198. The Future of Volunteerism - Trends & Predictions Part 1 Artwork

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!

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Volunteer Nation

198. The Future of Volunteerism - Trends & Predictions Part 1

January 22, 2026 • Tobi Johnson, MA, CVA

0:00 | 29:57

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 communities show up, how volunteer-driven organizations build trust, and what leaders of volunteers must pay attention to in the year ahead.

Tobi dives into the first three big trends: accountability, mutual aid, and new psychological insights into belonging and community.

Full show notes: 198. The Future of Volunteerism - Trends & Predictions Part 1

Future of Volunteerism - Episode Highlights

[00:59] - Trends and Predictions for 2026
[06:12] - Trend #1: Public Call for Accountability
[16:22] - Trend #2: Resurgence of Mutual Aid Volunteerism
[23:27] - Trend #3: Psychological Advances in Community and Belonging

Helpful Links

Tobi Johnson announces the 90-Day Recruitment Roadmap, a focused course in which you will learn how to build a high-converting, repeatable system that floods your organization with quality, committed volunteers and firmly establishes your nonprofit as the “go to” place to serve. Join here at: https://volpro.mykajabi.com/recruitment-roadmap

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.

Tobi Johnson, MA, CVA

Host