Looking to connect with volunteer managers in Colorado and exchange ideas, best practices, and support each other with all things volunteer management? DOVIA Colorado’s Volunteer Leaders Elevating Engagement Monthly Chats are held the second Tuesday of each month from 11:00am to 12:00pm via Zoom to discuss and share ideas about important topics in the volunteer world. Anyone can participate- meetings are free.
January 13-Volunteer Engagement throughout the year
February 10-Building connections between volunteers and the mission
March 10- Developing lead volunteers
April 14-Training beyond orientation
May 12-Storytelling to communicate about volunteers, impact and community
June 9-Difficult conversations
July 14-Ice breakers and tips for meeting engagement
August 11-Youth volunteer engagement
September-break for CCOV
October 13-Career paths-How did you get here, where are you going and what has helped you along the way
November 10-Training staff to work with volunteers-creating a cohesive culture
December-break
Volunteerism has long been a powerful force for good, bringing people together to lend their time, talents, and compassion to serve others. Yet recently, we have seen a shift to fewer people showing up, disconnected virtual volunteering, and an emphasis on seeking results over relationships.
We have an opportunity to re-invigorate volunteering by bringing it back to its original roots in mutual care, stronger connections and shared community growth. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, "everybody can be great, because everybody can serve." We will explore how volunteering can go beyond helping others to become a true “transformative service" in building the community: where everyone contributes, everyone belongs, and a stronger, more trusting community emerges.
This session is hosted by Volunteer Fairfax. Register directly at https://volunteerfairfax.app.neoncrm.com/nx/portal/neonevents/events?path=%2Fportal%2Fevents%2F30067%2Fstorefront%2F162664
We all encounter ethical dilemmas in our daily work with and for community, but rarely do organizations focus on ethics related to volunteer engagement. This session provides an opportunity for practitioners to understand the difference between personal, organizational and professional ethics. The core values and principles identified by the Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration (CCVA) will be shared. Participants will learn a process for ethical decision-making that can be applied in any situation, and then practice this using real-life scenarios related to volunteers. Finally, several specific strategies will be offered for increasing awareness of ethics within an organization and helping both volunteers and staff become more effective at handling ethical dilemmas.
This session is being co-hosted with Volunteer Canada. Register directly at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/l-Y4bifcTN2zt78wSBh6XQ#/registration.
Join us for our first DOVIA session of 2025 Reimagining Volunteer Recognition. Sue Schaffer and Donnica Fagan will be sharing two different ideas from their programs on how they are recognizing volunteers.
Sue Schaffer is with the City of Fort Collins and will be highlighting how they utilize their end-of-year report to recognize the dedication of their volunteers across the community and internally.
Donnica will be sharing how the Greeley/Weld Senior Foundation Inc. hosts their unique volunteer recognition event. Each year, the Foundation offers grants to senior centers to help fund and maintain vital programs and services that benefit local older adults. A highlight of its efforts is the annual Hall of Fame event, which honors four (4) outstanding volunteers who have made a significant impact in their communities. She will be sharing how they identify the recipients of the awards and how they execute their event.
Read the bios of these two amazing volunteer professionals and we hope to see you at this session!
As the Fort Collins Volunteer Services Program Manager, Sue Schafer connects eager community members with meaningful service in 20 departments around the City. Sue has managed volunteers for over 25 years, 18 of which have been with the City of Fort Collins. Sue’s goal is to be a resource for staff as well as the community. With a background in conservation and environmental education, Sue loves the outdoors and believes in the health benefits of volunteering!
Fort Collins is a City of 175,000 people. Each year close to 7000 community members volunteer with the City organization, assisting departments in core service delivering.
Donnica Fagan is a proud native Coloradoan with a master’s degree in Gerontology. She serves as the Senior Nutrition Program Supervisor for the Weld County Area Agency on Aging, where she is dedicated to supporting the health and well-being of older adults in the community. Donnica also leads as President of the Greeley/Weld Senior Foundation Inc., a non-profit organization committed to enhancing the lives of older adults through advocacy and recognition. When not working, Donnica enjoys spending quality time outdoors with her husband, two children, and their beloved dog.
DOVIA Idea exchange/networking session, partnered with the Collaborative of the Scientific & Cultural and Facilities District (SCFD) Volunteer Roundtable Group, to discuss new ways volunteer professionals are planning their recognition and volunteer engagement efforts for 2026. Share your ideas with peers any new and successful ways to show appreciation to your volunteers: National Appreciation week in April, annual appreciation and engagement events, swag gifts, impact and volunteer hours reports, thank you cards or phone calls and more!
After the idea exchange session, participants can walk about Denver Botanic Gardens at York Street to view current art exhibitions on display and enjoy some time connecting with nature.
Join us to meet other volunteer administrators, share ideas, give support, and start our day off with a little coffee love! We will meet at Coffeehouse 29 in Windsor for this first meeting of 2026!
*Food and drink on your own.
Take the next step in your career as a leader of volunteers and obtain a Certification in Volunteer Administration (CVA).
Leaders in non-profit organizations and community groups increasingly understand that volunteers can be a critical resource for delivering on a mission. Effective people management and community engagement is imperative – whether they be paid or unpaid. As a result, employers expect that those individuals tasked with mobilizing and coordinating volunteer engagement demonstrate a thorough knowledge of effective practices and an understanding of how to apply that knowledge in support of real-world organizational priorities.
Certified in Volunteer Administration (CVA) is an international professional certification in the field of volunteer resources management.
During these sessions, you will learn about the CCVA, why the CVA certification may be right to you, how the exam is created, what the application, preparation, and certification process is, and when you will be ready. All the sessions have the same content and you may attend them as many times as you like. Register directly with the CCVA at - https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/rnfdgre1Tumo9aqBLE-8BQ#/registration
