If you work in volunteer engagement in Canada, you’ve probably felt it. Recruitment feels harder, retention isn’t what it used to be, expectations are shifting, and at the same time the need in our communities keeps growing. For decades, Canada has had a strong culture of volunteering. But in recent years, amid rising costs of … Continue reading Shaping the National Volunteer Strategy: The Role of Volunteer Engagement Professionals
Rethink, Refresh, Reengage: Creative Volunteer Engagement for Busy Teams
At the start of the year our manager invited us to choose a word for the year. One word to guide how we show up at work and support others. I chose creativity. That choice kept resurfacing for me in an unexpected place: a Febreze commercial. The ad asks whether we’ve become so accustomed to the … Continue reading Rethink, Refresh, Reengage: Creative Volunteer Engagement for Busy Teams
Slowing the Volunteer Exodus: Practical Ways to Foster Meaningful and Inclusive Volunteer Experiences
Psychological Safety and Voluneer Retention Picture this, you are in the office kitchen, coffee in hand, and someone casually asks, “Why do we never have enough volunteers, and why do the ones we recruit keep leaving?” Too often, volunteers are treated like spare parts, they are slotted in where needed, asked to fill gaps, and … Continue reading Slowing the Volunteer Exodus: Practical Ways to Foster Meaningful and Inclusive Volunteer Experiences
Boost Your Volunteer Program in 2026: Practical Insights from the ONN Report
Volunteers are the heartbeat of nonprofits and if you manage them you already know it. They are the ones keeping programs alive, showing up for your mission, and making your community feel seen. But let us be honest, 2026 is shaping up to be a year full of surprises. Between AI tools promising to streamline … Continue reading Boost Your Volunteer Program in 2026: Practical Insights from the ONN Report
Volunteer Screening: Balancing Volunteer Risk Management with Accessibility and Inclusion
When most people hear “volunteer screening,” they think of background checks, long forms, piles of paper work and red tape, basically a process all about risk. But here’s the thing, great volunteer screening can do much more than protect your organization. It can open doors, making volunteering safe, welcoming, and inclusive for everyone. Whether it’s … Continue reading Volunteer Screening: Balancing Volunteer Risk Management with Accessibility and Inclusion
Redesigning Volunteer Programs: Exploring the Decline of Long-Term Volunteering and the Shift Toward Short-Term and Event-Based Engagement
Volunteering used to look a lot like a long-term commitment. People signed up for weekly shifts, joined committees, or served on boards for years at a time. It was a rhythm - steady, predictable, and deeply rooted in community life. But lately, things have changed. Many nonprofits are seeing fewer long-term volunteers and more people … Continue reading Redesigning Volunteer Programs: Exploring the Decline of Long-Term Volunteering and the Shift Toward Short-Term and Event-Based Engagement
Talking to Strangers & Leaving a Positive Community Footprint
Today, while on the train, a woman in her eighties gingerly took the seat beside me. We exchanged friendly smiles, and she offered me a digestive biscuit (though I’m not sure why they call it that, as they are anything but easily digested). I accepted a piece and asked if I could take a picture … Continue reading Talking to Strangers & Leaving a Positive Community Footprint
Creating Organizations that Foster Volunteer Loyalty
Boosting Volunteer Loyalty and Retention at Each Touchpoint The success and relevance of any business often depend on its ability to cultivate customer loyalty. When organizations make sure customers are satisfied at every touchpoint, whether in person, on the phone, by email, on their website, or through external media, that satisfaction can turn into loyalty. … Continue reading Creating Organizations that Foster Volunteer Loyalty
The Toronto Distress Centres Support Social and Mental Health in Toronto
Many people in Ontario struggle to access mental health support that is both affordable and available when they need it. Since 1967, Toronto Distress Centres have been stepping in to fill that gap, providing critical support exactly when it matters most. The centre offers free, confidential, 24/7 phone support for anyone feeling lonely, stressed, or … Continue reading The Toronto Distress Centres Support Social and Mental Health in Toronto
Form Follows Function in the New User Friendly World of Work
REDEFINING WORKING AND THE OFFICE ENVIRONMENT: Form follows function is an architectural principle that suggests that “the shape of a building or object should be primarily based upon its intended function or purpose”. This principle is being applied more and more in the modern world of work (literally and figuratively, in regards to approaches to … Continue reading Form Follows Function in the New User Friendly World of Work
Rethinking Loneliness in a Hyperconnected World
In a culture obsessed with competition in every form, it is getting harder to feel content, whether we are alone or with others. We are constantly fed these perfectly staged glimpses of happiness on television, which is pure fantasy, and on social media, which is just a moment frozen in time. And then we assume … Continue reading Rethinking Loneliness in a Hyperconnected World
The Middle Slice 