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Volunteer Nation
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!
Episodes
200 episodes
200. 10 Lessons from 200 Episodes - The Volunteer Nation Through the Years
The 200th episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast marks a major milestone. After four years, hundreds of conversations, and insights from volunteer leaders around the world, Tobi Johnson takes a step back to reflect on what has chan...
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57:59
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199. The Future of Volunteerism - Trends & Predictions Part 2
In this episode of The Volunteer Nation Podcast, Tobi Johnson continues her deep dive into the future of volunteerism with Part 2 of her trends and predictions series. Building on the first three trends covered in Ep...
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34:40
198. The Future of Volunteerism - Trends & Predictions Part 1
In this episode of The Volunteer Nation Podcast, Tobi Johnson shares Part 1 of her 2026 trends and predictions for the future of volunteerism. This is the first half of a two-part series exploring 8 major shifts shaping how comm...
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28:43
197. Behind the Scenes of 10 Years of Industry Research with Allison Russell – Part 2
In part 2 of our behind-the-scenes series on the Volunteer Management Progress Report, Tobi Johnson returns with Allison Russell, Assistant Professor of Public & Nonprofit Management at the University of Texas at Dallas, for a powerful conv...
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58:32
196. Behind the Scenes of 10 Years of Industry Research with Pam Kappelides & Allison Russell – Part 1
To mark 10 years of the Volunteer Management Progress Report (VMPR), Tobi Johnson hands the mic to nonprofit scholar Allison Russell for a behind-the-scenes conversation about what it really takes to produce a decade-long, global research study...
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55:54
195. The Top 10 Volunteer Nation Podcast Episodes for 2025 - Our Countdown
As we step into a brand-new year, Tobi takes listeners on a reflective walk through the most popular Volunteer Nation Podcast episodes of 2025, sharing key insights and takeaways from each. Think of this as a Reader’s Digest–sty...
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37:28
194. Beyond the Performative - The Price of Nice with Amira Barger
In this episode of Volunteer Nation Podcast, Tobi Johnson welcomes back Amira Barger, award-winning communications executive, educator, and author of The Price of Nice: Why Comfort Keeps Us Stuck and Four Actions for Real Change. ...
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1:02:20
193. Building Influence with Impact with Chris Wade and Matthew Cobble
How do volunteer leaders move from being seen as “extra hands” to strategic drivers of mission success? In this episode of the Volunteer Nation Podcast, Tobi Johnson is joined by Chris Wade and Matthew Cobble, co-hosts of t...
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1:05:59
192. Respect the Work: How to Protect Copyright in the Age of Sharing
In this episode of The Volunteer Nation Podcast, Tobi Johnson tackles a topic that’s becoming increasingly urgent in the nonprofit and volunteer engagement world: copyright, intellectual property, and the ethics of sharing content.&nbs...
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43:55
191. Who is Ultimately Responsible for Your Org's Volunteer Culture?
In this episode of Volunteer Nation Podcast, Tobi Johnson breaks down a common misconception in the nonprofit world: Who is ultimately responsible for shaping your organization’s volunteer culture? After receiving pushback from a ne...
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30:09
190. 5 Principles for an Unforgettable Volunteer User Experience
In this episode of Volunteer Nation Podcast, Tobi dives deep into what makes a truly exceptional volunteer user experience — from the very first moment someone encounters your organization, through onboarding, active service, and beyond. <...
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19:37
189. How to Use a Communications Audit to Recruit More Volunteers
In this episode of the Volunteer Nation Podcast, Tobi Johnson breaks down why it’s one of the smartest, most powerful tools nonprofits can use to attract more aligned, motivated volunteers. Often, the issue isn’t a lack of interest fro...
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21:50
188. Let's Talk Volunteering with Weave: the Social Fabric Project
In this episode of the Volunteer Nation Podcast, Tobi Johnson shares a webinar featuring Jennifer Bennett of Idealist and Travis Sternhagen, Volunteer Manager at Kinship Community Food Center. The episode delves into the transformative communit...
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59:55
187. Bold Leadership – Celebrating IVMDay with Nicole Smith
In this inspiring episode of the Volunteer Nation Podcast, Tobi Johnson celebrates International Volunteer Managers Day with special guest Nicole Smith, Executive Director of Alive. Together, they dive into this year’s powerful theme —...
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1:00:42
186. Strategy vs Tactics - How to Include Both in Your Volunteer Planning
In this episode of the Volunteer Nation Podcast, Tobi Johnson breaks down one of the biggest pitfalls in volunteer planning: confusing strategy with tactics. She explains why a plan that’s just a long list of tasks will never move your...
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27:34
185. To Burnout & Back - My Secret Struggle with Long COVID
In this episode of the Volunteer Nation Podcast, Tobi Johnson steps away from her usual format to share her journey through long COVID, from the first onset of symptoms to the long road of recovery. Tobi opens up about the ...
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57:07
184. The Experience Economy – Are Nonprofits Keeping Up?
In this episode of the Volunteer Nation Podcast, Tobi Johnson unpacks how the experience economy is reshaping the way nonprofits engage and retain volunteers. Building on last week’s discussion about the evolving volunteer ...
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40:31
183. The New Reality - Volunteers Don't Need You
In this episode of the Volunteer Nation Podcast, Tobi Johnson tackles a bold question: has the volunteer–nonprofit relationship changed for good? As societal expectations and volunteer trends evolve, Tobi explains why today...
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50:28
182. The 8 Game-Changing Policies That Make Volunteers Say WOW!
In this episode of the Volunteer Nation Podcast, Tobi Johnson builds on her previous conversation about harmful volunteer policies by introducing eight transformative strategies to attract and retain passionate volunteers.
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22:19
181. The 8 Volunteer Policies That Are Killing Your Mission
In this episode of the Volunteer Nation Podcast, Tobi Johnson uncovers eight common volunteer policies that could be hurting your mission. From poor first impressions and slow communication to overly complicated screening processes, in...
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24:15
180. 3 Smart Ways to Design Volunteer Service Awards
In this episode of the Volunteer Nation Podcast, Tobi Johnson explores smart, research-backed frameworks for designing meaningful volunteer service awards. Instead of relying on traditional recognition tactics, she shows how to align a...
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36:26
179. Transformative Service Experiences with Frederick J. Riley and Jackie Wolven
In this episode of the Volunteer Nation Podcast, Tobi Johnson dives into the topic of transformative service experiences with guests Frederick J. Riley, Executive Director of Weave the Social Fabric Project at the Aspen Institute, and ...
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1:02:44
178. 6 Ways to Help Program Volunteers Avoid Compassion Fatigue
In this episode of the Volunteer Nation Podcast, Tobi Johnson dives deep into the critical issue of compassion fatigue and secondary traumatic stress among program volunteers. These frontline heroes play vital roles in tutoring, hospic...
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36:54
177. Manage Volunteers Like a Pro: 7 Rookie Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
In this episode of the Volunteer Nation Podcast, Tobi Johnson dives into the 7 common rookie mistakes non-profits make when managing volunteers and shares practical strategies to help volunteer managers reduce stress and rediscover the...
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37:46
176. Beyond Pizza Parties: Innovative Appreciation Ideas for Volunteers
In this episode of the Volunteer Nation Podcast, Tobi Johnson discusses the importance of strategic volunteer appreciation. Moving beyond traditional gifts and certificates, she explores how to recognize and value volunteers in ways th...
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25:47