After two years as the president, I'm delighted to be handing off leadership to the talented Dana Litwin. In recent years the board and members have made amazing strides. Our member support has drastically expanded. We all have the opportunity to grow our professional abilities through receiving education, having the opportunity to deliver education, peer to peer learning through direct mentorship as well as community forums, and the Hybrid Conference has exploded (with over 1000 participants this year, the Hybrid Conference is debatably the largest volunteer manager training being offered on the continent). Our membership continues to grow - we are now larger than any point in our past. Increased membership, a few grants, and revamped financial systems have made AL!VE much more financially healthy. We have been instrumental in the ongoing development of the National Alliance for Volunteer Engagement, which holds amazing promise for our profession. Our partnerships have continued to expand. And our board seems to get stronger and stronger... we have a 3 to 4 year leadership succession plan that I am particularly proud of. I am also exceptionally excited about the board members that have joined us over the past year. I believe they will push AL!VE to new heights and I'm delighted to support them going forward.
 
Best, ~Jason

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.  Existing members can get a refresher, check in and ask questions. We'll share upcoming announcements, activities, calendar events and trainings.

Webinars will be approximately 30 minutes with an additional 30 minutes allocated for networking or discussion.  

Register for our next webinar:
Thursday, January 17^th, 2019; 1pm EST / 10am PST

To register, click on the webinar title below or visit our calendar.

Twenty Hats: Creating Impact Indicators for your Corporate Days of Service
01/09/2019 (fee-based)

VolunteerPro: 2019 Volunteer Management Progress Report Early Results
01/23/2019 (free)

VolunteerPro: How to Find & Recruit Your Volunteer Dream Team - a Step-by-Step guide
02/21/2019 (fee-based)

AL!VE Academy: What You Need to Know About the CVA Credential
02/22/2019 (free to members)

Our website's calendar highlights AL!VE events as well as from our colleagues and associations in the field.  If you'd like to add a date for an event that is related to volunteer engagement or professional development, provide us the information here. Your event will be reviewed for approval and posted usually within 24 hours.

Welcome to our newest AL!VE members:

Naomi Demarest
Bloodworks NW

Telesa Walton
Make-A-Wish Foundation North Texas

Anna Haro
Make-A-Wish Foundation North Texas

Whitney Rodriguez
City of Forth Worth, Texas

Pat Bennier
Franciscan Renewal Center

Shara Guarnaccia
Boston Partners in Education

Ann Borysowski
American Red Cross

Amy Smith
Bridging the Gap

Christi Brown CAVS, CVA
Wellspan Health

Mary Lynn Perry
City of Sacramento

Volunteer Association of Midcoast Maine (VAMM)

Katie McCue
Cincinnati Museum Center

Sara Dick
Newton Et Cetera Shop

Donna Finney
Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra

Linda O'Dell
Douglas County Libraries

Kathy Guenther
Jenks Public Schools

Andrea Traskos
RSVP of Washtenaw

Jamie Crispin
Kansas Volunteer Commission

Cindy Zens
Kids Matter

Stephanie Broxterman
Midland Care

Patricia Sherwood
American Red Cross

Audrey Kidwell
Volunteer Florida

Cindy Perreira
Irving Arts Center

Rebecca Maletto-Cornell
Foster Grandparent Program of SWPA

Carrie Hart
Bayhealth Medical Center

Bonnie Cook
United Way of Southern Nevada

Iriz Yazno
Southwest Medical Aid

Ani Etter
Volunteer Fort Wayne

Peggy Kling
Wellspan Health

Kelly DiCiano
Wellspan Health

Allison Schwartz
Maryland Zoo in Baltimore

Directors of Volunteers in Agencies- Los Angeles (DOVIA-LA)

Rachel Krempasky
Fairfax County Animal Shelter

Heather M Lee

A big THANK YOU to these renewing members:

Jane Justis
Leighty Foundation
Member Since: 08/07/2009

Jill Leighty
Leighty Foundation
Member Since: 08/07/2009

Nancy Waterman
Leighty Foundation
Member Since: 08/07/2009

Stacey Luhring, CVA
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
Member Since: 11/23/2009

