Blog

Q&A with Jessica Jessica O'Donnell is the Volunteer Coordinator at Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest. She was born and raised in a small town outside of Yuma Arizona called Wellton and graduated from NAU with a dual degree in Public Relations and Photography. Jessica O'Donnell     Ask a Volunteer Manager Series To be featured in this series, email SavmaTucson@gmail.com with [...]

The Southern Arizona Virtual Volunteer Fair SAVMA partnered with United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona and the Green Valley/Sahuarita Volunteer Clearinghouse to bring you the Southern Arizona Virtual Volunteer Fair! Eleven organizations had the chance to create short videos that showed the various volunteer opportunities that are safely available. To learn more, watch the video and visit: https://www.unitedwaytucson.org/virtual_volunteer_fair

Q&A with Graciela Graciela Jauregui is the Volunteer Program Coordinator at Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse. She has been in the field for nearly two years. Originally from Yuma, Arizona, Graciela moved to Tucson to attend the University of Arizona between 2008 and 2017 and earned four different degrees. Graciela Jauregui, Volunteer Program Coordinator at Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse Graciela's dog is named [...]

We appreciated our community of Volunteer Managers participating in a special Brainstorm Chat around virtual volunteering on August 5th. Fellow Volunteer Managers had a few great ideas to share with you about how to safely continue your work with volunteers. See the recap below! Many organizations have paid staff working and meeting remotely right now. Organizations have also expressed a need to create virtual volunteer opportunities, as in-person possibilities shift. [...]

Like many organizations, the board members of the Southern Arizona Volunteer Management Association began asking big questions about how to move forward once COVID-19 changed the nature of our work. Here is a look at a few changes that we have made that will be in effect through the end of the year. Virtual Programming to Continue We work hard to ensure that we provide our members with quality professional [...]

#BlackOutTuesday & #TheShowMustBePaused (June 2, 2020)   The music and performing arts industries asked that BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) voices take center stage online on June 2, 2020.  An additional note of support was provided from organizers to ask that if you are muting yourself, please do not use #BlackLivesMatter as it defeats the purpose. We have several performing arts organizations that are SAVMA members as well [...]

Community Service Recognition: Cindy Robertson In January, SAVMA celebrated volunteerism at the 2020 SAVMA Awards, a volunteer recognition event for all of Southern Arizona. Organizations were invited to nominate individuals for a Community Service Recognition in honor of their exceptional giving and spirit of service. Throughout the month of April, we will be highlighting these individuals and their nomination as part of VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION MONTH! [...]

Community Service Recognition: Howard Stewart In January, SAVMA celebrated volunteerism at the 2020 SAVMA Awards, a volunteer recognition event for all of Southern Arizona. Organizations were invited to nominate individuals for a Community Service Recognition in honor of their exceptional giving and spirit of service. Throughout the month of April, we will be highlighting these individuals and their nomination as part of VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION MONTH! [...]

Community Service Recognition: Nichole Burke In January, SAVMA celebrated volunteerism at the 2020 SAVMA Awards, a volunteer recognition event for all of Southern Arizona. Organizations were invited to nominate individuals for a Community Service Recognition in honor of their exceptional giving and spirit of service. Throughout the month of April, we will be highlighting these individuals and their nomination as part of VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION MONTH! [...]

Community Service Recognition: Judy Dare In January, SAVMA celebrated volunteerism at the 2020 SAVMA Awards, a volunteer recognition event for all of Southern Arizona. Organizations were invited to nominate individuals for a Community Service Recognition in honor of their exceptional giving and spirit of service. Throughout the month of April, we will be highlighting these individuals and their nomination as part of VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION MONTH! [...]

Community Service Recognition: Jack McDuff In January, SAVMA celebrated volunteerism at the 2020 SAVMA Awards, a volunteer recognition event for all of Southern Arizona. Organizations were invited to nominate individuals for a Community Service Recognition in honor of their exceptional giving and spirit of service. Throughout the month of April, we will be highlighting these individuals and their nomination as part of VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION MONTH! [...]

Community Service Recognition: Dana Smith In January, SAVMA celebrated volunteerism at the 2020 SAVMA Awards, a volunteer recognition event for all of Southern Arizona. Organizations were invited to nominate individuals for a Community Service Recognition in honor of their exceptional giving and spirit of service. Throughout the month of April, we will be highlighting these individuals and their nomination as part of VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION MONTH! [...]

