skills assessment

Career Pathways for Volunteer Engagement Professionals Survey

Career Pathways for Volunteer Engagement Professionals Survey There is a lack of data on career pathways for volunteer engagement professionals, causing many professionals to leave the field in search of other advancement opportunities. Our Association partner, AL!VE, has a goal to create a Career Pathways Report that will demonstrate the various job levels within our field and the competencies and skills for each level. This will give practitioners and employers a roadmap of progression.  SAVMA Members we need your participation in the career pathways for volunteer engagement professionals survey.   We hope to use this data as validated evidence for the job of the volunteer engagement professional to be officially recognized by the Department of Labor (DOL) in the Occupational Outlook Handbook https://www.bls.gov/ooh/. When DOL conducts its next revision to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), we intend to heavily advocate for the addition of this role! This means, [...]

By |April 11th, 2023|Categories: Member Feedback, VEP Ecosystem Offerings|Comments Off on Career Pathways for Volunteer Engagement Professionals Survey
  • volunteer administrator skills assessment

Volunteer Administrator Skills Assessment- Now Open

7 Industry Standards and their Competencies The "Body of Knowledge and Competency Framework" by the Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration (CCVA) provide the questions for the volunteer administrator skills assessment. The 7 standards are listed below as reference before you begin the survey: Plan for Strategic Volunteer Engagement Advocate for Volunteer Involvement Attract and Onboard a Volunteer Workforce Prepare Volunteers for their Roles Document Volunteer Involvement Manage Volunteer Performance and Impact Acknowledge, Celebrate and Sustain Volunteer Involvement Volunteer Administrator Skills Assessment The survey is open to all Volunteer Management professionals in SAVMA's area. It takes approximately 10 minutes to complete the survey. This assessment is for Volunteer Administrators or those whose primary duties are the recruitment, supervision and retention of volunteers. It is NOT an assessment of volunteerism within an organization, but rather an assessment of the skills of individual Volunteer Administrators. You do not need to be a [...]

By |March 1st, 2023|Categories: Member Feedback|Comments Off on Volunteer Administrator Skills Assessment- Now Open
  • Stamp out hunger, Saturday, May 14th, 2022 a volunteer event opportunity

Volunteer event opportunity: Stamp Out Hunger

Stamp Out Hunger on Saturday, May 14th Volunteer Event Opportunity The National Association of Letter Carrier’s Stamp-Out-Hunger food drive will occur on Saturday, May 14th   in Tucson. These NALC food drives take place all over the United States and are the country’s largest single-day food drive. Want to volunteer? The Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona is recruiting nearly 400 volunteers at 12 different stations and needs your help! We are still recruiting hundreds of volunteers for May 14th. This is a great opportunity for families with children 12 years old and up. Volunteers  unload postal trucks, filled with food and then sort the food on site. To view all the different locations, and specific details pertaining to each opportunity (including shift times) click here. To volunteer as an individual, or as a team, contact Volunteer Services at: volunteer@communityfoodbank.org or (520) 882-3292. Volunteer event opportunity posts are a benefit of [...]

By |April 29th, 2022|Categories: Member Share, SAVMA Events|Comments Off on Volunteer event opportunity: Stamp Out Hunger

Volunteer Background Check? A Question from the field

Volunteer background checks Question from the field: a company referral SAVMA Member TIHAN, would like to know, "what volunteer background check company does your organization use and would you recommend them?" SAVMA members may respond in the comments below. Do you have a question from the field? SAVMA members are encouraged to send their questions forward for member feedback and brainstorming. Even if you do not receive an answer publicly on the forum, you will receive feedback from members in your email. Do not be shy. Volunteer background check vendor referrals As professionals in the industry, we are regularly solicited by vendors seeking our business. It is important to do your research as the organization hiring a vendor. SAVMA does not endorse any vendor, but we do find the information provided by this particular vendor around compliance to be a very helpful on demand webinar. 

By |October 7th, 2020|Categories: Member Share, Member Stories|Comments Off on Volunteer Background Check? A Question from the field

Job announcement- Mobile Meals of Southern Arizona

Now seeking a Program & Volunteer Director. It's the perfect position for someone with the right blend of leadership in both areas. Because volunteers are central to the core client services, experience with volunteer recruitment and management really is a must. The job is posted on Indeed and ZipRecruiter. Please spread the word if you know of anyone who would be a great fit. https://www.indeedjobs.com/mobile-meals-of-southern-arizona-4e08c5a/_hl/en?cpref=JXWAtnzf3XWjLOi4YeVNLs_1WAXHb5RL3LCirA1HCiQ

By |August 29th, 2019|Categories: Jobs|Comments Off on Job announcement- Mobile Meals of Southern Arizona
  • AmeriCorps Financial Opportunity Corps

Financial Opportunity Corps

Financial Opportunity Corps Over the past three years, the Financial Opportunity Corps (FOC), a partnership between Points of Light, Bank of America, and AmeriCorps has helped hundreds reach financial sustainability. Unlike other financial coaching services, FOC offers this service free of charge for economically disadvantaged individuals and families. That’s because FOC uses skill-based volunteers as financial coaches in a one-to-one setting. As a result, FOC participants achieve their financial goals through expanded financial knowledge, improved spending and saving habits, and a growth in personal confidence. Interested in learning more about this and many of the other national AmeriCorps funding announcements made recently by the White House take a look. Host Site Opening (Financial Opportunity Corps)- VISTA Arizona benefits from the generosity of the Bank of America investment highlighted below and President Obama includes the highlight in the news release. AmeriCorps.gov postings for host sites of AmeriCorps VISTA (FOC) members are [...]

