Volunteer Plain Talk

Meridian Swift
  • 4.8 (4)
  • Non-Profit

Designed for today's leaders of volunteers, Volunteer Plain Talk's Meridian Swift discusses trends and best practices in volunteer engagement and impact. Guests, who come from all sectors and all parts of the world, share innovative ideas and tips for engaging today's volunteers and defining volunteer impact.

  1. 10/11/2022

    Episode 22: Part 2: An Interview with Wes Richardson, Manager of Volunteer Services

    In the conclusion to part 1, Wes, who began his new job as manager of volunteer services in December 2019 and as the new head of volunteer services, had to almost immediately send volunteers, ones he didn't get to know well, home. In part 2 of this interview, Wes chats about his experiences, including:Difficult conversationsThe hardest thing he's had to do as a volunteer manager. (and it's not what you might expect)Rounding on volunteers, building that relationshipDiversity and InclusionExamp...

  2. 08/30/2022

    Episode 21: A New Job and Covid hits: An Interview with Wes Richardson, Manager of Volunteer Services Part 1

    Wes began his new job as manager of volunteer services in December 2019 and as the new head of volunteer services, had to almost immediately send volunteers, ones he didn't get to know well, home. In part 1 of this interview, Wes chats about his experiences, including:That initial shock.The suspension and not knowing what would ultimately happen.How do you introduce yourself and say, "Hi, BTW, stay home."Nurturing the personalities you've not gotten to know yet.Am I the bad guy?Involve the vo...

  3. 05/31/2022

    Episode 20: Catching Up with Laura Rundell a Year Later Part 2

    In this second part of my conversation with Laura Rundell, we chat about: Inspirational volunteers who support people knowing they cannot change circumstances.Volunteer appreciation-do we need a luncheon or even a week? Where should our focus be?Evolving volunteer recognition.Team nomination vs. volunteer of the year.No one, including staff gets there on their own.Person of the year? What's the point?Volunteer voice of descent-why we should listen.Grumpy volunteers-just grumpy, or do they have something to teach us?When introducing change, get those grumpy volunteers on board first.Standing up for volunteers.Recognizing we are a profession.The nonprofit smoke alarm.Respect for volunteer program means respect for ourselves.Turnover due to poor culture.Dare we talk salary?Work/Life balance-yes, we must have one.Laura Rundell has been in the field of Volunteer Engagement for over 20 years, working at organizations of varied sizes and missions. She has worked at Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh, PA; LifeBridge Community Services in Bridgeport, CT, and currently works for the Friends Program in Concord, NH. She received her CVA in 2013, has led workshops on performance reviews for volunteers, and written guest blogs for 20 Hats and Volunteerplaintalk. She received her BA in political science from Earlham College and her MA in History from Northeastern University. You can find Laura at Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-rundell-960a13b6/

  4. 05/17/2022

    Episode 19: Laura Rundell, One Year Later, Part 1

    Laura Rundell and I chatted last year about resilience in episode 15. In this episode, Laura and I get back together and chat about today's volunteering landscape. What has changed? What is the same? Laura discusses: Are volunteers returning?Change means an uptick in needsPaid staff are scarcePre-pandemic models vs. post pandemic modelsWhere does the program go moving forward?Navigating a shifting landscapeGetting volunteer buy-in upfrontMaking volunteer roles definableWhat is sustainable-can we do everything?Changing roles to fit today's realityChampioning a new normalRisk management and ethicsCommunication to prevent the volunteer churn Laura Rundell has been in the field of Volunteer Engagement for over 20 years, working at organizations of varied sizes and missions. She has worked at Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh, PA; LifeBridge Community Services in Bridgeport, CT, and currently works for the Friends Program in Concord, NH. She received her CVA in 2013, has led workshops on performance reviews for volunteers, and written guest blogs for 20 Hats and Volunteerplaintalk. She received her BA in political science from Earlham College and her MA in History from Northeastern University. You can find Laura at Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-rundell-960a13b6/

  5. 06/22/2021

    Episode 18: Volunteers as Essential Workers, Part 2, an Interview with Dr. Paul Falkowski, PHD