Community Service Recognition: Shari Murphy In January, SAVMA celebrated volunteerism at the 2020 SAVMA Awards, a volunteer recognition event for all of Southern Arizona. Organizations were invited to nominate individuals for a Community Service Recognition in honor of their exceptional giving and spirit of service. Throughout the month of April, we will be highlighting these individuals and their nomination as part of VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION MONTH! [...]

Community Service Recognition: Maureen McCarthy In January, SAVMA celebrated volunteerism at the 2020 SAVMA Awards, a volunteer recognition event for all of Southern Arizona. Organizations were invited to nominate individuals for a Community Service Recognition in honor of their exceptional giving and spirit of service. Throughout the month of April, we will be highlighting these individuals and their nomination as part of VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION MONTH! [...]

Community Service Recognition: Michelle Carnes In January, SAVMA celebrated volunteerism at the 2020 SAVMA Awards, a volunteer recognition event for all of Southern Arizona. Organizations were invited to nominate individuals for a Community Service Recognition in honor of their exceptional giving and spirit of service. Throughout the month of April, we will be highlighting these individuals and their nomination as part of VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION MONTH! [...]

Community Service Recognition: Lois Weimuth In January, SAVMA celebrated volunteerism at the 2020 SAVMA Awards, a volunteer recognition event for all of Southern Arizona. Organizations were invited to nominate individuals for a Community Service Recognition in honor of their exceptional giving and spirit of service. Throughout the month of April, we will be highlighting these individuals and their nomination as part of VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION MONTH! [...]

Last year at this time, SAVMA hosted the Census at a monthly program. This weekend marks the launch of 2020 Census Digital Action Weekend: May 1-3 and we have reached an important milestone in the 2020 Census: More than half of the households in our nation have responded – that’s nearly 80 million responses! As we recognize this achievement, we thank you for your support and ongoing effort to Get [...]

Community Service Recognition: Jon and Rosemary Beck In January, SAVMA celebrated volunteerism at the 2020 SAVMA Awards, a volunteer recognition event for all of Southern Arizona. Organizations were invited to nominate individuals for a Community Service Recognition in honor of their exceptional giving and spirit of service. Throughout the month of April, we will be highlighting these individuals and their nomination as part of VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION MONTH! [...]

Community Service Recognition: Chris & Jeff Goldberg In January, SAVMA celebrated volunteerism at the 2020 SAVMA Awards, a volunteer recognition event for all of Southern Arizona. Organizations were invited to nominate individuals for a Community Service Recognition in honor of their exceptional giving and spirit of service. Throughout the month of April, we will be highlighting these individuals and their nomination as part of VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION MONTH! [...]

Community Service Recognition: Edward (Jim) Nicewander In January, SAVMA celebrated volunteerism at the 2020 SAVMA Awards, a volunteer recognition event for all of Southern Arizona. Organizations were invited to nominate individuals for a Community Service Recognition in honor of their exceptional giving and spirit of service. Throughout the month of April, we will be highlighting these individuals and their nomination as part of VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION MONTH! [...]

Community Service Recognition: Linda Koral In January, SAVMA celebrated volunteerism at the 2020 SAVMA Awards, a volunteer recognition event for all of Southern Arizona. Organizations were invited to nominate individuals for a Community Service Recognition in honor of their exceptional giving and spirit of service. Throughout the month of April, we will be highlighting these individuals and their nomination as part of VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION MONTH! [...]

SAVMA wants to support and learn from our community's Volunteer Engagement professionals..... In an effort to do this, we have created a short 12 question survey with a focus on what your organization and volunteer program is experiencing during this time of uncertainty. We hope to not only hear your feedback and voice, but also find out what we can do the same or differently in the future for our [...]

Announcement: The University of Arizona is hosting an event called "Internship Best Practices" on March 17th for organizations interested in learning more about building their internship programs for university students. Visit the following website to register: https://www.mpace.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1337112&group= ****** As Volunteer Managers, you likely understand the needs of your organization and how involving university students in your organization’s mission could make a positive impact. This semester, I joined the University of [...]

Thank you to photographer, Michael Kloth the photos are in! If you a looking for additional photos from the event, perhaps they were shot by an amazing volunteer. Those can be found on our Facebook Page in the event album.

