Getting your Message Across: Effective Communication for Volunteer Leaders

Each month we will explore volunteer management concepts and issues through the lens of the National Standards for Volunteer Involvement and the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development (IVY 2026).

This webinar, will equip volunteer coordinators with strategies for clear, consistent, and compassionate communication.

Learn how to craft compelling messages, provide constructive feedback, resolve conflicts, and foster an open dialogue with your volunteer team. We'll cover various communication channels, from regular newsletters to one-on-one check-ins, ensuring volunteers feel informed, heard, and connected.

By enhancing communication practices, organisations can build stronger relationships, improve volunteer retention, and amplify their collective impact towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through robust partnerships.

Outcomes

• Crafting Impact-Focused Communication: Participants will be able to design a recognition communication plan that applies principles of the National Standards for Volunteer Involvement to regularly acknowledge volunteer contributions and communicate their tangible impact, demonstrating a clear connection to the organisation's mission and the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Applying Constructive Feedback Models: Participants will learn communication techniques to confidently and compassionately address performance issues, provide constructive feedback, and foster an open and psychologically safe dialogue in one-on-one volunteer interactions.
• Optimising Communication Channels: Participants will explore a variety of communication channels (e.g., newsletters, dedicated apps, one-on-one meetings) and engage via appropriate means for different scenarios to ensure consistent, clear, and audience-appropriate messaging that enhances volunteer engagement and retention.

Presented by Alice Anderson

Alice Anderson (she/they) is a Sector Development Coordinator at The Centre for Volunteering. She has over 10 years’ experience working in the disability sector and over 5 years’ experience in workforce inclusion. She is also a person with learning disabilities: dyslexia and dyspraxia.

Alice holds a Bachelor of Arts in Organisational Learning and Diplomas in Community Services and Business Management. She is passionate about the community services area while ensuring good governance and serves on two boards.

Alice also participates in multiple volunteering roles and believes volunteering is a great way to get involved with local communities, improve themselves and support causes that they are passionate about.