Brenda Michael-Haggard, CFRE, CVA
Member Since: 09/22/2010

Anne Strauch, CVA
Goodwill Industries NCW
Member Since: 07/07/2011

Jessica Stanbury
ServeWyoming
Member Since: 12/03/2013

Tobi Johnson
Tobi Johnson Associates
Member Since: 12/17/2013

Jared McCannell, CVA
Maine CDC
Member Since: 11/04/2015

Shaunielle Mosley
Department of Veterans Affairs
Member Since: 05/19/2016

Rhonda Berry
Our City Forest
Member Since: 08/24/2016

Maura Muller
New York Public Library
Member Since: 08/04/2017

Craig Young
Inspiring Service
Member Since: 08/05/2017

Nancy Shafer
Member Since: 08/09/2017

Marcia Haglund
Tri-Valley Opportunity Council Inc.
Member Since: 08/11/2017

Jessica Gordon
The Peregrine Fund
Member Since: 11/11/2017

Katie Lamb
GLSEN
Member Since: 11/17/2017

Kristina Coby
Michigan Community Service Commission
Member Since: 11/27/2017

Michelle Raymer CVA
Volunteer Iowa
Member Since: 11/27/2017

Bob Shogren
Arizona Governor's Commission on Service and Volunteerism
Member Since: 11/27/2017

Kaira Esgate
America's Service Commissions
Member Since: 11/27/2017

Tom Branen
America's Service Commissions
Member Since: 11/27/2017

Rachel Manuel Bruns
America's Service Commissions
Member Since: 11/27/2017

Lisl Hacker
Americas' Service Commissions
Member Since: 11/27/2017

We are here for you!  If you have a question, recommendation or concern, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@volunteeralive.org. 

Or visit our website at www.volunteeralive.org.

Seasons Greetings from all of us at AL!VE.

Emilie was part of the very first board of directors in 2009.  She served two terms initially and then returned for a final term which ends in December.  During her time as a board member, Emilie was Vice President for Programs and Advocacy.  A frequent attendee at national and regional conferences and events, Emilie made sure to advocate for her peers and AL!VE as an essential resource for those who engage volunteers.  Emilie has hosted several webinars for AL!VE members over the years regarding advocacy and will continue to be active within the organization.  Emilie has shared a deep knowledge and passion for advocacy for the profession, volunteering, and volunteers.  Did you know she authored the chapter on Advocacy for the CVA textbook?
 
Emilie always brought an important perspective and voice to AL!VE's efforts over the past years.  You will be missed Emilie and we are so grateful for your service.  Thank you.

AL!VE Academy Presents:
Playing the Board Game: Engaging High-Level Executives in Your Volutneer-Supported Organization
Wednesday, January 30th, 2019
2pm EST / 11am PST
via GoToMeeting

Cost: AL!VE Members (Free) / Non-Members ($25)
To attend this event, register here. 

As a Leader of Volunteer Engagement, you may have the opportunity to work closely with executive-level or highly skilled professionals who choose to serve alongside your organization.  They may be Board members, group leaders, liaisons, virtual volunteers, and even frontline, hands-on volunteers. 
 
What unique strategies are required to engage this category of volunteer?  Of what do you need to be aware to ensure their contributions are meaningful and mutually beneficial?  What should you do differently to ensure a seasoned professional who is volunteering sustains their engagement?   
 
The answers to these questions may not be what you have been led to believe.  And, at times, the solutions are doing more of what you may already know to deepen their engagement.

About the Presenter:
Join published author, speaker, non-profit executive and consultant Barry Altland for this one-hour session that immerses learners in philosophical and tactical strategies to elevate your leadership acumen.  The highly interactive virtual workshop will impart knowledge and skills to help you more effectively play the “Board Game.”

Rural Communities of Practice
Tuesday, January 23^rd, 2019
3pm EST / Noon PST
via GoToMeeting
Members Only
To attend this event, register here.

Volunteer Engagement Professionals in small towns face unique challenges and opportunities that aren’t always addressed by advice intended for city-based audiences. There are also fewer opportunities to connect with others doing similar work across the country. That’s what led to the creation of AL!VE’s Community of Practice (CoP) for volunteer engagement professionals in rural communities. This group meets virtually to share issues, strategies and best practices, get and receive colleagues' support, make connections, and provide an opportunity to share information, experiences, and resources specific to serving rural communities.

For any questions about this, please contact Michelle Raymer at michelle.raymer@iowaeda.com.

   
View the Recording!
Presenting the Profession: Writing and Presentation Strategies

If you missed Dr. Harriett Edwards’ in last month’s AL!VE Academy, you missed an engaging webinar full of practical tips on improving your writing and presenting.  Dr. Edwards shared about how publishing or presenting can help further a career, help us tell our stories, and enhance the body of knowledge in our field.  She answered some tough questions, including a discussion on whether the field requires publishing and presenting on a voluntary basis or compensates professionals for their contributions.  Luckily, it’s not too late, you can still access the recording at this link!

Interested in Presenting?
Inspired to put what you learned into practice? Consider volunteering as an AL!VE Academy Presenter to gain experience! AL!VE strives to bring high quality, relevant presentation topics to our members and those in the field, and is seeking AL!VE Academy Presenters to support this important work. Click here to learn more or to submit a proposal.

