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Want to try before you buy? Email info@volunteeralive.org to try your first session free.
Join us for a chat about passion and calling featuring Adam Janes, CVA — former religious leader and now a volunteer engagement professional with nine years of experience. Through building and rebuilding communities, careers, and worldviews, Adam has come to see volunteer engagement not just as a job, but as a true calling and a lifelong journey of learning what healthy community truly means.
Adam will draw on some illustrations, not for profit history, macro narratives and personal experiences to show how your work is more than a cog in the nonprofit wheel. It’s a force for generosity, connection, and care within your organisation and beyond. He will make the case for why you have one of the greatest jobs in the world and helping convince others of its importance is a challenge best built through building a passion for the profession.
The session will be moderated by Nicole R.Smith, CVA a leading voice in volunteer engagement, who will guide the conversation and pose thought-provoking questions along the way.
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People who lead and manage volunteers are usually nice people. Unfortunately, our niceness can hold us back when it comes to influencing others. From Chuck Norris to Billy Ocean this session will explore why and how we should be tougher in four different contexts.
Learning Takeaways
- Why is influencing is so important for Volunteer Engagement Professionals.
- Why niceness can hold us back and sometime getting touch can be an asset.
- Why dealing with problem behaviour by volunteers is vital.
- Why the language we use is so important if we want change to happen.
- Why we need to speak up with our leadership, funders and others if we want volunteering to flourish.
Date: Friday, November 14, 2025
Location: Cleveland Foundation — 6601 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44103
Valet parking: Complimentary valet parking required on site.
Format: In-Person or Virtual
Get ready for a dynamic day exploring how volunteerism is evolving and how we, as leaders, can change the game to strengthen our communities. Expect fresh ideas, practical strategies, new connections, and engaging conversations to inspire your work.
Save the date and register today: Conference Registration
Member and non-member rates will be posted within the registration page.
8:00 AM – 8:30 AM — Registration Check-In • Coffee & Continental Breakfast
8:30 AM – 8:45 AM — FVA Welcome / Begin Virtual Session
8:45 AM – 10:00 AM — Keynote: Advancing Servant Leadership in the Age of AI
Mr. Stephen White, Esq., Chief Strategy Officer & General Counsel, COSI
10:00 AM – 10:15 AM — Break / Raffle Drawing
10:15 AM – 11:30 AM — Session #1: Reverse Volunteer Recruitment
Angela Williamson, CVA
11:30 AM – 12:15 PM — Lunch & Networking
12:15 PM – 12:45 PM — FVA Annual Meeting & Update • Presentation of the Volunteer Administrator of the Year Award
12:45 PM – 1:00 PM — Break / Raffle Drawing
1:00 PM – 2:15 PM — Session #2: From Management to Momentum: Leading Volunteers with Strategic Clarity
Houston Goodwin, CEO, Better Impact
2:15 PM – 2:30 PM — Break / Raffle Drawing
2:30 PM – 3:45 PM — Session #3: The Evolution of Employee Communication & Engagement
Michael McGrath, Executive Vice President, McGohan Brabender
3:45 PM – 4:15 PM — Wrap-Up, Final Announcements & Raffle Drawing
Game Changer: Advancing Servant Leadership in the Age of AI
Stephen White, Esq. inspires organizations to “dream more, do more, and become more.” He is Chief Strategy Officer and General Counsel at the Center for Science and Industry (COSI), a multi-award-winning science center recognized by USA Today and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Stephen founded the theory of Servant Learning and leads the Learning Lunchbox initiative — a global STEM outreach model developed in partnership with the White House, NASA, and the U.S. Department of Energy that has distributed 350,000+ educational kits. His work blends servant leadership, partnerships, and practical solutions to workforce and education gaps.
Stephen’s talk will explore how servant leadership and innovation can shape volunteer engagement in a rapidly changing, AI-infused world.
This virtual Community of Practice supports volunteer engagement professionals managing programs in and across rural communities. These monthly peer-to-peer sessions address some of the challenges that come with operating in geographic areas with lower population numbers and that are located outside of more suburban and urban areas. Members use these sessions to troubleshoot issues, to give and receive support, and to share strategies, best practices, and resources for effective volunteer program management.
2025 Meetings will be held (All times 2 PM Eastern):
January 21, February 18, March 18,
April 15, May 20, June 17,
July 15, August 19, September 16,
October 21, November 18, December 16
Click here to join the next meeting.
COP's are an exclusive AL!VE member benefit. Anyone is welcome to attend the first COP meeting, but after the first meeting we ask you become a member. Learn more here.
