iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd

coyotebroad (Jayne Cravens) @coyotebroad.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Does your nonprofit, NGO, charity or other community programget an onslaught of requests for volunteering around the holidays? How do you handle it if so? Do you try to convert these folks into repeat volunteers &, if so, how? Come discussion on r/Volunteerism: www.reddit.com/r/Volunteeri...

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From the Volunteerism community on Reddit

Explore this post and more from the Volunteerism community

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Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd @robjconsulting.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

From “A Very Particular Set of Skills: 10 Things Volunteer Managers Do Differently” by Chris Pursell

“…volunteer management is much more than managing unpaid people. It's about creating the conditions in which people can contribute their time, skills, ideas and energy towards something they believe in - and creating an experience that makes them want to keep doing so.”

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Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd @robjconsulting.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

All are issues that require those who lead volunteers to step up like never before. IVMDay will allow us to recognise and celebrate all of them. Find out more about IVMDay at www.volunteermanagersday.org

volunteermanagersday.org

Home | Ivmday

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Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd @robjconsulting.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

We face many challenges and opportunities in our ever-changing contemporary world. The global pandemic, new wars and conflicts, the climate crisis etc.

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Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd @robjconsulting.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

It is an opportunity to look back at the progress we've made as a profession since the day was first marked in 1999, and to cast our gaze forward to where we may be in 2053. But also to pause and reflect on where we are today as volunteer engagement professionals.

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Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd @robjconsulting.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

The theme this year is “Legacy and Leadership: Honouring the past, present, and future”. At a time of transition for IVMDay, this thing couldn't be more fitting.

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Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd @robjconsulting.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

This will be the first year that I have not been directly involved in helping to plan and organise IVMDay and I’ve been excited to see the way that its new hosts, CCVA, have been breathing new life into this important initiative.

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Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd @robjconsulting.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

On the day this article goes live, we’ll be a little over five weeks away from International Volunteer Managers Day (IVMDay) on 5 November 2026.

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Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd @robjconsulting.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

International Volunteer Managers Day is on the horizon. My new #200WordTuesday article talks about this year's theme. #LOVols #VolMgmt #IVMDay2026

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Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd @robjconsulting.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Next week at NAVSM I'm asking: if AI takes over the admin, what's left for volunteer engagement professionals? My answer: the human work that always mattered most. Relationships, judgement, trust. Co-pilot, not autopilot. #Volunteering #AI

A robot hand and a human hand reaching toward each other against a bright blue background

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Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd @robjconsulting.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

We volunteer engagement folk are lovely people. Kind, caring, supportive. And sometimes too nice for our own good. Next week at NAVSM I'll argue it's time to stop being so bloody nice and start influencing up, out and across. #Volunteering

A minimalist white staircase climbing upwards against a plain wall

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Reposted by Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd

Civil Society @civilsociety.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has confirmed that it turned off the location trackers on two of its lifeboats earlier this week to protect volunteers from harassment.

civilsociety.co.uk

RNLI confirms further action to protect volunteers

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Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd @robjconsulting.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Catalyst (the volunteer engagement superhero) makes a return to the blog in the tale of the budget that nearly forgot volunteering. #LOVols #VolMgmt robjacksonconsulting.wordpress.com/2026/09/25/c...

robjacksonconsulting.wordpress.com

Catalyst and the Funding Bid That Nearly Forgot Volunteering

What’s the gap here between what’s meaningful and what’s measured?

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Reposted by Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd

Civil Society @civilsociety.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

RNLI has seen a “significant” increase in donations over the past week as its volunteers and staff have been targeted by anti-immigration protestors

civilsociety.co.uk

RNLI sees ‘significant’ donations rise after volunteers targeted

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Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd @robjconsulting.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Now is the time to fight your corner. Again. What will you ask for this year? I'd love to know.

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Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd @robjconsulting.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Accept that none of this gets won once You'll have this same conversation next autumn, and the one after. Submit the budget request anyway. Ask for the seat anyway. Say "not a programme" anyway.

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Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd @robjconsulting.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Earn a seat at the table The mythical table in volunteer engagement circles, the one where decisions get made, not just where they get announced. Getting that seat is a year-round effort.

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Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd @robjconsulting.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Budget for expenses Unreimbursed volunteers are volunteers who can afford to be out of pocket. That's not inclusion, it's exclusion dressed up as goodwill. If your organisation claims to champion diversity, reimbursing expenses isn't optional.

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Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd @robjconsulting.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Stop calling it a volunteer programme Programmes are subgroups within services: the reading programme, the gardening programme etc. Volunteering isn't a subgroup. It's a strategy for how your organisation delivers its mission. Language shapes budget decisions, so change the language first.

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Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd @robjconsulting.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Around this time every year, UK Volunteer Engagement Professionals face the same battle: making the case for continued (maybe increased?) support and investment in volunteer engagement. Here are four things to consider as this process starts again.

