PodcastDirectory.com's listings of the Energized Hot Topics Podcasts

Both Recieving and Giving

Conspicuous by their absence in many settings are volunteers with a direct, personal connection to the work of the organization: recipients of service, their families and friends, or people in the immediate neighborhood of the facility. These are the folks the staff serves, and therefore are not considered as a source of talent themselves. Why not?

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As Energize launches a podcast version of the monthly Hot Topic, Susan considers the breakneck pace of technological change and how blogging, social networking, and podcasting hold great potential for volunteer programs willing to experiment.

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Predominantly-volunteer organizations often focus their energies on recruiting new members. It is equally – if not more – important to find ways to revitalize the involvement of inactive members.

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Susan J. Ellis comments on her observations of global volunteerism.

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The merger between the Points of Light Foundation (POLF) and Hands On Network (HON) has been in the works for many months. Susan points out the important perspectives that still need to be reconciled and communicated about the new entity.

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What do foster parents, parade marchers, church choirs and community gardeners have in common? They are all volunteers. But we don't usually apply the word volunteer to these kinds of community activities. Susan talks on this month's podcast about some of the public's and the media's perception of what volunteering is. She also offers some examples of volunteers we may see everyday, but fail to recognize. Hey, you may even be one of these people! So take a moment to open your eyes, ...

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By carefully separating the nonprofit board's role in "governance" from the paid staff's role in "management," have we distanced volunteer board members from first-hand understanding of the organizations they lead? It's a mystery how anyone can determine the best policies for an agency without ever having seen the work being done. Susan describes some warning signs that board volunteers are becoming isolated, recommends simple ways to remedy the situation, and poses strategic questions t ...

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When new people agree to volunteer, they initially commit because they believe in the sincerity of the invitation and of the recruiter. So when there is a disconnect between the organization's stated desire for volunteers and its basic attitude towards them, we face a personal ethical dilemma. What should we do if our values are in conflict with those of the organization?

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The recent oil spill in San Francisco Bay once again revealed the inexplicable lack of planning for spontaneous volunteers by government authorities. Offers of help from local community citizens were turned away, causing enough anger to warrant media coverage. In this podcast, Susan Ellis proposes that the medical concept of emergency triage offers a great model for volunteer management in a crisis. She describes tips on how a wide range of competent volunteers can be deployed effectively ...

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Did anyone at a holiday party last month ask the question, "So, what do YOU do?" How did you answer? When we state our profession of volunteer manageent to strangers, do we expect our identity to be valued or treated as interesting, or do we dread watching people's eyes glaze over? In this podcast, Susan plays with different ways to express our work – to find ways to startle, surprise, and educate those who don't really understand. The process is fun and revealing – and you can join in! ...

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What can the television show Numb3rs teach volunteer program managers? That the key to increased impact and less employee/volunteer tension is intentionally recruiting volunteers who are as unlike the paid staff as possible. How have you put unusual volunteer talents to work in your organization?

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There's some real breaking news this month's podcast. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has issued an Executive Order creating a new position in his Cabinet: Secretary of Service and Volunteering! What might this mean for California and for the rest of the United States (and the world)? Susan offers some ideas and asks for yours.

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Too many politicians, commentators, academics, and the general public are unable to recognize that a giant part of the volunteer world is unpaid service on behalf of government, especially at the state and local level. In this podcast, Susan talks about this topic which has surfaced in the American presidential campaign, and considers why this issue is at the heart of our political, social and economic future.

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In this month's featured podcast: Is your volunteer program appropriately funded? Have you requested something not in your usual budget and been told "we don't have the money"? But that just means no money right now. Every organization, whether nonprofit or government, plans ahead for raising and spending funds for anything it wants to do. How can you effectively make the case for allocating more money to support volunteers?

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The cost of gasoline for our cars is rising at a staggering rate. Although there hasn't really been much public discussion yet about the potential of gasoline prices to disrupt critical volunteer services, it's going to surface. In this timely podcast, Susan doesn't only talk about this money issue - she also considers whether there's a silver lining for volunteering in the cloud of the energy crisis.

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The IRS has just acknowledged the soaring cost of gas by raising the tax deduction for mileage to 58.5 cents per mile – but the rate for driving by volunteers remains at 14 cents, as it has for 10 years. Susan examines this unfair treatment of volunteers in the US and other countries and urges a write-in campaign to make some much-needed changes. Get involved!

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1.7 million Chinese have gone through a rigorous application, screening, and training process to become Olympic volunteers, but much of the press coverage to date treats this not as quality volunteer management, but as suspect "government control." Susan challenges readers to watch Olympics reporting carefully this month and report back on positives, negatives, and contradictions revealed.

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There is endless talk about making sure volunteers do not displace paid staff. But what about the opposite issue? When and how is it legitimate to place employees into roles traditionally held by volunteers? This emerging trend deserves attention.

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We've recently had a flurry of special events, legislative proposals, and media attention focused on the subject of "service." It was brought to a head by an event in New York City on September 11-12, called ServiceNation, at which both presidential candidates spoke. But what are we talking about? Lumping all forms of "service" together hinders rather than helps debate and action. Susan examines the confusion.

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The global economic situation affects us all as private individuals and within community sectors. So, how will a recession affect volunteering? Will volunteering increase, decrease, or change in some way as the financial situation becomes more dire? Susan offers some perspective and invites you to share your hopes, fears, and predictions by posting a response.

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