The Volunteer Center at United Way has provided an online volunteer matching platform since it adopted the work for the Volunteer Center of Southern Arizona nearly 10 years ago. We are transitioning a more user-friendly, app-based platform and are excited to share the product and demo the opportunity creation process for volunteer managers. Learning Objectives:  Attendees will learn the primary features of the Golden Volunteer App and how to create [...]

One of the largest volunteer engaging organizations in Southern Arizona is the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona. Their mission is to change lives in the communities they serve by feeding the hungry today, and building a healthy, hunger-free tomorrow. Thank you to the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona for your dedication in integrating volunteers in all areas of your mission. Thank you for sponsoring the SAVMA Awards 2020. [...]

Southern Arizona's top volunteers to be honored at awards breakfast (Arizona Daily Star) By Loni Nannini Special to the Arizona Daily Star  Jan 7, 2020 If your vision for 2020 includes volunteerism, the Southern Arizona Volunteer Management Association offers the perfect opportunity to kick-start your New Year’s resolution. The organization is hosting the 2020 SAVMA Awards and Workshop at 8 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 16, at the Tucson Convention Center, 260 [...]

Southern Arizona's top volunteers to be honored at awards breakfast https://tucson.com/news/local/southern-arizona-s-top-volunteers-to-be-honored-at-awards/article_c939f578-88b9-555b-80b8-5d9013154e8e.html By Loni Nannini Special to the Arizona Daily Star Jan 7, 2020 The Southern Arizona Volunteer Management Association Youth Volunteer Group of the Year Winner is the Zoo Crew from the Reid Park Zoo. If your vision for 2020 includes volunteerism, the Southern Arizona Volunteer Management Association offers the perfect opportunity to kick-start your New Year’s resolution. The organization [...]

We were downright joyous when AZ Lotus joined SAVMA Awards 2020 as our media sponsor. We want to thank Arizona Lotus Corp. for their support of those that give their time and talent to our community and to those that support them.   AZ Lotus Corp with radio stations, KLPX, KFMA, KMXZ, KFFN, KCMT and KTKT  is proud to serve the Tucson community through support of non-profit organizations like SAVMA.  [...]

SAVMA event recognizes outstanding volunteers Tori Carlson, Special to Inside Tucson Business | Dec 20, 2019 Southern Arizona is home to thousands of warm-hearted talented people, passionate to help the community without a request for anything in return. Volunteers that help others are integral to our community and to organizations that rely on their assistance, dedication and input. According to the 2018 “Volunteering in America” report, one in three adults [...]

      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jessica Dennes, SAVMATucson@gmail.com  For more information: icstucson.org, savma.org Interfaith Community Services wins top volunteer awards Tucson, Nov. 4— Interfaith Community Services is Southern Arizona’s Nonprofit Volunteer Program of the Year and one of its board members also earned top honors from the Southern Arizona Volunteer Management Association. ICS — which aims to help people in need achieve stable, healthy and independent lives — and longtime [...]

The North Carolina Association of Volunteer Administration (NCAVA) is pleased to offer the Basics in Volunteer Management course online. The course will cover volunteer recruitment, retention, risk management, recognition, etc. Jan. 14 – Mar. 17, 2020 (10 weeks). REGISTRATION FORM MUST BE COMPLETED & RECEIVED BY JAN. 10, 2019.. PLEASE NOTE: if these dates are not convenient, agencies/organizations with approximately 8 or more students can request a customized online class. [...]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jessica Dennes, savmatucson@gmail.com  For more information: pimacountycasa.org, savma.org Court Appointed Special Advocate Volunteer wins top volunteer award Tucson, Oct. 24— Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Volunteer, Steve Johnson, is being awarded the Southern Arizona Volunteer of the Year from the Southern Arizona Volunteer Management Association. Steve Johnson, a CASA Volunteer and Peer Coordinator with the CASA of Pima County Program will be honored Jan. 16, 2020 [...]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jessica Dennes, savmatucson@gmail.com  For more information: swgas.com, savma.org Southwest Gas wins volunteer award Tucson, Oct. 21 — Southern Arizona Volunteer Management Association awarded Southwest Gas Corporation with its Corporate Volunteerism Award. The company’s community outreach efforts will be honored Jan. 16 at the Southern Arizona Volunteer Management Association Awards, which recognize all levels of volunteerism including individuals, nonprofits and corporations. “We are so excited to have been nominated [...]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jessica Dennes, savmatucson@gmail.com  For more information: reidparkzoo.org, savma.org Reid Park Zoo’s ‘crew’ wins volunteer honor Tucson, Nov. 4 — Southern Arizona Volunteer Management Association named Reid Park Zoo’s teen volunteer program its top Youth Volunteer Group of the Year. Known as the Zoo Crew, the teens work on zoo grounds and handle different duties, but their primary purpose is to help guests connect with wildlife and learn about [...]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jessica Dennes,  savmatucson@gmail.com For more information: Habitattucson.org, savma.org Gina Hansen wins top volunteer administrator award Tucson, Nov. 4— Volunteer Resources Manager, Gina Hansen, is being awarded the Volunteer Administrator of the Year award from the Southern Arizona Volunteer Management Association. Gina Hansen, the Volunteer Resource Manager for Habitat for Humanity Tucson will be honored Jan. 16, 2020 at the Southern Arizona Volunteer Management Association Awards, which [...]

