Author: Isabel Reed

Get Creative with Virtual Events

Isabel Reed

Quarantine mandates have been announced, lifted, then announced again, but one thing remains consistent – the boom of the webinar.

Webinars are hugely valuable, and with so many free options available to us, we’re nearly spoiled at this point! Still, I can’t be the only one who receives about 5 emails per week about a brand new webinar. The word “webinar” is getting tired, and people are zoning out, understandably.

I love webinars… but can we (please) call them anything else? As a creative, I’m ready for change! So I did a bit of research to help anyone else who might also be experiencing webinar-fatigue (but still wants to engage).

Presenting, a proposition: to deliver the same value of a webinar – repackaged, rebranded, and with the intent of piquing curiosity. Here are some examples to illustrate what I mean:

“Tune in for [organization name]’s upcoming…”

  • …Show & Tell – highlight the amazing work, news, and/or achievements of our [students/members/team/organization].
  • …Welcome to the Stage Event – meet the organization’s new [mentors/coaches/leaders]
  • … Weekly Tutorial – share informative tips and tricks on a relevant topic of your choice. Of all the examples listed, this one is most closely synonymous with the word “webinar”.

Furthermore, there are plenty of other types of virtual events to experiment with. For example:

Livestreams

Invite the community to tune in as you do whatever you do best at work! You might welcome watchers as your move through your morning routines at work. Or, you might simply carry out some of your organization’s normally offered services virtually. This is the new “normal”, at least for the foreseeable future.

  • Sunday Storytime – Sunday morning read-aloud for all ages.
  • Rise & Shine – A morning routine! This works beautifully for organizations like animal shelters, rescues, farms, and/or zoos. People love to see the animals waking up as morning chores are completed.
  • Living Room Sessions – Share live performances with your audiences. Whether these are musical performances, comedy acts, or literature readings – these creative gatherings in intimate home settings have been a highlight of my quarantine, personally.

Happy Hours

It’s 5 o’clock somewhere! Gather your team (or, if it’s appropriate, your patrons) and enjoy a virtual, socially distanced drink. This is a spirited – no pun intended – way to keep traditions of beautiful summer days alive and well, while also nurturing team/community bonds.

Virtual events like this often work best with smaller teams and communities, since connections are usually already present. Even so, you might give it a try with a larger team or community! Perhaps a (responsible) sip of liquid courage will help form brand new connections among folks who had not yet had a chance to meet.

Inclusivity note: let everyone know that they may drink whatever they like, including non-alcoholic drinks!

Think Tanks

Community ties are deep and valuable, especially in the nonprofit sector. Often times, community members and organization patrons are more interested in your organization’s mission than anything else. That’s why they volunteer, donate, and support your programs. Additionally, people like to be heard and for their constructive feedback to be thoughtfully evaluated.

Mix it all together for the best of both worlds – your organization receives fresh perspectives on organizational challenges, victories, and roadmaps; and your community feels valued enough to be consulted and included in big decisions.

Identify a challenge that your organization is facing in times of COVID-19, and invite the community to the table. Many minds make innovative solutions, and many hands make light work!

Fundraisers

Yes, a virtual fundraiser! Not only is it possible, but it is becoming increasingly popular in the nonprofit sector. Embrace the areas where technology is allowing us to expand, regardless of the unfortunate external pressures posed by COVID-19.

Depending on your organization’s budget, there are various options available to you, logistically.

How to accept funds:

  • Share your organization’s Venmo or PayPal to accept donations/tips during the event
  • Sell “premium” tickets for extra perks.
  • Explore virtual fundraising platforms such as Classy, QGiv,
  • Seek corporate sponsorships (funding a free event for the public)
  • Seek individual/family sponsorships (in exchange for symbolic gift or recognition)

Types of fundraisers (just scratching the surface!):

  • Livestreamed performances, presentations, or speeches
  • Virtual auction
  • Virtual run/walk marathon

Finally, let’s think about what happens after these events are over. Would you like your audience to have access to a recording of your event, or any of the resources shared? If so, consider adding a “Virtual Library” to your organization’s website. There, you can store all of the recordings and resources shared during your live event(s), so your audience may access it any time.

