We're living in the loneliest moment in modern history. And at the same time, people have never been hungrier for hope, for joy, for meaningful connection.

Your volunteers are at the center of that tension. And if you're not treating people power as a strategy, you're leaving your mission's most powerful asset on the table.

Recorded live at the We Are For Good Summit, this conversation brings together four extraordinary leaders: Susan McPherson, founder and CEO of McPherson Strategies and author of The Lost Art of Connecting; Nicole Stewart, Executive Director of Boston CASA; Nicole R. Smith, Executive Director of ALIVE, the National Professional Association for Leaders in Volunteer Engagement; and Sara Lomelin, CEO of Philanthropy Together.

In this episode, you'll hear:

What ALIVE's data shows about organizations that treat volunteers as strategy vs. afterthought: 80% more volunteers, 60% higher engagement, and donors who are twice as likely to give
Boston CASA's three non-negotiables for scaling a volunteer program without burning people out: exceptional training, strong supervision, and a mission-anchored culture
How to operationalize people power right now: from launching a giving circle to giving volunteers a role, not a receipt
Why skills-based volunteering is surging even as companies go quiet on CSR, and what that means for nonprofits

People are looking for hope. They're looking for joy. They're looking for meaningful connections. You are the one they've been waiting for. 🩵

Episode Highlights:

How volunteer expectations have shifted post-Covid (3:00)
People want belonging, not transactions (4:09)
Volunteers as your best marketing money can't buy (8:21)
Volunteers as ambassadors, donors, and storytellers (10:42)
Boston CASA's non-negotiables for scaling without burnout (16:37)
CSR in 2026: skills-based volunteering and what companies are doing quietly (22:58)
Operationalizing people power: giving circles, storytelling, clarity (24:11)

Episode Shownotes: https://www.weareforgood.com/episode/703

📅 Don't Miss These Free Upcoming Events! 👇

APRIL 29: Working Session Live: Forecast Your Monthly Giving Growth in 2026 with Dana Snyder (and the pathways to get you there!)

MAY 14: ImpactUp: Story This quarter, we're going deep on your most powerful (and underused) tool - Story. Local meetups happening worldwide. Find one near you.

//

Join the We Are For Good Community—completely free.
Join fellow changemakers, share takeaways from this working session, and keep collaborating in a space built for connection, inspiration, and real impact: www.weareforgoodcommunity.com

Say hi 👋
LinkedIn / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Twitter

703. People Power: How to Turn Volunteers Into Core Capacity - Sara Lomelin, Nicole Stewart, Nicole R. Smith, CVA, and Susan McPherson

We Are For Good Podcast - The Podcast for Nonprofits

703. People Power: How to Turn Volunteers Into Core Capacity - Sara Lomelin, Nicole Stewart, Nicole R. Smith, CVA, and Susan McPherson