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Dear colleagues,
As my tenure as AL!VE’s President comes to an end and I move on to the Past President position, I am overwhelmed with gratitude at the amazing achievements that the Board of Directors and committee volunteers have accomplished this year. Driven by AL!VE’s mission and vision, the Board published our new 2024-2028 Strategic Plan. In support of professional development, we conducted the Professional Career Pathways Survey and shared the results at both this year’s Points of Light Conference as well as at a bonus AL!VE Academy. Included with the results are interactive tools for attendees and members to use for their own development. It is all available on our website.
We also took the lead on advocating for a Volunteer Engagement Professional Occupational Code with the Department of Labor and enlisted support from Volunteer Engagement Professionals across the country, Local Associations, the Service Enterprise community, national leaders, and universities. To support nonprofits with volunteer capacity building and organizational change management, we again administered Service Enterprise for the second year, updating the curriculum and adding new Training and Implementation partners for further expansion.
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Due to AL!VE’s rapid growth, AL!VE formed a development subcommittee, created a Technology Strategic Plan, and saw the Succession Planning committee conduct an Executive Search for our first Executive Director, resulting in the hiring of Nicole R. Smith for the role.
For all of these successes, I thank you, the board of directors, committee and AL!VE members for your dedication and commitment this year. And thank you to Gretchen Jordan, our Association Manager, for the past 10 years as the face and foundation of AL!VE. These accomplishments could not have been made without you. We will miss you as you retire at the end of the month but wish you well in your new adventures. As I pass the torch to the new President, Darlene Laird, as well as the incoming Board and our new Executive Director, I am confident that AL!VE will continue to be the essential professional resource and advocate for those who engage, motivate, and celebrate volunteers and their vital contributions to our society. I am excited to see what AL!VE brings to the new year! Cheers, Cathy |
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New Volunteer Information Session - Get Involved with AL!VE
Are you looking for ways to get more involved with AL!VE? Join us for an informational session to learn more about our many volunteer opportunities! Volunteering within the organization can help to connect, expand your network, learn a new skill, and enhance your professional development. |
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January AL!VE Academy: Growing Your Volunteer Leader Team - January 14, 2025 @ 2:00 PM Eastern, 90 minutes |
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Growing Your Volunteer Leader Team
This interactive session focuses on volunteer empowerment: giving existing volunteer leaders the knowledge and confidence needed to successfully encourage more volunteers within their nonprofit organisation to take on leadership roles. The session is also highly useful for staff within nonprofit organisations who are looking to recruit volunteer leaders, or anyone who just wants to learn more about leadership within volunteering. About our presenter: Nicola Lake has extensive experience both working and volunteering in the nonprofit sector, leading on volunteer management and developing training initiatives at a variety of organisations - including the British Red Cross, FoodCycle, and The Royal Photographic Society.
Inspired to help address the needs and challenges of diverse nonprofit organisations, Nicola is currently a Vision for Volunteering Champion and offers a wide range of practical resources and bespoke consultation services via her own company, Resourcevol. Specialising in volunteer recruitment, training, resource design, and process optimisation, Nicola is dedicated to empowering volunteers and helping nonprofits achieve their aims. |
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Miss the Annual Meeting? View it Here! On December 5, AL!VE held its Annual Meeting, where all committees and projects reported on their 2024 accomplishments and outlined goals for 2025. |
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Important Update: PayPal Service Fee Adjustment As we continue to navigate rising operational costs, we want to share an important update regarding transactions made via PayPal.
Effective January 15, 2025, a 3% service fee will be added to all PayPal transactions. This adjustment allows us to offset increased expenses and maintain the quality of services and programs you expect from us.
We appreciate your understanding and continued support as we work to ensure our organization remains sustainable and impactful. Should you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us at executivedirector@volunteeralive.org. Thank you for your cooperation. |
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AL!VE's Presenter Boot Camp: Launching our third cohort in February 2025!
Are you a volunteer engagement professional seeking to elevate your virtual presentations? Do you have an idea for a topic or lived/professional experience but need help turning it into a compelling narrative for training? Do you freeze when tapped to lead educational content or need to translate in-person training into engaging virtual experiences?
AL!VE offers a members-only Presenter Boot Camp, a seven-week course designed to address these needs and more. Professionals at any level can benefit from joining us.
Our training combines webinars with COP-style discussions. Course components are designed to help you put theory into practice and lead you through creating a presentation from scratch.
When you complete the program and present your project, you will be certified as an AL!VE presenter and gain experience that can be applied to CVA certification or recertification.
Before registering, please confirm you can make ALL dates: February 4, 7; 11, 14; 18, 21; 25, 28 March 4, 7;11, 14; 18, 21; 25, 28 Interested in joining Cohort 3? Registration now open and limited to 24 participants. |
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Service Enterprise: A Year in Review
When we reflect back on the amazing impact our Service Enterprise Training and Implementation Partners have had within their communities and the ripple effect of the organizations that have gone through the Service Enterprise Program, achieved their first round of accreditation, or maintained their accreditation it is the embodiment of AL!VE’s Mission.