December AL!VE Academy - Break Through Status Quo Problem-Solving and Learn New Skills to Test Solutions Before you Build With Heather Hiscox, December 2, 2025 @1PM Est - 60 Minutes
If you have worked in volunteer management for three months or 30 years, you know the importance of listening and making every volunteer feel special. But what do you do when needs shift, capacity shrinks, and new ideas emerge? How do you move through uncertainty with the evidence you need to make decisions and influence your organization?
Heather Hiscox, Founder and CEO of Pause for Change, will walk through key skills of the PAUSE framework to help you brainstorm inclusively, operate from abundance, go bold, know what strategies will work before you invest time and resources, reduce your risk, and learn quickly and creatively.
Heather Hiscox is a Frustrated Changemaker on a mission to change the way WE change the world. Heather is the founder and CEO of Pause for Change. The PAUSE method is a proven framework that helps changemakers address difficult challenges and pursue promising opportunities. These skills help organizations be certain about which solutions will create the greatest impact while using fewer resources and less time. Heather is the author of No More Status Quo: A Proven Framework to Change the Way We Change the World. Heather speaks at conferences and events about social impact (nonprofit, local government, and philanthropic) disruption and innovation, and has launched several ventures that benefit the social impact sector, connecting organizations to the training, skills, and resources they need to deepen their impact.The Lie That Is Holding Volunteer Managers Back
If you’re wondering what that is, join this thought-provoking session with internationally recognized consultant Rob Jackson, who will uncover what the lie is, why it matters, and—most importantly—what can be done about it.
Participants will explore how shifting the way volunteering is promoted can create new opportunities, and why rethinking long-held approaches is essential for the future success of volunteer engagement.
Rob Jackson brings a wealth of experience and an engaging style that has inspired volunteer managers worldwide. Past participants have said:
Join this session to gain fresh insights, challenge assumptions, and leave with practical ideas for re-imagining the future of volunteering.
Reimagining Volunteer Redirection for Sustainable Community Impact
Wednesday December 3, 2025 from 1:00pm - 2:00pm EST
Register HERE
Volunteer redirection is often viewed through the lens of risk management. In this session, we’ll challenge that perspective and reimagine redirection as a tactic to educate community members, show genuine care for their wellbeing, and foster transparency and trust. Through case studies, interactive discussions, and practical tools, this session will explore how ethical redirection can lead to genuine transformations by addressing evolving community needs and volunteer motivations. This session will use Mentimeter, allowing the audience to easily share insights, ask questions, and brainstorm opportunities.
By the end of the session, participants will be able to:
· Apply redirection strategies at each stage of the volunteer engagement cycle (with a focus on opportunities in the planning, recruitment, orientation and training, and recognition phases)
· Develop strengths-based redirection messaging that aligns with volunteer motivations and community needs
· Prepare for community-centric redirection conversations that foster transparency and trust
· Meaningfully steward individuals and groups who are redirected from volunteer service
The answer is you can't! Meetings will be held bimonthly (every 2 months). Following meetings will be 10 AM Pacific, 1 PM Eastern:
2025: February 13, April 10, June 12, Aug 14, Oct 9, Dec 11
The COP - Animal Welfare is designed to include a broad range of animal welfare organizations such as animal shelters, rescue groups, foster-based programs, sanctuaries, direct care for animals, and humane education programs. The objective of this COP is to connect volunteer engagement professionals within these organizations to share resources and best practices. This informal venue encourages open discussions for anyone seeking or offering advice in tackling the unique challenges facing volunteer leaders in the animal welfare field.
Click here to join the community and participate in our upcoming meeting.
Communities of Practice are an AL!VE member benefit; however, anyone is welcome to attend their first meeting with out being a member. Email info@volunteeralive.org for a free trial. You can learn more about membership here.
This virtual Community of Practice supports volunteer engagement professionals managing programs in and across rural communities. These monthly peer-to-peer sessions address some of the challenges that come with operating in geographic areas with lower population numbers and that are located outside of more suburban and urban areas. Members use these sessions to troubleshoot issues, to give and receive support, and to share strategies, best practices, and resources for effective volunteer program management.
2025 Meetings will be held (All times 2 PM Eastern):
January 21, February 18, March 18,
April 15, May 20, June 17,
July 15, August 19, September 16,
October 21, November 18, December 16
Click here to join the next meeting.
COP's are an exclusive AL!VE member benefit. Anyone is welcome to attend the first COP meeting, but after the first meeting we ask you become a member. Learn more here.
