Volunteer Nation

By: Tobi Johnson MA CVA
  • Summary

  • Nonprofit leadership author, coach, and expert Tobi Johnson shares weekly tips to help charities build, grow, and scale exceptional volunteer teams. Discover how your nonprofit can effectively coordinate volunteers who are reliable, equipped, and ready to help you bring about BIG change for the better. Rather than continuing to “do more with less,” achieve abundance for your organization by engaging community talent that helps you do more with more. Society is evolving and so, too, is volunteerism. With over 25 years of experience working in nonprofits, public sector agencies, and grassroots campaigns Tobi is known for her modern “big hat” thinking and straight talk about what it takes to achieve success in today’s world. You will learn how to coordinate volunteers, improve the volunteer experience, recruit volunteers, appreciate volunteers, and do it all more efficiently with the right volunteer management software and digital tools. It’s a mix of interviews and solo shows you’re not going to want to miss. So, if you’re ready to ditch the stress and harness the power of people to fuel your good work, you’re in exactly the right place. Hit subscribe and let’s DO this!
    © 2025 Tobi Johnson & Associates LLC
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Episodes
  • 150. Launch a Community-based Advocacy Program in Six Steps
    Feb 20 2025

    In this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast, Tobi focuses on nonprofit advocacy, emphasizing the importance of advocacy in uncertain times. Tobi outlines a detailed six-step plan to launch a community-based advocacy program, tailored for organizations that rely on volunteer and community support.

    She discusses the importance of defining goals, recruiting and training the right volunteers, providing necessary tools and resources, and recognizing and retaining advocates. Tobi also shares the EPIC communications framework from Results.org and encourages nonprofits to take decisive steps to educate and mobilize their communities for advocacy, ensuring their vital role in society is sustained and funded.

    Full show notes: 150. Launch a Community-based Advocacy Program in Six Steps

    Thanks for listening to this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast. If you enjoyed it, please be sure to subscribe, rate, and review so we can reach more people like you who want to improve the impact of their good cause.

    For more tips and notes from the show, check us out at TobiJohnson.com. For any comments or questions, email us at WeCare@VolPro.net.

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    53 mins
  • 149. Nonprofit Advocacy Strategies – A Checklist
    Feb 13 2025

    In this episode of the Volunteer Nation Podcast, host Tobi Johnson provides an in-depth discussion on nonprofit advocacy strategies. Tobi talks about the immediate need for nonprofit advocacy and shares five key strategies to effectively engage in advocacy efforts. These strategies include public awareness and education, media and digital advocacy, grassroots mobilization, engaging policymakers without lobbying, and legal and policy advocacy.

    The episode emphasizes the importance of involving volunteers in advocacy efforts and provides practical tips on how to engage and train volunteers as advocates!

    Full show notes: 149. Nonprofit Advocacy Strategies – A Checklist

    Thanks for listening to this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast. If you enjoyed it, please be sure to subscribe, rate, and review so we can reach more people like you who want to improve the impact of their good cause.

    For more tips and notes from the show, check us out at TobiJohnson.com. For any comments or questions, email us at WeCare@VolPro.net.

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    37 mins
  • 148. Nonprofit Advocacy 101 – Yes You Can!
    Feb 6 2025

    In this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast, Tobi addresses the critical need for nonprofits to engage in advocacy, especially amidst current uncertainties like federal funding chaos. She explains how advocacy's role has diminished over the past 20 years and stresses the importance of nonprofit sectors educating legislators, constituents, and communities about their work.

    Offering a basic understanding of nonprofit advocacy versus lobbying, Tobi provides actionable steps and dispels myths around these activities. The episode also highlights the power of engaging volunteers in advocacy and introduces the 2025 Volunteer Management Progress Report. Aimed at encouraging nonprofits to take confident advocacy actions, this episode sets the stage for a deeper dive into advocacy tactics in upcoming episodes!

    Full show notes: 148. Nonprofit Advocacy 101 – Yes You Can!

    Thanks for listening to this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast. If you enjoyed it, please be sure to subscribe, rate, and review so we can reach more people like you who want to improve the impact of their good cause.

    For more tips and notes from the show, check us out at TobiJohnson.com. For any comments or questions, email us at WeCare@VolPro.net.

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    43 mins

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