During our 2024 Program Year we engaged almost 100 organizations in the Service Enterprise Program helping them hang the mirror and reflect on their organization culture and practices for volunteer engagement. We are proud of the 42 organizations that achieved and maintained their 3-year accreditation during this program year.
Congratulations to all of our AL!VE Members and Organizations that have made the commitment to better engage community members as volunteers to effectively deliver your social mission. We are looking forward to engaging more than 100 organizations in 2025. If you want to be one of them, reach out to our National Service Enterprise Administrator, Kayla Paulson, CVA, at ServiceEnterprise@volunteeralive.org.
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It's time ! VolunteerPro’s 2025 Volunteer Management Progress Report – The Recruitment Edition, their 10th annual survey!
Your input is crucial to uncovering the most current trends in volunteer engagement. This year, VolunteerPro is exploring: · The biggest challenges for leaders of volunteers right now · The current average salaries for leaders of volunteers
· The specific recruitment tactics organizations are using to attract volunteers · Which tactics are the most effective and what benchmarks to track against · The extent to which organizations are leveraging paid advertising in their recruitment · The most popular websites for posting volunteer opportunities · And much more ... Survey Deadline: Friday, December 20, 2024 @5pm Eastern
Exclusive Bonus: At the end of the survey, you will be redirected to a registration page to gain e access to the [SNEAK PEEK] 2025 Volunteer Management Progress Report Early Results webinar. Only survey participants and distribution partners will get access to this exclusive webinar, which will offer a first look at the insights that will shape our collective future.
P.S. Wondering what the Volunteer Management Progress Report is all about? You can learn more and download past reports here for free |
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Calling All Spanish Speakers! AL!VE and the Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration (CCVA) are partnering to seek input from Spanish speaking leaders of volunteers for a brainstorming session around some potential joint initiatives. Join us on on January 28, 2024 at 9amPST/12pmEST. ¡Nos vemos pronto! |
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Thank You After more than 15 years of dedicated service to AL!VE, Gretchen Jordan, CVA, our Association Manager, will be retiring.
Gretchen has been an integral part of AL!VE's growth, providing unwavering support to our members, Board of Directors, and numerous special projects. Her dedication, leadership, and passion for volunteer engagement have left a lasting impact on both our organization and the field of volunteer management. We invite you to join us in honoring her legacy by giving back to the community she helped shape. You can help us honor and continue Gretchen's legacy in three ways: |
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| The CVA study group is a member benefit from AL!VE open to all AL!VE members preparing for the Spring 2025 exam.
It will be led by facilitators who have recently earned their CVA certification.
On January 22, 2025 @ 12 PM EST we will review the study resources and an overview of chapters one and two of the textbook.
We will meet Wednesdays at 12:00pm ET for eight weeks starting February 5, 2025. The study schedule is based on reading 1-2 chapters of the CVA textbook, discussing those chapters and reviewing sample scenarios during the calls. Interested in the study group? Complete the registration form (link below) by January 20th.
If you are not yet an AL!VE member, you are welcome to attend the first session, but you must join as an AL!VE member to attend the study group. FALL 2024 CVA Study Group Stats and details The Fall 2024 CVA Study Group has wrapped up and it went really well. Here are the stats: 35 registered AL!VE member participants (43 signed up for the course) 20 was the average weekly attendance (with a range of 16-25) 21 reported registration for the Fall CVA exam 19 passed the Fall CVA exam |
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Update to the NEWEST AL!VE T-shirt!
We are pleased to announce that our T-shirt design winner chosen by member vote is now available! *Note* Our supplier had to make a change in the design, see below. It should be available for purchase now. Congrats to the winner Gina Edwards of Peoria, IL, who will receive a free t-shirt for their design submission. Proceeds from t-shirt sales support AL!VE. |
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We have a new mailing address! Please update your files, especially for membership payments.
AL!VE (Association of Leaders in Volunteer Engagement) 965 Loucks Rd, #1021 York, PA 17404 |
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| Upcoming Events & Opportunities |
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Upcoming
Communities of Practice: December 17, 1pm - Animal Welfare December 19, 2pm - Disability December 20, 12pm - Book Club
January 4, 12pm - Health Care January 6, 3pm - Education & Reading Programs *All times Eastern* |
| Other Upcoming Events: January 9, 17, 20 - CVA Credential Information Session
January 15 - New Volunteer Information Session December 9 - AL!VE Member Webinar |
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Volunteer With Us!
Looking to get involved further with AL!VE? Join us as a volunteer! Volunteering is a great networking opportunity and a chance to gain new skills and areas of expertise. There are a number of areas of support needed. Most roles are designed with a time commitment of 3-5 hours per month. Training is provided and the networking and professional development is a benefit all committee members enjoy! 2026 Conference Planning: Committee members wanted for ALL aspects of event planning - pick your passion on this new project committee!
