Connect features content that helps volunteer engagement professionals find each other, access SAVMA entry points, and participate in peer interaction. Posts in this category focus on relationship-building, network navigation, and opportunities to engage with the SAVMA ecosystem—without providing professional instruction, standards, or evaluative guidance.
Introducing the SAVMA Awards Keynote Speaker: Brenda Meller Inspiring Volunteer Engagement in a Time of Renewal Across the United States, volunteerism is experiencing a renaissance. More than 75 million Americans—28.3% of the population—formally volunteered between 2022 and 2023. As a result, they collectively contributed nearly 5 billion hours of service valued at $167 billion. Furthermore, Arizona alone outpaced the national average with a 30% formal volunteering rate while also [...]
2025 Days of Caring Schedule The United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona has released the 2025 Days of Caring schedule. SAVMA stands ready to support our Volunteer Engagement Professionals through Arizona's largest volunteer event. So block your organizational calendars for Thursday, October 24th & Friday, October 25th, 2025. IMPORTANT DATES: PROJECT SUBMISSIONS (Local nonprofits, schools, and community groups) Opens: June 2nd Early Bird Deadline ($500 stipend eligibility): July 11th [...]
States for Service Coalition 2026 Call to Action! The States for Service Coalition 2026 call to action was received and answered by SAVMA. The policy arm of America’s Service Commissions, is organizing an organizational sign-on letter to ask Congress to appropriate $30 million for the Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF) in FY26. This is the fourth sign-on letter organized for VGF since it was created in 2009 under the Serve [...]
SAVMA 2025 Leadership: apply by 10/20 SAVMA 2025 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 [...]
Forget the Elevator Pitch Forget the elevator pitch, volunteer engagement professionals should rely on three big questions to tell your story. Before we get straight to the questions, let's be clear, the pitch does offer a helpful crafting concept that we shouldn't disregard. So we should start with the concept for those that are not familiar. The pitch concept, goes something like this...I'm a nonprofit employee/founder and I jump on [...]
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 [...]
Partners: Call to Action Our in-box is full this month with partners call to action including voter registration deadlines, survey requests, pre-conference sessions and Virtual Conferences! There are deadlines looming so let's make this quick and easy for your punch lists. Call to Action: Apply for State AmeriCorps! Applications for the AmeriCorps State Formula Grant (RFGA#: RFGA-FOR-GOYFF-080124-00) are now being accepted. Approximately $4 million will be awarded to programs [...]
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 [...]
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. [...]
C-Suite Must-Dos for your Volunteer Program October is a big volunteer month These C-Suite must-dos for your volunteer program will remind you why you need SAVMA and why your volunteer engagement professionals depend on the association. Members of the volunteer management community are hard at work at recruitment events, fundraisers, interviews, orientations, planning meetings, outreach events, and conferences. Well, actually that sounds like a lot. Unfortunately, since the pandemic this [...]
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 [...]
AL!VE Conference- SAVMA Saves the Date October 17th AL!VE announces its conference theme "Leveraging Technology in a Human World: Inclusively, Responsibly, and Creatively." Each new generation of volunteers is very different from the ones before them. How do we prepare our policies, programs and recruitment in an inclusive, responsible, and creative way that looks to leverage technology in a human world? AL!VE taps Rob Jackson facilitator Rob Jackson is Director [...]
This years focus on equipping leaders of volunteers with skills to determine what data is useful and how to tell impactful stories using different tools and technologies. Not only is this great information for those that work with volunteers but this can be applied across organizations. SAVMA members receive a discounted rate and all attendees will receive snacks and lunch! Click Here To Register
Volunteer Appreciation Ideas How To: Appreciate Your Volunteers It’s National Volunteer Appreciation Week, and in honor of the occasion, we have volunteer appreciation ideas and tips to share showing your volunteers they matter -- this week, and always. While showing appreciation for volunteers is a nice thing to do, it also benefits the recipient and the organization. Intentionally building recognition into your organization’s culture motivates volunteers and can help you [...]
Join SAVMA on October 19th for the Volunteer Management Hybrid Conference! We will be meeting together via Zoom and join break out sessions with others registered through out host site. Why join with SAVMA? Members and non-members alike get a deep discount to attend this conference but joining our host site means that you'll have conversations with others who are learning how Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion matter at the regional [...]
Resilience: a Vital Tool for LoVs Nicole R. Smith, CVA, knows resilience is a vital tool for LoVs. What is it exactly? Why is it so important? How do you build it? In this candid talk we will examine how to navigate the hurdles that you may encounter during your volunteer manager (leader of volunteers) journey to build the resilience needed for both you and your volunteer program grow and [...]