What do you think? What have been the event you have enjoyed the most, and what made them so memorable? Keep us posted with your creative insights on virtual events. Alright, I’ll mute myself now 😉

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5 Free Webinar Series Nonprofit Teams Won’t Want to Miss

Isabel Reed

It is fair to say that, back in January, no one expected the world would come to such a grinding halt in a matter of months. Yet, here we all are, doing our best to stay safe amidst COVID-19 and make the most of our circumstances. While many city blocks are quieter than usual, our virtual lives seem to be bubbling. Teams are embracing the tools that keep us connected from a distance, and as I’m sure you’ve heard time and time again, there’s a brand new webinar just about everywhere you look.

To make “looking” for webinars a bit more organized, we’ve compiled a list of 5 organizations that are hosting a whole series of webinars over the next few months – specifically for the nonprofit sector.

Without further ado, I present 5 free webinar series that your nonprofit teams can benefit from this summer. (Or winter, depending on your hemisphere!) Browse through these sources and load up your calendars.

Nonprofit Hub

Check out their webinar series here.

About Nonprofit Hub: The name says it all! This online community serves as a hub for all things nonprofits need to establish and grow their nonprofits. Resources vary from guides, blogs, e-courses, and (drum roll) webinars.

Upcoming webinars we’re excited about:

Navigating Your Nonprofit’s Challenges through Emotional Intelligence. Led by Stephanie Cory on Jul 15, 2:00 PM CDT

Virtual Donor Engagement During the Pandemic and Beyond. Led by Caliopy Glaros on August 19, 2:00 PM CDT

Nonprofit Learning Lab

Check out their webinar series here.

About Nonprofit Learning Lab: In case you were hungry for more resources, Nonprofit Learning Lab has your back! Although many of these resources are member-only, others are completely free, from guidebooks to activity sheets, and a plethora of nonprofit resources for diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Upcoming webinars we’re excited about:

Equity vs. Equality. Led by Richard Leong on July 20, 1:00 PM CDT.

How Far Are You Willing to Go? Moving from Diversity & Inclusion to Anti-Oppression. Led by Richard Leong on August 17, 12:00 PM CDT.

TechSoup

Check out their webinar series here.

About TechSoup: This company introduces nonprofits to the technologies they can utilize to thrive in any climate (even a pandemic). TechSoup aims to empower impact. For members, a number of technology discounts are available. Furthermore, many of their free, public resources (including webinars and trainings) are pre-recorded, and therefore, available whenever you are!

Webinars we’re tuning into:

Crowdfunding in Our Climate: A Digital Fundraising Plan of Action. Led by Moshe Hecht.

Getting Started with Google Ad Grants for Nonprofits. Led by Rachel Clemens.

Network for Good

Check out their webinar series here.

About Network for Good: A hybrid nonprofit and B Corporation, Network for Good “powers more digital giving than any other platform”. For nonprofits, donors, and companies interested in giving, this platform points you in the right direction. Much like TechSoup, their webinars are available anytime after they have been recorded. Dig into their archives and stay tuned for new webinar releases!

Webinars we’re tuning into:

Staying Afloat: PPP Loan Forgiveness, Accounting, Tracking and Reporting For Nonprofits. Led by Network for Good.

The Burning Question: How Do I Find More Donors? Led by Kimberly O’Donnell.

IFEA (International Festivals & Events Association)

Check out their webinar series here.

About IFEA: A global nonprofit organization, IFEA serves to support festivals and events with the programming, resources, and guidance needed to be successful. Nearly every week through October 1st, the IFEA webinar series is hosting webinars on a variety of topics pertinent to event, festival, and nonprofit work. Although these webinars are not free, they are well worth the ticket price. If you are interested in a pair of free tickets for your team, please contact us at hello@volunteerlocal.com – we’ll make sure you’re taken care of!

Upcoming webinars we’re excited about:

The Winds of Change: Creatively Redefining Volunteer Programs in the Time of COVID-19. Led by VolunteerLocal’s very own VolunteerLocal President, Kaylee Williams, on September 10, at 12:00 PM CDT.

Cancelling Events Does Not Mean Cancelling Relationships. Led by Bruce Erley, on July 16, at 12:00 PM CDT.

