Volunteer engagement can increase an organization’s capacity well beyond what staff alone can achieve. By embracing volunteer engagement as a core strategy, organizations increase their impact significantly. Before making the case to a funder to invest in volunteer engagement, it’s important to model strategic engagement within the organization.
Shifting from volunteer engagement as a program to an organization-wide strategy takes time. However, by starting with just a few of the steps outlined in the assessment and tools from The Leighty Foundation, organizations can build a case for investing in volunteer engagement.
The Leighty Foundation was an original funding partner of the Initiative for Strategic Volunteer Engagement (ISVE): a three-year partnership of visionary funders and national nonprofits aiming to transform the future of volunteerism. ISVE now lives within Independent Sector as IS’s Strategic Volunteer Engagement Program.
