"You don't manage volunteers. You have to inspire them."

Jeff Byard figured that out after 14 years in Alabama emergency management, six years as a senior leader at FEMA overseeing 185 presidential disaster declarations, and now as Chief Programs Officer at Team Rubicon — the disaster response organization with 200,000 Greyshirts deployed across the country and around the world.

In this episode, you'll hear:

Why the shift from volunteer management to community building changes everything — and exactly how Team Rubicon made that shift at scale
How 3,500 volunteer leaders lead a Greyshirt nation of 200,000 — and what that organizational structure teaches every nonprofit leader
Jeff's One Good Thing: don't let perfection get in the way of good.

Episode Highlights:

Jeff's origin story: Marine Corps to FEMA (3:08)
Joining Team Rubicon and the "for impact" sector (6:36)
You don't manage volunteers — you inspire them (7:48)
What Team Rubicon does: 1,000 service projects a year (9:14)
Volunteer management vs. community building (12:00)
Veterans + "kick ass civilians": the 50/50 dynamic (14:51)
Making volunteers your core capacity at scale (16:13)
10 simultaneous operations in Hurricane Helene (16:51)
The philanthropy moment that made Jeff cry (20:55)
One Good Thing: don't let perfection get in the way of good (25:04)

Resources Mentioned:

Team Rubicon
Tunnels to Towers Foundation
Jeff Byard on LinkedIn

Full Episode Landing Page: https://www.weareforgood.com/episode/697

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697. How Team Rubicon Built a Movement of 200,000 Volunteers - Jeff Byard

We Are For Good Podcast - The Podcast for Nonprofits

697. How Team Rubicon Built a Movement of 200,000 Volunteers - Jeff Byard