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Artwork for Volunteer Nation

Volunteer Nation

Tobi Johnson, MA, CVA
Volunteer Engagement
Volunteer Management
Volunteerism
Community Engagement
Volunteer Recruitment
Volunteer Experience
Nonprofit Organizations
Nonprofit Leadership
Nonprofit Sector
Nonprofit Management
Community Building
Volunteer Management Progress Report
Volunteers
Volunteer Retention
Nonprofits
Volunteering
Volunteer Websites
Experience Economy
Digital Marketing
User Experience

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 engagi... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes212Founded4 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Non-ProfitBusiness

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Artwork for Volunteer Nation

Latest Episodes

Effective volunteer training is more than checking a box; it builds confident, engaged volunteers who stay longer and deliver greater impact. Yet many organizations rely on long, one-size-fits-all sessions that frustrate volunteers and miss chances t... more

Volunteer engagement doesn't exist in a vacuum—it's deeply shaped by community values, national infrastructure, and a spirit of collective care. In New Zealand, where over 115,000 not-for-profits operate and most are volunteer-led, best practices for... more

Volunteer engagement doesn’t end when service concludes. In fact, how organizations say goodbye to their volunteers can have a lasting impact on relationships, reputation, and future support. Yet, volunteer offboarding is often overlooked or treated ... more

Leadership in volunteer engagement is not defined by title or workload, but by the ability to influence, align, and inspire others toward a shared vision. Many leaders stay busy managing day-to-day tasks, yet struggle to step into a more visible and ... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Dana Litwin
Founder of Dana Litwin Consulting; longtime volunteer engagement expert
Dana Litwin Consulting
Episode: 212. Impact Lab POV - Volunteer Training Programs Made Easy with Dana Litwin
Marg McLachlan
Communications Manager, Volunteering New Zealand
Volunteering New Zealand
Episode: 211. Best Practices & Community Spirit with Volunteering New Zealand
Ruth Leonard
Volunteer management expert and advisor
RBL Consulting; UK Association of Volunteer Managers
Episode: 210. Impact Lab POV – Better Volunteer Offboarding with Ruth Leonard
Megan Vixie
Volunteer engagement and leadership expert; Chief Engagement Officer, Beach City's Health District
Arrive Circa Now; Beach City's Health District
Episode: 209. Impact Lab POV: Leadership and Influence with Megan Vixie
Lisa Lopez
Director of College Access at ScholarMatch
ScholarMatch
Episode: 204. Transforming Your Volunteer Strategy: A Case Study with ScholarMatch
Paola Gonzalez
Volunteer Manager at ScholarMatch
ScholarMatch
Episode: 204. Transforming Your Volunteer Strategy: A Case Study with ScholarMatch
Paul Clarke
Performance coach, Leaders Coach; leadership development specialist and consultant
Leaders Coach
Episode: 203. Preventing Volunteer Burnout - New Research with Paul Clarke
Pam Kappelides
Senior Lecturer and Student Placement Coordinator at LaTrobe University
LaTrobe University
Episode: 196. Behind the Scenes of 10 Years of Industry Research with Pam Kappelides & Allison Russell – Part 1
Allison Russell
Assistant Professor of Public and Nonprofit Management at the University of Texas at Dallas
University of Texas at Dallas
Episode: 196. Behind the Scenes of 10 Years of Industry Research with Pam Kappelides & Allison Russell – Part 1

Host

Tobi Johnson
Host of the Volunteer Nation

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 49 ratings
  • A cut above the rest!

    The Volunteer Nation podcast is truly in a lane of its own. There are so few quality podcasts, websites, and communities for leaders of volunteers, and Tobi Johnson leads the best of these, probably in the world. I listen to the Volunteer Nation podcast for timely, industry leading, and actionable information. I hope that Tobi has many more years of podcast ideas up her sleeve because this is one of my favourite podcasts!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    terakristen8888
    Canada3 months ago
  • Amazing content, well presented

    I’m trying to improve my Membership community. I thought I’d give this podcast a try. I just can’t stop listening. Every episode provides tips, guidance and insights that I can immediately apply. Thank you!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Alice’ adventures
    United States9 months ago
  • I

    Iii

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Swim Karim's twin Skip Karim
    United States3 years ago
  • Thank you for putting this out there!

    I like what I’ve heard so far! I am a director of volunteering with an RSVP program in Wisconsin. I love the social science behind volunteering and often feel I am alone in that. Nice to hear from fellow nerds trying to understand how to make the field better. Thanks for putting this out there

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ghuff09808
    United States4 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Positive note on nursing a community of fellow professionals nerding out on volunteer management.
Listeners value the focus on volunteer voice, ethics, and governance in nonprofits.
Listeners praise practical tips you can apply immediately to improve volunteer programs.
The show delivers timely, industry-leading, actionable volunteer insights.
Audience appreciates the combination of research and real-world advice.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

212. Impact Lab POV - Volunteer Training Programs Made Easy with Dana Litwin
Q: What is a practical step for organizations feeling overwhelmed by revamping training?
Start with a quick pulse check: list what works and what doesn't, run a small pilot, and use a plan-do-check-act cycle every few months to iteratively improve the program.
212. Impact Lab POV - Volunteer Training Programs Made Easy with Dana Litwin
Q: What's a belief you hold about volunteer training that many in the field get wrong?
Volunteer training should not be treated as something fundamentally different from staff training; it needs to be integrated into a unified, organizational approach with consistent standards and shared buy-in across departments.
204. Transforming Your Volunteer Strategy: A Case Study with ScholarMatch
Q: What has been the most meaningful impact of the volunteer transformation on students?
Increased graduation rates under the seven-year model (80% for first-gen students) and more robust student support through dedicated volunteer mentorship.
204. Transforming Your Volunteer Strategy: A Case Study with ScholarMatch
Q: What made you decide to pursue external help to transform the volunteer program?
They wanted an objective perspective to scale recruitment, training, and professional development as they expanded nationally, while leveraging their strong internal processes.
188. Let's Talk Volunteering with Weave: the Social Fabric Project
Q: What percentage of your volunteers return after their first experience?
Approximately 90% of volunteers are returning participants at events, highlighting the effectiveness of community-building efforts.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Volunteer Nation

What is Volunteer Nation about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A leadership-focused podcast for people managing volunteers in nonprofits and civic organizations. Across episodes, the show emphasizes scalable volunteer programs, burnout prevention, recruit-and-retain strategies, and the role of voice and governance in effective volunteer management. Guests often include scholars, program leads, and practitioners who bring research-backed insights and practical tactics for building stronger volunteer cultures, improving the volunteer experience, and leveraging data to demonstrate impact. A standout theme is pairing academic findings with actionable practices to elevate volunteer programs, making it helpful for leaders seeking tangible improvements and for sponsors targeting the nonprofit sector.

Notewor... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Volunteer Nation?

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How many listeners does Volunteer Nation get?

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What are the audience demographics for Volunteer Nation?

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How many subscribers and views does Volunteer Nation have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Volunteer Nation has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Volunteer Nation?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Volunteer Nation:

1. Handsome
2. The Dream
3. Heavyweight
4. The Daily
5. Good Hang with Amy Poehler

How many episodes of Volunteer Nation are there?

Volunteer Nation launched 4 years ago and published 212 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Volunteer Nation?

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What guests have appeared on Volunteer Nation?

Recent guests on Volunteer Nation include:

1. Dana Litwin
2. Marg McLachlan
3. Ruth Leonard
4. Megan Vixie
5. Lisa Lopez
6. Paola Gonzalez
7. Paul Clarke
8. Pam Kappelides

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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