Which webinars are catching your eye these days? Have you made weekly webinars a tradition yet? We hope you’re doing well during these unsettling times. While it lasts, make sure to soak up the abundance of industry resources!

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Exploring Your Toolkit: Little Known Features in VolunteerLocal

Isabel Reed

We all know the saying, “When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail!” Luckily, VolunteerLocal equips volunteer coordinators with a whole toolkit to manage, schedule, and communicate with volunteers. Today, we’re showing some love to a small batch of often-overlooked features with big impacts.

Search Tool

Where to find it: Volunteers > Search

This one is fairly well known. However, did you know that you can search for volunteers not only by their name and email address, but also by keyword? As long as the information exists in their volunteer profile, you can zero-in on it using the Search tool. 

Scheduled Messages

Where to find it: Volunteers > Communication

Write up your email (or text message), then click “schedule for later” to send the email at a date and time that you indicate. For example, let’s consider reminder emails. Before, you’d need to create a reminder for yourself, just to remind your volunteers of an upcoming shift! Ironic, huh? 

With our “schedule for later” option in the Communication tools (email and SMS), you can schedule all of your reminder emails in one sitting. 

Hidden Fields

Where to find it: Events > Your Events > Volunteer Information

The volunteer information page allows you to create a custom registration form. Collect any information you need from your volunteers upon sign up — their name, phone number, emergency contact, and just about anything else you can think of!

However, you can also create “hidden” fields in this volunteer information form. These fields cannot be seen by the volunteer — only you and other admin users on your account! For example, you might want to take notes on a volunteer as you discover their skills and interests. Or perhaps you want to mark whether they’ve been approved for certain volunteer positions. All of these fields can be created as a private, hidden field.

Volunteer Profile Options

Where to find it: Account > Settings

Make your volunteers’ profile feel like home! Customize the header content of every volunteers’ profile, complete with a warm thank-you, further instructions, or more information about your organization.

Cancelled Volunteer Reports

Where to find it: Home > Dashboard > Customize Your Dashboard

When this feature is enabled, you’ll be able to review a report of all volunteers who cancelled their signups, along with the event/job/shift they cancelled, and the timestamp of the cancellation. This way, you can consult these records anytime you need to track a volunteer’s cancellation history. 

If you’d like to learn more about any specific tools and features in VolunteerLocal, send us an email (hello@volunteerlocal.com)! We’ll show you exactly how to make magic happen with that tool in your tool kit. 

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A Guide to Strong Communication With Your Team

Isabel Reed

At the heart of any thriving relationship between a coordinator and a volunteer team is a commitment to strong communication. Let’s unpack that — what does “strong communication” entail? First, we’ll explain what makes for excellent communication among teams and leadership. Then, we’ll give you some sample templates to use yourself!

Strong Communication Strategies:

Consistent & Timely

Your team wants to hear from you! They are looking to you for leadership and direction, and that often comes through communication channels. Give your volunteers a timeframe as to when they can expect to hear from you regularly. (Daily, weekly, monthly? Via email or in-person?) Then, meet that expectation promptly!

Clear:

Ensure your message is clear. What do your volunteers need to know? Is any action required on their part or yours? Leave little to no room for misinterpretations.

Concise:

Respect your volunteers’ time by delivering a concise message. Take an extra moment to trim wording or content that isn’t necessary or doesn’t somehow contribute to the overall message. While it is important to be mindful, there is no need to be overly-rigorous about this one; you still want to sound like yourself!

Other factors to consider in strong communication are, for example: How approachable are you to your volunteers? Could weekly or monthly check-ins help keep your team on the same page?

With plenty of strategies under your belt, it is time to put them to action!

Take a peek at email templates we created for you below. These templates cover the most commonly exchanged email communications between volunteer coordinators and volunteers. Notice how they align with all three strategies listed above. You are welcome to use any of these templates yourself.

Note: if you use VolunteerLocal to manage your volunteer team, simply use our Communication tool to distribute broadcast emails and texts to your volunteers. With a selection of smart tags to choose from, you can fill in unique volunteer details with no effort on your part. Schedule the email to be sent right away, saved as a draft, or scheduled to be sent at a date/time of your choosing. If you are on the Conquer Plan, you can even save the following emails as templates for quick, repeated access later!