By |April 20th, 2016|Categories: Jobs|Tags: |Comments Off on Financial Opportunity Corps
  • Congressional First Responder of Distinction Award- Fire truck in picture, words describe the remaining details.

Congressional First Responder of Distinction Award

Congressional First Responder of Distinction Award Congresswoman Martha McSally’s office announced nominations open for the inaugural Congressional First Responder of Distinction Award of Southern Arizona.  You can nominate a firefighter, EMT, or member of law enforcement you know by filling out a nomination form and returning it to our office. Southern Arizona's first responders put their lives on the line every day to serve our community. Now, it’s our turn to recognize them! Nomination form is here Of note, the form says the deadline is April 8, but we have extended it to May 1, 2016. Need some tips on writing a nomination? Try some general guidelines from this site.  Follow Directions and Make a Checklist: If you are creating a nomination packet from a list of guidelines, read the directions, carefully.  If there is no checklist in the packet, then go through the directions and create one. Then you can check [...]

By |April 5th, 2016|Categories: Member Share, Resources and Samples|Comments Off on Congressional First Responder of Distinction Award
  • Volunteer to help prevent home fires- Sound the Alarm Save a Life logo- a hand pushing a button on a smoke detector

Volunteer to help prevent home fires

Volunteer to help prevent home fires The American Red Cross of Southern Arizona is calling for volunteers to help prevent home fire by installing free smoke alarms in the Flowing Wells, Homer Davis Neighborhood on Saturday, April 16th, 2016. This neighborhood has been identified by our national preparedness division as at high risk for home fire related injuries and fatalities. Nationally, seven times a day, someone dies in a home fire. Reports of injury from a fire occur every 40 minutes, with fire departments responding to nearly 1,000 home fire calls a day. The American Red Cross is addressing the issue directly through their Home Fire Preparedness Campaign aimed at reducing fatality and injury due to house fires by 25% over the next 4 years or by 2019. A Family Plea to help Prevent Fires Other helpful links: Here is a quick look at a typical smoke alarm canvas and [...]

By |April 4th, 2016|Categories: Member Share|Comments Off on Volunteer to help prevent home fires
  • Forget Veggies! Science Says Volunteering is Healthier

Forget Veggies-Science Shows Volunteering Is Healthier

Forget Veggies-Science Shows Volunteering Is Healthier Volunteers nationwide tell Points of Light that they are happier, and healthier people as a result of their volunteer roles, so we say, "forget veggies-science shows volunteering is healthier." Now, scientists are catching up with what these points of light are telling us, demonstrating that the benefits are tangible — mentally and physically — and a reason why so many keep coming back to help. They just feel better when they put others first. And this is despite the fact that the nature of their work often puts them in close contact with people who are suffering from illness, victims of crime or natural disasters, homeless, lonely, despairing or even dying. How can that be? Let’s start with looking at the difference between two words that are often used interchangeably: empathy and compassion. Empathy is defined as “the visceral or emotional experience of another [...]

By |March 28th, 2016|Categories: Member Share, Resources and Samples|Tags: , , |Comments Off on Forget Veggies-Science Shows Volunteering Is Healthier

Job Posting: Volunteer Coordinator

Job Posting Volunteer Coordinator Emblem Hospice- Tucson, AZ Job Posting Volunteer Coordinator: Rapidly growing Hospice Company seeking incredible staff to join dynamic team that delivers life-changing service. If you are interested in applying please send an email with your resume attached with the position you are interested in. If the employer is interested in further pursuing applicants the individuals will be contacted directly for an interview. For more information see below: Volunteer Coordinator Emblem Hospice Tucson Tucson, AZ Full job description Rapidly growing Hospice Company seeking incredible staff to join dynamic team that delivers life-changing service. Interested candidates should email their cover letter and résumé to Emblem directly. Emblem staff that identify candidates of interest set up interviews with candidates directly. JOB SUMMARY To maintain and coordinate the volunteer program for Hospice. Responsible for the orientation, training and coordination of all Hospice volunteers, for volunteer program administration and development in [...]

By |February 29th, 2016|Categories: Jobs|Comments Off on Job Posting: Volunteer Coordinator

Military Veteran Women’s Expo

Military Veteran Women's Expo Military Veteran Women's Expo 2016, presented by Tucson Veterans Serving Veterans, on Saturday, March 19th, click here for more details. Women veteran leaders and key event partners to offer this unique event to Arizona's women veterans in 2016. The Arizona Department of Veterans' Services brought many dedicated community partners together to make the event successful. Women Veterans NOT using VA Benefits and Services? Women Veterans NOT using your earned VA Benefits & Services, we would love to hear from you. Please take their survey, it takes 5 minutes and is anonymous. Take the survey » Tucson Veterans Serving Veterans TVSV ia a voluntary association meeting the needs of Tucson and Southern Arizona veterans since 2003. They are members of federal, state, local government and private agencies working along with Veteran service organizations which serve Veterans in need. Through collaborative effort, they provide outreach, education, networking, and referral [...]

By |February 8th, 2016|Categories: Member Share, Member Stories|Comments Off on Military Veteran Women’s Expo