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Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd @robjconsulting.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

It's September so it's time for my annual planning & budgeting cycle #200WordTuesday article. How are you making a strong argument for investment in volunteer engagement next year? #LOVols #VolMgmt

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Reposted by Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd

Richmond CVS @richmondcvs.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Volunteer Recruitment & Selection: 8 Oct 2026, 10am-12.30pm "A good session organising the knowledge I've had, adding new information, suggesting practical solutions" New to a volunteer coordinator's role or want to keep your skills fresh? Join this session with @robjconsulting.bsky.social now!

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Volunteer Recruitment and Selection

A session for Volunteer Co-ordinators in Richmond, looking at the key issues and processes involved in recruiting the right volunteers.

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Reposted by Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd

Civil Society @civilsociety.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

RNLI’s lifeboat museum in Poole has closed temporarily after “several incidents” of anti-immigration protestors verbally abusing its volunteers www.civilsociety.co.uk/news/rnli-mu...

civilsociety.co.uk

RNLI museum shuts doors due to verbal abuse of volunteers

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Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd @robjconsulting.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

”The lie every marketer tells themselves is that the audience is too busy to consume their content. It has nothing to do with how busy they are. If they aren’t consuming your content, it is because it simply isn’t relevant enough.” robjacksonconsulting.wordpress.com/2026/09/11/c...

robjacksonconsulting.wordpress.com

Your competition is the whole world

The public aren’t too busy to see or respond to our recruitment messages. They just don’t find what we have to say relevant or interesting enough to warrant their attention.

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Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd @robjconsulting.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

"What if we argued against involving volunteers? What might such a proposition look like?" Those a re questions I explore in the latest article on the Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd blog. I'd love to know what you think. robjacksonconsulting.wordpress.com/2026/08/28/i... #LOVols #VolMgmt

robjacksonconsulting.wordpress.com

Three reasons why involving volunteers may not be a good idea

Volunteers don’t want to be told what to do all the time. They don’t want to be micromanaged.

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Reposted by Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd

Civil Society @civilsociety.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Andy Burnham has pledged to donate 15% of his prime minister’s salary to homelessness causes

civilsociety.co.uk

Burnham pledges 15% of PM’s salary to homelessness causes

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Reposted by Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd

Civil Society @civilsociety.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Sector umbrella body @ncvo.bsky.social has warned that Reform UK’s proposal to mandate welfare claimants to work for charities could create a “two-tier volunteering system”

civilsociety.co.uk

NCVO warns against Reform’s ‘forced’ charity working proposals

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Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd @robjconsulting.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

It’s simply outrageous that this money still hasn’t been repaid to the nonprofit sector in the UK after all these years. Well done to the Directory of Social Change for keeping up the pressure.

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Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd @robjconsulting.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

It is also an essential read for volunteer engagement professionals looking to influence up within their organisations.

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Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd @robjconsulting.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

From the Top Down remains the only book that addresses the top decision-maker's role in developing a strategy and resources for high-quality volunteer engagement.

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Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd @robjconsulting.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Revised and updated versions of the book have been published over the last forty years, the last of which was the 2015 UK edition, which I was honoured to co-author with Susan.

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Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd @robjconsulting.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

- Handling resistance by middle managers - Assessing the impact of volunteer contributions - Defining the difference between a wage equivalency calculation and the true value of volunteers to an organisation - Dealing with legal, risk management, and insurance issues

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Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd @robjconsulting.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

- Developing a vision for volunteer involvement - Creating policies and setting expectations - Budgeting and funding to engage volunteers - Hiring a Volunteer Manager

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Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd @robjconsulting.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Written for both organisational senior leadership and volunteer engagement professionals, the book explores fundamental subjects that must be considered to successfully involve volunteers in an organisation, including...

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Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd @robjconsulting.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Forty years ago, the late Susan J. Ellis published a book that has become one of the defining texts of the volunteer engagement field: "From the Top Down”.

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Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd @robjconsulting.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

In my new #200WordTuesday article, I'm celebrating the 40th anniversary of the publication of one of the most important books in volunteer engagement, "From the Top Down."

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Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd @robjconsulting.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

My latest blog article sets out my Ten Commandments of volunteer engagement for 2026. Would these ten make your list of ten commandments of effective volunteer engagement in 2026? Is there anything you would add or take away? robjacksonconsulting.wordpress.com/2026/08/14/1...

robjacksonconsulting.wordpress.com

The Ten Commandments of Effective Volunteer Engagement in 2026

Inclusion is not a communications exercise; it is a structural and ethical one

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Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd @robjconsulting.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

The winner of the Volunteer Leader of the Year Award will be announced at Heritage Volunteering ‘26, HVG’s annual online conference taking place on 24–25 November. More information & ticket booking can be found at bit.ly/4vhMvgL

bit.ly

HVG Conference ’26 – HVG – Heritage Volunteering Group

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Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd @robjconsulting.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

This is one of the few award’s to recognise Volunteer Engagement Professionals in the UK so please consider nominating someone. Nominations can be make online by 31 August. Simply go to bit.ly/4vKfAT2

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Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd @robjconsulting.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Proudly supported by TeamKinetic, this annual award is your chance to celebrate someone who has made a difference to their volunteers, organisation, and community. This year’s winner will receive a £100 gift card and a one-hour consultation with me. The runner-up will receive a £25 gift card.

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