Email Theme: Sign Up Thank You

Hello [first name],

Many thanks for signing up to volunteer with us here at [organization name]! We look forward to seeing you soon. Ahead of your shift, please review the following information:

[Any info. you need to share, such as directions, arrival instructions, what to wear, expectations.]

Your shift information is below:

[Job & shift details]

With any questions, don’t hesitate to ask!

Thank you,

[Your Name]

Email Theme: Reminder Emails

Hi [first name],

Get ready, you have an upcoming shift with [organization name]! Your shift details are below:

[Job & shift details]

When you arrive … [share instructions! Should they check in at a kiosk or with you? Any protocols?]

Thank your for all your efforts in support of [organization name]!

See you soon,

[Your name]

Email Theme: Post-Volunteer Thank You Note

Hi [first name],

Thank you for volunteering with us! On behalf of our whole team and the community we serve, we sincerely appreciate your support.

[Optional: include a survey to collect feedback, and/or discuss the large scale impact of their volunteer work.]

We hope to see you again soon.

Warm regards,

[Your name]

Email Theme: No-Show Volunteer

Hi [first name],

I hope all is well! I noticed that you did not attend your last shift, so I wanted to check in – how are you enjoying the volunteer program at [organization name], so far?

If you have any concerns regarding your volunteer role, please let me know. We welcome feedback that makes us a stronger team and better volunteer program.

Many thanks,

[Your name]

Of course, these templates likely just scratch the surface of the emails you exchange regularly with your volunteers. Whether you use these templates, others, or write original emails each time, remember to follow the three strong communication strategies – consistent & timely, clear, concise.

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Strategies & Tools for Volunteer Programs of All Sizes

Isabel Reed

Behind any team of volunteers are strategies and tools that help keep things running smoothly on a daily basis. Volunteer coordinators have a lot on their plates already, which is why tools and strategies can be so valuable; they streamline the complicated and organize the disorderly. With the right tools, volunteer coordinators can save time, keep their volunteers happy, and even grow their volunteer base. Take a look at our list of resources that volunteer programs of all sizes could use to stay coordinated.

Small volunteer programs (little to no budget, a few volunteers):

If your program only has a handful of volunteers, you will likely be able to manage them all with a simple set of tools and strategies. Priorities include easy communication, team accountability, and vision.

Strategies:

  • Weekly meetings: with small teams, it is more feasible to block off a time in everyone’s calendar for a team meeting. These meetings ensure that the team is moving forward in-step with each other, feeling positive about the time they’re contributing to the organization, and have a close connection with leadership.
  • Goal-setting: in a smaller team, more responsibility falls on each volunteer’s shoulders. It can be easy to get carried away in the day-to-day work and lose sight of bigger, long-term goals. Establish a practice of goal-setting (and check-ins) to better ensure progress on important initiatives.

Tools:

  • Google Forms: This is a free tool that can be used in a variety of ways. Use it to report monthly progress, accept new volunteer applications, or even propose new projects for the team.
  • Google Drive: Another free resource! Share documents, spreadsheets, and presentations with your team, all in one shared workspace.
  • GroupMe: You can use this free app as a way to quickly text your group of volunteers. This app is most effective with small teams.

Medium volunteer programs (limited budget, >20 regular volunteers)

Strategies:

  • Track Hours: Medium and large sized volunteer programs benefit greatly from tracking hours. For nonprofit organizations especially, these hours can earn your organization donations, grants, and community recognition (which can lead to more support).
  • Volunteer Orientations: At this level, it becomes more difficult to have a close relationship with each volunteer individually. Therefore, it’s important to introduce volunteer orientations or “welcome sessions” in order to introduce yourself, share any needed information, and set the right tone.
  • Volunteer Check-Ins: schedule 15-minute check-ins with as many volunteers as possible. Grow a connection with each volunteer, and learn what they are enjoining (or not enjoying) about their position. This is an investment in long-lasting, quality volunteer relationships. Check-ins can be on the phone, on Zoom, or in person.