Be Your Own Best Advocate: Top Ten Ways You Can Advocate for yourself, volunteers and programs Although we know how important our role, volunteers and an engaging program are, we will always need to advocate why that is important to staff, the community, and prospective volunteers. Often the volunteer department is 'taken for granted' or mistakenly assumed from that person's last volunteer experience. Can simple and everyday advocacy elevate the [...]
Peer Mentors are the Answer! SAVMA Members have an Association Membership with AL!VE! So, if you are a member of SAVMA, you are also a member of AL!VE! and that includes the benefits of the: Emerging Leaders Mentor Program The Emerging Leaders Mentor Program is first designed to provide a platform for members to connect, and second designed to share best practices while positioning members as leaders in the field [...]
Please join your peers at the annual Fun in the Summer Happy Hour. This year we will have a brief presentation by a resume expert. She will remain on hand to review your resume and discuss the tips and tricks for landing your next job, so be sure to bring a copy of your resume. There will be a gift card raffle and one lucky person will be selected for [...]
CVA Study Group Make It Happen Now, LLC, (MIHN) offers a virtual CVA study group for qualified candidates that begins July 13th. Facilitated by the managing partners, CVAs themselves, the study groups help candidates learn from each other through weekly discussions. Over the last four years, participants have come from throughout the U.S. and Canada with experience in a variety of volunteer engagement settings. A whopping 100% of their participants state [...]
Creative Volunteer Training Activities Join Founder and Chief Engagement Officer of VolPro, Tobi Johnson, for this one hour Beyond PowerPoint: Creative Volunteer Training Activities That Boost Interaction, Inspiration & Learning Are you tired of the same old training techniques? Need a boost to your volunteer training? If so, don't miss this upcoming webinar! Registration Details Monday, June 6, 10AM MST- 11AM MST Free for VolunteerPro members | Join VolunteerPro $59 for [...]
Supervisor of Volunteers: for the Reluctant Join Tobi Johnson, CEO and Founder of VolunteerPro, for Supervisor of Volunteer for the Reluctant, also known as Reluctant Supervisor: How to Coach Volunteers and Feel Good About It! The webinar offered this Wednesday, May 25, 1:00PM - 2:00PM EST/10:00AM -11:00AM PST is a basic level course open to all new supervisors of volunteers. This should include anyone with less than six months of [...]
Best Skills in Nonprofit Management Certificate The Best Skills in Nonprofit Management Certificate program is a professional development program that will help build and increase capacity for small- to mid-size nonprofits or those who are transitioning to the nonprofit sector. All courses are led by industry leaders and nonprofit experts with years of nonprofit leadership experience and teaching expertise. Curriculum consists of 28 classroom hours, in total, with a certificate [...]
Count What Matters Webinar Chief Engagement Officer, and Founder of Volunteer Pro, Tobi Johnson, has a few last minute slots to fill in TODAY's Count What Matters: How to Develop Smart Outcome Metrics for Volunteer Programs (Beyond Hours & Retention Rates) VolunteerPro webinar! Have you been wondering how to track the impact your organizations' volunteers? Register now. TODAY at 10:00am PST/1:00pm EST (60 minutes) starting in less than 2 hours, [...]
Points of Light Conference 2016 | Why Volunteer Program Managers Should Attend A New Era for Volunteer Management Volunteer program management is changing. Across the nation, communities are redefining how service connects people to purpose. In this new era, Volunteer Engagement Professionals (VEPs) aren’t just coordinators — they are strategists, educators, and advocates for civic participation. For those of us in Southern Arizona, attending the Points of Light Annual [...]
“Be somebody who makes everybody feel like a somebody!” That simple phrase, shared by Alcira Pastula and Linda Tailleart from Catholic Charities Community Services AZ, captures the heart of effective volunteer appreciation. Recognition is more than a “thank you.” It’s how we show people that their time, energy, and heart truly matter. Why Appreciation Matters Recognition has the largest positive effect on volunteer retention of any volunteer management practice. [...]
Volunteering looks different for everyone—and that’s the beauty of it! Whether you love being front and center at community events, coordinating behind the scenes, or supporting causes online, there’s a place for every passion and personality in service. Maybe you’re the Connector, always rallying friends, family, or coworkers to pitch in. Or perhaps you’re the Strategist, using your professional skills to help nonprofits plan, fundraise, and grow. Then there’s [...]