    In part 2, Paul Falkowski, PHD discusses his vision for designating volunteers as essential workers. He touches on: The workloads of nursing home activity directorsHow family members are pushing to be designated essentialThe toll isolation takes on nursing home residents and the surprising statistics Risk vs. gainTraining for essential volunteersVolunteer creativityQuirky interview questions that reveal characterIs reimbursement an answer?How creating individualized volunteer help can increase quality of lifeUniversal volunteer trainingThe need for volunteer managers to mobilizeTo connect with Paul and his efforts, please reach him at: Website: https://voluncheerleader.com/ Email: paul@voluncheerleader.com Podcast: https://soundcloud.com/voluncheerleader Twitter: @paulfalkowski1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/voluncheerleader Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-p-falkowski-ph-d-2b15512/

  6. 06/08/2021

    Episode 17: Volunteers as Essential Workers, Part 1, the Beginning, an Interview with Dr. Paul Falkowski, PHD

    In part 1, Paul discusses how he began his journey to designate volunteers as essential workers. Paul shares how he became a champion for volunteers in nursing homes through a nonprofit he built from the ground up. Paul discusses the importance of team, volunteer education and training, skin in the game, and navigating volunteer management challenges. In the next episode, he discusses his ambitious plan to designate volunteers as essential workers. Dr. Paul Falkowski is dedicated to serving the people who live and work in long-term care communities. Paul has a bachelor’s degree from Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in Music and a Master’s degree in Gerontology from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and went on to earn a doctorate in Gerontology also from the University of Nebraska.  He was first attracted to the field of aging through his volunteering in nursing homes providing musical entertainment. In 1993, he formed a nonprofit that recruited and trained some 700 volunteers for Omaha and Lincoln nursing homes over 26 years. In 2003, he contacted the Department of Gerontology at the UNO and was encouraged to pursue a Gerontology graduate certificate.  Eighteen years later, he teaches online courses for the Department of Gerontology, conducting research and consulting with nursing homes. He recently developed the course “Volunteer Management and Aging Services” and is working on publishing a study in which he connects volunteerism in long-term care and the nursing home’s quality of care measures. Also, he authored “Creating the Volun-Cheer Force: Rethinking the way we use volunteers in nursing homes” and formed VolunCheerLeader LLC to provide support to nursing home managers of volunteers. His passion for volunteerism and improving the care of older adults is unwavering. VolunCheerLeader website: https://voluncheerleader.com/

  7. 04/27/2021

    Episode 16: Untapped Volunteer Resources: An Interview with Summer Neiss, K Kids Student Coordinator

    Do we assume that engaging kids 9-12 is too much effort for the return on our investment? Are we missing an untapped volunteer potential? In this episode, Summer Neiss, student coordinator for the K Kids program at Mabel Rush Elementary school shares the passions, motivations, and untapped potential of youth volunteers. Summer discusses the upsides such as attracting the kids' parents or guardians, thinking out of the box and cultivating future volunteers.  Points she shares are: Kids are natural helpers from toddler on. Kids who volunteer are highly motivated. Just like adult volunteers, kids are sustained by impact. Kids are socially motivated. Today's kids are aware of the world. Kids have big ideas and love to brainstorm. Summer also shares her thoughts on bettering volunteer programs for kids such as: Where to find organizations to partner with. Why conversations about volunteer partnering are necessary. How kids' parents or guardians would get involved. How little things can make big impact. How community good will is involved.  For more information on K Kids visit: https://www.kiwaniskids.org/

  8. 03/02/2021

    Episode 15: Resilience: Volunteer and Leaders of Volunteers, a Chat with Laura Rundell, a resilient volunteer engagement specialist with 20+ years experience

    In this episode, Laura Rundell chats about resilience, a timely topic during the Covid pandemic: Laura shares her experiences on these subjects:What exactly is resilience?The filled up cope-o-meterExamples of resilient volunteersWhat resilience is notVolunteer motivationDo we confuse volunteers not being resilient with not being heard?What does individual motivation have to do with resilience?What goes on in a volunteer's life may determine resilienceHow do leaders of volunteers advocate...

See All (22)

Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Designed for today's leaders of volunteers, Volunteer Plain Talk's Meridian Swift discusses trends and best practices in volunteer engagement and impact. Guests, who come from all sectors and all parts of the world, share innovative ideas and tips for engaging today's volunteers and defining volunteer impact.

Information

  • Creator
    Meridian Swift
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2022
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Volunteer Plain Talk
  • Show Website
    Volunteer Plain Talk