Each year, workshops at the Points of Light Conference highlight best practices, insights and ideas that shape the work being done to inspire and accelerate people-powered change in communities around the world.  Submit a proposal for your chance to be part of this exclusive learning environment and join your peers! Click here to learn more or to submit a proposal. Proposals are due by 11:59 PM ET on January 4, 2019.

Interested in Publishing?
If you are interested in publishing, Energize, Inc.’s eVolunteerism journal was one of the options mentioned in the webinar.  For more information about getting an article published or to talk through ideas for an article, review the Guidelines for Submissions or contact Allyson Drinnon at allysondrinnon@hotmail.com. 

This year’s Points of Light Conference (June 18-20 in St. Paul, MN) will have a strong focus on volunteer engagement leadership, including an exciting plenary and over 40 breakout sessions.  Content for this track is being developed by practitioners in the field, led by the Minnesota Association for Volunteer Administration (MAVA).

YOU are invited to contribute to the Volunteer Engagement Plenary, “Embracing Your Role as a Catalyst for Impact.” The planning team needs your help to demonstrate how volunteering creates ripples of impact through not only the organization's beneficiaries, but also volunteers, business, and communities.

Do you have an inspirational story to share with peers about how you have driven change through volunteer engagement? 
If so, submit a brief video (by February 15, 2019) and your work may be selected to be highlighted at the Conference.  No special skills or technology needed – just use your cell phone!  If selected, the planning team will follow up with you to finalize details, discuss any revisions, etc. Click here for more details and instructions on how to submit your video.    

I’m pleased to share the December 2018 issue with readers and even more pleased that this is our third issue of the year! Over the past several years, the IJOVA Board has worked hard to reposition the journal and return to a more consistent publication schedule.  We are on that track this year and certainly hope to continue receiving manuscripts for consideration so that we may offer readers even more opportunities to engage in the future. We have three articles this month that represent a wide diversity in our profession.

The Role of Place Attachment on Appalachian Trail Conservancy Volunteer Involvement
Trauntvein, et. al. share with readers the idea of place attachment as it relates to volunteer involved in preserving the Appalachian Trail.  The authors explored relationships between volunteer motivations and level of involvement; volunteer satisfaction and level of involvement; and place attachment and level of involvement.

Political Skill of Volunteer Board Members in the Nonprofit Milieu:? A Resource Dependency Perspective
Young proposes a theoretical model for the impact of political behavior and political skill on the development of social capital, though resource dependency lens.  Readers are presented with discussion and models that explore political skill, political behavior, and social capital development of volunteers that ultimately seek to advance the organization and self.

Impacts of “Voluntourism” and Future Fair Trade Practices?
O’Malley provides a thought provoking overview of the positive and negative impacts of “voluntoursim” and its development over the years. The author shared with readers some potential suggestions for the future and introduces the concept of Fair Trade Standards and how they apply to this concept.

On behalf of the IJOVA Board, I’m pleased to share this issue with you and look forward to continuing to grow the journal in the year to come through your active readership and submission of potential manuscripts.

Read this edition of the journal here.

Another great success!

The 2018 Volunteer Management Hybrid Conference had over 1,000 attendees in the US and Canada over the two-day broadcast. 

Presented to volunteer engagement professionals this past October, colleagues networked locally and internationally with each other and presenters Beth Steinhorn, Angela Williamson, and Heidi Jakop.  Host and Moderator, Dana Litwin, summed it up as "an excellent day of learning about leadership from the strategic and practical levels!" 
 
Many thanks to AL!VE partners Better Impact and the Volunteer Management Professionals of Canada.  We are pleased to announce the 2019 Hybrid Conference will be held October 22 (Pacific/Mountain time zones) and October 23 (Central and Eastern time zones).  Registration will open late March 2019.  Sign up for the informational mailing list here.

AL!VE Members save an additional 10% off VolunteerPro's winter sale of $100 off.  This means you can buy a full year of access to VolunteerPro webinars, online coaching and more for only $499.

In order to receive the additional 10% off, you must use this link (or use the link on the members only side of our website).
 
Don't wait! Offer expires January 17, 2019.

Listed below are upcoming recognized days of service within the next couple of months.  This may be a great opportunity for your organization to host service project.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service

January 21^st, 2019
With "Make it a day ON... Not a day off!" as its slogan, this commemoration is designed to keep Dr. King's legacy of service to others alive in communities across the United States.  The day of service is scheduled on his nationally-recognized birthday holiday.

National Mentoring Month
January 2019
Created in 2002, National Mentoring Month focuses national attention on the need for mentors, as well as how each of us—individuals, businesses, government agencies, schools, faith communities and nonprofits—can work together to increase the number of mentors to assure positive outcomes for our young people.