Effective Use of Skilled Volunteers to Build Capacity
- Nisi Bennett
- Apr 7
- 2 min read
The landscape of volunteerism is evolving. Beyond traditional volunteer roles, there's a growing opportunity to engage skilled professionals—often virtually—who can contribute specialized expertise in areas such as marketing, fundraising, IT, accounting, and graphic design. But how do you effectively recruit, manage, and retain these valuable resources?
In this panel, we'll visit with nonprofit leaders from Haven for Hope, Bexar Branches Alliance, the San Antonio Area African American Community Fund and disABILITYsa to learn how they successfully partnered with skilled virtual volunteers, leveraging their expertise to accomplish key initiatives and drive meaningful growth. Skilled volunteers—often virtual—differ from traditional volunteers in ways that can significantly benefit a nonprofit by building capacity, enhancing sustainability, and improving scalability. Unlike general volunteers, these individuals contribute specialized expertise in areas such as marketing, fundraising, IT, accounting, and graphic design. You'll leave this panel with valuable insights on how to effectively start, manage and leverage skilled volunteers to achieve your goals.
Panelists:
Jennifer Cook from San Antonio Area Foundation
Terri Behling, Haven for Hope
Bobby Blount, San Antonio Area African American Community Fund
Melanie Cawthon, disABILITYsa
Jaci Randel, Bexar Branches Alliance
Panel Objectives During this informative discussion, participants will:
Understand Key Distinctions: Learn the critical differences between skilled volunteers and traditional volunteers, and how these distinctions should inform your volunteer recruitment and management approach.
Recognize Value Proposition: Discover the unique value that skilled virtual volunteers bring to nonprofit organizations, particularly in specialized areas where hiring professional staff may be financially out of reach.
Master Best Practices: Gain practical insights into effective strategies for recruiting, engaging, and retaining skilled volunteers, ensuring productive relationships that benefit both the organization and the volunteer.
Why You Can't Afford to Miss This Session
Resource Maximization: In an era of limited budgets, learn how to access professional-level services without the associated costs of hiring additional staff or contractors.
Capacity Building: Discover how strategically engaging skilled volunteers can build your organization's internal capacity, creating sustainable improvements in operations and programming.
Real-World Success Stories: Hear directly from nonprofit leaders who have successfully implemented skilled volunteer programs, learning from both their successes and challenges.
Virtual Engagement: Understand the unique opportunities and considerations of working with virtual volunteers, expanding your potential volunteer pool beyond geographic limitations.
Strategic Approach: Move beyond ad-hoc volunteer engagement to develop a strategic framework for integrating skilled volunteers into your organizational growth plan.
Yorumlar