Blog

Posted Wednesday, April 7th, 2021 by Sterling Volunteers Staff

Much has changed in the twelve months since the pandemic was declared in the United States. Many organizations have ceased or greatly reduced volunteering, others, such as those pertaining to crucial services like food delivery, have seen steady or increased engagement due to a rise in demand. In a recent webinar, which is now available...

Posted Wednesday, March 3rd, 2021 by Sterling Volunteers Staff

Volunteerism is continuously changing—and certainly the last year brought more change than usual. Not only do social, economic, and generational trends affect how individuals volunteer, but now the pandemic has transformed how organizations can attract, engage, and retain qualified volunteers. In a recent webinar, which is now available on-demand, nonprofit expert Beth Steinhorn, President of...

Posted Thursday, October 15th, 2020 by Kimberly Chochon, Vice President of Partnerships

Let’s acknowledge that creating a safe environment for your volunteers and members is important – whether in the middle of a pandemic or not. For nonprofit and service organizations, factoring in risk mitigation and compliance can help to better manage volunteer program implementation – particularly amid the challenges of COVID-19. While adverse impacts reverberate throughout...

Posted Monday, October 5th, 2020 by Sterling Volunteers Staff

Nonprofits are reimagining how re-engagement can continue to drive their mission during the pandemic. Mainly because organizations are facing external challenges such as stay-at-home orders, gathering limitations and unemployment; and internal challenges, including service limitations, budget constraints, and remote work environments. Many organizations are shifting toward new protocols for the services they traditionally offer, for...

Posted Thursday, July 9th, 2020 by Sterling Volunteers Staff

Adapting training materials for virtual presentation is a complicated and unique challenge for nonprofit organizations and should be handled with care. It’s important to remember that virtual training shouldn’t just be a lecture or a PDF of a handout – it should be a custom curriculum, designed to leverage technology. Perhaps Darlene Christopher, author of...

Posted Wednesday, June 10th, 2020 by Sterling Volunteers Staff

Nearly everyone has had to shift the way they live and work in response to the global pandemic. More people are working remotely now, and it’s important for volunteer organizations to be prepared to engage and screen virtual volunteers – and set them up for success in new ways. In a recent webinar, which is...

Posted Tuesday, May 19th, 2020 by Christina Brown, Sterling Volunteers

Given the current COVID-19 environment and its growing sensitivity, many of us are finding ourselves wanting to help, but also wondering how. This is a unique time in our lives, and with it come unique needs that many communities are facing across the nation. With that in mind, let’s consider some of the ways to...

Posted Thursday, April 30th, 2020 by Sterling Volunteers Staff

Nonprofits are rushing to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, and each organization is facing its own unique changes. Some are reducing services, some expanding; some are cancelling events, while others are announcing new online options. Remember we are all in this together and we’re here to help you develop your plan. In a recent webinar,...

Posted Monday, April 27th, 2020 by Kimberly Chochon, Vice President of Partnerships

The Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) is an unprecedented crisis that is impacting our nation, and the world, on a level unlike we have ever experienced before in the service sector. In other types of “disasters,” such as a hurricane, volunteers are screened and quickly deployed without hesitation. However, with the uncertainty of the COVID-19 disaster and...

Posted Wednesday, March 18th, 2020 by Sterling Volunteers Staff

Whether it’s family, friends, or coworkers, the strongest relationships are built on trust, transparency, shared goals, and a mutual understanding of values. The relationship between volunteers and nonprofit organizations is similar. In the 2020 report, we explore the shared perspectives and commonalities between volunteers and organizations, as well as the differing points of view that...