Nonprofit Board Boot Camp Be the best Board Member you can be, with Nonprofit Board Boot Camp. Learn about board governance, get the facts on financial issues and understand the different between fundraising and development. During this fast-paced half day boot camp you will learn about S.O.X. and how to keep yourself protected from making illegal actions. With lots of tools, speakers and exercises, you will leave this workshop better [...]
Inside Out Program Evaluation If you are ready to take your program to the next level, then this webinar is for you. Inside Out Program Evaluation or is it Program Evaluations from the Inside Out? Either way the Chief Engagement Officer herself, Tobi Johnson, teaches you how to conduct a do it yourself (DIY) Volunteer Program audit in this webinar. Details Registration Link: VolPro Tuesday, April 12, 2016 1:00PM - [...]
AmeriCorps, Our National Service Organization The AmeriCorps for National and Community Service recently convened elected and appointed officials in support of volunteerism and service to make community impact within their communities. The Voices for Service Commission, the community action arm of State Commissions, hosted the group. Our biggest year yet with 3,539 Mayors/County/Tribal leaders honoring the impact of 75,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorpsSeniors volunteers across all 50 states and territories! #Mayor4Service,#County4Service, [...]
United Way’s mission is fueled by the passion of 2.9 million volunteers around the world. Their volunteers come from all walks of life, but they share an immeasurable passion for improving their communities.
The American Red Cross of Southern Arizona is calling for volunteers to assist us in installing free smoke alarms in the Flowing Wells, Homer Davis Neighborhood on Saturday, April 16th, 2016. We are reaching out to you to see if you are interested in organizing a team of volunteers to come out and help this community. There will be fun incentives for the team with the most volunteers! This neighborhood [...]
Click here to download the newest GVSVC newsletter Volunteers Like to Be Appreciated-Here's How!-Page 1 Summer Youth Volunteer Program-Page 1 Arizona Plans for Volunteerism-Page 2 April 22nd Workshop-Page 3 Affinity Group-Page 3 click here for April 2016 HOT OPPS
Nominations Extended for Congressional Award Great news! Congresswoman Martha McSally’s office announced deadlines for nominations extended for the Congressional Award. 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! Additional information [...]
Southern Arizona Joins National Volunteer Week Activities Get ready to make an impact during National Volunteer Week in Southern Arizona, happening from April 10–16, 2016! This energizing week celebrates, inspires, and motivates people throughout Tucson, Sierra Vista, and across Southern Arizona to actively find creative ways to strengthen their communities. As your organization in Southern Arizona honors National Volunteer Week, highlight your community service projects by posting on Twitter, Instagram, [...]
Best Skills in Nonprofit Management Certificate Again Strategic Partner Nonprofit Certificate Nonprofit Management Institute is offering courses in Tucson starting April 1st. The courses are part of the "Best Skills in Nonprofit Management Certificate" again being offered and include courses focused on volunteer management, social media, and governance. Courses will be held roughly once a month April through October at Habitat for Humanity on Friday mornings. Classes are taught by experienced [...]
Nominate Women of Worth Nominate Women of Worth from your volunteer pool, a partnership between Points of Light and L'Oreal Paris recognizing women in volunteerism and civic impact. Nonprofit leader nominations for the Women of Worth awards occur annually in mid February. Ten extraordinary honorees receives $25,000 to support their charitable cause, mentorship from the L'Oréal Paris network and a national platform to tell their stories. Learn more about recent [...]
Partner Opportunity: Points of Light Nominate a Volunteer for the Cabot Community Celebrity Award This is a Partner Opportunity from Points of Light. Do you know of an outstanding volunteer? Nominate them for the Cabot Community Celebrity Award. Cabot Creamery Cooperative will honor the winning celebrities with an 8 day / 7 night Alaskan Cruise, with stops in beautiful Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway as well as Victoria, British Columbia. Since [...]
Ways to Appreciate Volunteers and Work in Teams Linda Taileart and Alcira Pastula are inviting Volunteer Engagement Professionals of Southern Arizona to join them for a two hour, hands on workshop on Ways to Appreciate Volunteers and Work in Teams. Attendees will develop strategies to build recognition, appreciation and teamwork into volunteer programming. Volunteers with Catholic Charities exapand the reach of the agency to help more vulnerable people in central [...]
UoA College of Social and Behavioral Sciences is hosting a fair on Wednesday March 30th from 12-2pm. For more information about the event, please email Jesse McCain at jmccain@email.arizona,edu