Technology Committee - Join our newest Committee! Do you have a knack for technology and a keen interest in assisting AL!VE in selecting the most suitable platforms for our organization's needs? Whether it's streamlining virtual folder organization, providing support for web platforms, or navigating through the digital landscape, we welcome your expertise and enthusiasm to help drive our technological initiatives forward. Join us in shaping the future of AL!VE's digital infrastructure!
Academy Co-Lead Recruit and schedule speakers, including 4 DEIA speakers, for the AL!VE Academies. Approximately 4-5 hours per month. Advocacy Committee - Partnerships and Collaboration - facilitate with our local, regional, or national organizations or colleagues Programs Committee - Presenter Bootcamp Tech Support and Producer Membership Committee - Support AL!VE's member benefits, Ambassador program, and local association mentoring & professional development.
Development Committee - Members with fundraising, grant-writing, and grant-researching skills are invited to join this committee. Join the development committee and help build new funding streams for AL!VE!
Standards Committee: Help maintain the AL!VE Standards and keep this living document up to date, relevant, and useful for all Volunteer Engagement Professionals |
| Become a 2025
AL!VE Academy Presenter! |
AL!VE Academy provides high-quality varied educational opportunities designed to help leaders in volunteer engagement. These sessions build and strengthen leadership, management, and/or technical skills.
We are currently seeking proposals for presenters of monthly AL!VE Academy sessions for 2025, especially in the area of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). If you're a subject matter expert in DEI and volunteer engagement and are ready to share your knowledge with your peers, please consider submitting a proposal below! |
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Welcome to Our Newest Members! |
James Hampton Keisha Walker Ashey Bray Kristina Day Sydney Mahnken Hana Garner Niila Herbert Kathy Grall Allie Acridge Peggy Kurth Roulee Gartner Megan Vixie, MPA, CVA, PHR, CEC Levia Nahary Gustavo Perna Diana Lozano Sanquinetti Tana De Lonay Kim Dennee Sarah Volhard Maya Will Donna Ambrose Catherine Wollenzien Gerg Griese Erin Wells Christine Daniels Amanda Cottrell Megan Johnson Erica Erdman Ruth Hebbe Alison Johnson Goldzong Moua Bill Bertram Susan Cornforth Kyrie Fisher |
| New to AL!VE or just want to check in?
Find out what's happening or get a quick fix of networking with your peers! New members will get a brief overview of our mission, benefits, activities and committees. We also are giving away some cool door prizes too!
Upcoming Member Webinars:
December 4 - 4pm AL!VE Networking Social - All are welcome! |
| Thank you to Our
Renewing Members! |
Jessica Tierney Carol Martinez Chelsea Paguio Meghan Maloney Nathan Little Melanie Hagan Michelle King Brittany Smith Jennifer Curtis Katlin Sanders Barbara Guenther Cindy Perreira Kate Edman Lynn Welch Shelley Orloski, CVA Kimberly Houge Kelli Callihan Colette Saucier Arianne Lovelace Mark Smith Paris Eriksen Paul Falkowski Rhonda Noble Tracie Demery |
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Be Sure to Whitelist our Emails! |
We send this newsletter monthly, and an additional 3-4 emails per month. If you didn’t get it in your inbox please check your junk/spam folders (if you find it there right click it and choose Junk/Spam and then select Never Block Domain). If you don’t find it that way you may want to ask your IT to whitelist volunteeralive.org. You can also try to whitelist at your email level by following the directions linked below (sometimes you may need admin permissions): Whitelisting for Gmail
Whitelisting for Office 365 Outlook Whitelisting for Outlook ios If you need more assistance or haven’t been able to access the email please email manager@volunteeralive.org so that we can follow-up and do another test email after volunteeralive.org has been whitelisted on your account. |
| We've been working on cleaning up our website and making resources more easily accessible. The tabs at the top of our page have changed and been reorganized! About: Find information about AL!VE like annual reports and meeting information, Board of Directors, mission, vision, and values, and more.
Membership: Find information about becoming a member or renewing your membership. Learn & Connect: Find ways to learn and connect with other AL!VE members like AL!VE Academies, Communities of Practice, Mentorship Programs, AL!VE Impact Awards, and more. Support AL!VE: Learn about ways to support AL!VE like the Ambassador Program, Sponsorship, Donations, shop our t-shirts, presentation opportunities, volunteer and intern opportunities.
Resources: Find resources to support your work as a volunteer engagement professional like AL!VE Professional Standards, Advocacy, Trends, DEAI, International Journal of Volunteer Administration (IJOVA), and more.
Service Enterprise Program Overview: Learn more about the Service Enterprise Program and how to get involved. Looking for something specific? Try utilizing the search feature by clicking the magnifying glass on our website. |
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