Those organizations committing to a Table Sponsorship or above, are eligible to submit a volunteer for Community Service Recognition at the upcoming breakfast on January 16, 2020. This recognition opportunity is a unique way to showcase a special volunteer in a meaningful way. Public, and formal praise of those who demonstrate extraordinary service in support of your organization’s work not only confirms their efforts but also inspires others in Southern [...]

Description: Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Southern Arizona is seeking a Director of Development to lead the stewardship of corporate, foundation, public, and community donors. The candidate must be innovative and passionate about Candlelighters important mission – Candlelighters supports, serves and advocates for children and adolescents with cancer and other blood disorders, their families, long term survivors, bereaved families, and the professionals that care for them. The successful candidate will [...]

We will be skipping the October meeting so that we can focus on our October conference on the 22nd. When: October 22nd @ 9AM-4PM What: ‘The Future is Now:  Tech Trends for 2020 and Beyond’ presented by AL!VE, Better Impact, and VMPC (Volunteer Management Professionals of Canada).  Now in its fifth year, this year’s topic will explore how technology impacts our volunteers, programs and agencies, now and in the near and [...]

‘The Future is Now:  Tech Trends for 2020 and Beyond’ Tuesday, October 22 – 9AM - 4PM MST Habitat for Humanity 3501 N. Mountain Ave. It's like TED Talks meets late night talkshow, streamed right here in Tucson with 1000+ Volunteer Administrators participating from all over North America! 'The Future is Now:  Tech Trends for 2020 and Beyond' is the volunteer management conference presented by AL!VE, Better Impact, and VMPC (Volunteer Management Professionals of [...]

‘The Future is Now:  Tech Trends for 2020 and Beyond’ Tuesday, October 22 – 9AM - 4PM MST Habitat for Humanity 3501 N. Mountain Ave. It's like TED Talks meets late night talkshow, streamed right here in Tucson with 1000+ Volunteer Administrators participating from all over North America! 'The Future is Now:  Tech Trends for 2020 and Beyond' is the volunteer management conference presented by AL!VE, Better Impact, and VMPC (Volunteer Management Professionals of [...]

Six Award Winners Who Make a Difference in Southern Arizona! Thousands of volunteers weekly share their skills, time and enthusiasm to hundreds of nonprofits, schools, churches and governments across Southern Arizona. Publicly celebrating them and recognizing the work they do to make our communities happier and healthier is a win-win for all. The Southern Arizona Volunteer Management Association, a professional association promoting excellence in the field of volunteer program management, [...]

Join Us September 19th from 3:30-5PM for our monthly Program at Habitat for Humanity Presentation:  Your (Often Hidden) Role in the Revenue Pie: Volunteer Cultivation and Stewardship for Fundraising Success This session will showcase the ways that stellar volunteer "management" - mainly placement, retention, and recognition, as well as volunteer satisfaction, impact an organization's bottom line, and how your volunteer manager plays a crucial role in both the short and [...]

Thank you so much for you nominations. We received a healthy array of nominations from our community. We are looking forward to announcing our winners in the very near future. Stay tuned for more information.

The deadline to submit nominations for SAVMA Awards in August 16th at 5pm. Don't miss the opportunity to honor and celebrate those who make Southern Arizona shine! 2020 SAVMA Awards celebrate the impact and inspiration of volunteerism across Southern Arizona. Honorees will be recognized on January 16, 2020 at a celebration held at the Grand Ballroom of the Tucson Convention Center. Nominations for the 6 award categories are open from [...]

Come learn more on August 8th about getting your organization certified! The final cohort for 2019 will start in mid-September with the cohort's orientation. To join this group of organizations seeking certification by Points of Light Foundation as a Service Enterprise, apply here. Where it says "Please indicate the name of the organization that will be leading your SEI transformation..." click on Arizona Governor's Commission on Service and Volunteerism. The group will [...]

Come Learn Why The Census Matters To Your Organization Presentation: Building Capacity Through Good Data: Why The Census Matters To Your Organization The 2020 Census is just around the corner. It will take the participation of our whole community to ensure that every person is counted once, only once, and in the right place. Census data is used to find critical programs used by the people you work with and [...]

We were so hoping to have our happy hour this July, but unfortunately with all of our travel schedules and work conferences we decided to push it back to a time when we might all find each other in town and able to enjoy a mix and mingle. Please take some time off to rest and recover this summer. Caring for volunteers is such an important role in our organizations [...]

2019 Arizona Summit on Volunteerism and Civic Engagement Workshop RFP Governor's Office of Youth, Faith and Family Deadline for Submission: July 26, 2019 Selection Notification: August 14, 2019 Summit Date: November 7, 2019 Request for Proposals Workshop proposals are requested from presenters that will engage volunteers, volunteer managers, civic engagement leaders, service-learning practitioners, public and private educational institutions, government agencies, nonprofits, youth groups, community and faith-based groups, AmeriCorps and Senior [...]

The mission of the Governor's Volunteer Service Awards is to promote an ethic of service and volunteerism and to recognize volunteer efforts that strengthen communities and improve quality of life for Arizonans.  Nominations will be accepted through July 1, 2019.  A statewide panel of judges will recommend the award recipients and an announcement will be made in October. The Governor’s Commission on Service and Volunteerism will host a reception to honor the [...]

July AL!VE Academy: A Recap of the Points of Light Conference and Update on the National Alliance for Volunteer Engagement As a member of ALIVE, SAVMA can register for this webinar for free! We need one member to agree to host and coordinate this program at their site. Details about the Webinar are below! Description: Dana Litwin, CVA will moderate a discussion about the recent Points of Light conference in [...]

Local Moderator and SAVMA member, Alexei Marquez,  will facilitate our debrief and activities after we dive into a Special Volunteer Pro streamed presentation! In this 60-minute live recording, you will learn change management and internal marketing tactics you can use to gain better buy-in and support for volunteer services. This webinar was originally presented on November 30, 2016. In this 60-minute live recording, you will learn change management and internal [...]

This October 25 & 26 marks the 20th anniversary of United Way's Days of Caring. Days of Caring pairs local needs with caring residents to improve our community one project at a time. Project Submission is now open through August 9. Submit your project before July 12 to be entered to receive a $500 stipend. Click here to submit your project. *They're excited to announce a new, streamlined project submission [...]

This May 16, 2019 at 3:30, Habitat for Humanity Tucson, join us for our monthly SAVMA professional development program. United Way's Days of Caring is our community's single largest volunteer event and this Fall will the the 20th annual event. In 2018, nearly 4300 volunteers completed more than 100 community projects. Whether your organization has participated every year or never before, this presentation will offer helpful tips to craft a [...]

On April 11th from 5PM-7:30PM join us at the Volunteer SoAZ Fair and Celebration. It will be our largest recruitment and celebration event ever. Learn about organizations doing valuable work in our community and find ways to get involved. More than 30 local organizations. *Enjoy free admission to the Reid Park Zoo *Animal Encounters *Rides *Live Music by “Tonight’s Sunshine” *Cash Bar *Cafe will be open

As volunteer managers you possess a valuable collection of experience and expertise on this topic because your job demands creativity, resourcefulness and overcoming the challenges of working with a diverse group of volunteers. Let us help each other build better strategies for appreciating our volunteers’ efforts. Bring the stories of your successes and duds and we will examine the different ways you each appreciate your volunteers (through recognition, rewards, retention) [...]