Tools:

  • Trello: This free web tool allows teams to track progress on collaborative projects, assign deadlines, and trigger email notifications. For volunteer coordinators, this is a great way to monitor progress from a bird’s eye view.
  • Slack: This is a channel that allows co-workers to communicate throughout the day, facilitating virtual co-working. Use “channels” to organize group communications by topic.
  • Zoom: This is another free tool that facilitates virtual 1:1 and group meetings.
  • Email Marketing: There are many free and paid tools for email marketing, such as MailChimp and MailerLite. Keep in touch with volunteers with announcements, accomplishments, and calls for community support.
  • VolunteerLocal: (We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention!) Seamlessly schedule volunteers, send out regular email and text communications, track hours, and pull customized reports on your volunteer base. This is an easy, powerful tool for volunteer scheduling and management.

Large volunteer programs: (established budget, >150 regular volunteers)

Strategies:

  • Continuing to track hours and hold volunteer orientations.
  • Leadership Roles: It is much more difficult to maintain close relationships with individual volunteers when there are so many! Although this is a good problem to have, it is important that strong leadership and positive relationships with leadership are sustained. Consider delegating some leadership responsibilities to volunteers who have been serving for many years, or who are otherwise trusted.
  • Toss Out Pen and Paper: At this point, it is critical to move your volunteer management and organization online. If volunteer records and hours are only on paper, your program will be vulnerable to loss of information and inefficient systems.
  • Celebrate Volunteer Accomplishments: although this can (and should!) be done with programs of any size, it is particularly rewarding with large volunteer programs. Track volunteer impact and celebrate it together as a means to show gratitude for the work volunteers have accomplished. Ensure that volunteers feel appreciated for the work they do!

Tools:

  • Cloud Storage: You might use tools like OneDrive, Google Cloud, or DropBox to store all of your important documents online. This will help you better organize your information, find it more quickly, and reduce vulnerability to loss of information.
  • Volunteer Swag: Make a volunteer feel like part of the family by giving them a volunteer t-shirt (or other apparel), phone case, or gift somehow related to your organization.
  • VolunteerLocal: Again, our platform helps with volunteer management of teams of all sizes. At its core, VolunteerLocal supports volunteer scheduling, communication, tracking, and reporting. However, there are many other tools that assist large teams, such as: volunteer certificates, leader/captain access, credit card processing, and more. 

Of course, there are some strategies and tools you might gleam from various of these lists. What is important is that you find the right tools and strategies to suit you and your volunteers.

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An Interview with Lisa Barnes, of Summer of the Arts

Isabel Reed

It’s July, and summer is officially in full gear! Across the Midwest, that means picnics, road trips, and short nights. For Iowa locals, that means Iowa City Summer of the Arts. We couldn’t think of a better time to reach out to Lisa Barnes, the Executive Director, to hear more about her organization.

 

Since 2005, Summer of the Arts has created an incredible summer of entertainment, right in the heart of Iowa City, IA. Events include family-friendly festivals and weekly events like the Friday Night Concert Series and the outdoor Free Movie Series (bring lawn chairs!) As an Iowa City local myself, this organization has made summers come alive in a truly special way. 

 

How did Summer of the Arts get started originally? Is there a mission or vision that has guided you as the organization grows? 

Summer of the Arts was formed in the fall of 2005 as a way to bring together three long-running events (Iowa Arts Festival, Iowa City Jazz Festival and Friday Night Concert Series), and to share resources including fundraising, marketing, operations, etc. In 2005, there was a pilot program for the Free Movie Series, which became the 4th event added to the organization.

 

Our mission is to build community by bringing people together in the heart of Iowa City to experience, learn about, and enjoy free arts and cultural programs.

 

How have the events and festivals changed over the years?  

Over the years we have produced additional events (Downtown Saturday Night/Saturday Night Concert Series, Sand in the City, MusicIC, Celebrate the Season, Landlocked Film Festival), and in 2013 we started producing the Iowa Soul Festival, which is now the Soul & Blues Festival.

 

With the four core events, each year we review the event and discuss ways to change or improve the event. A lot of this comes down to layout and programming and what our community wants to see. We are constantly striving to bring changes and something new to each event, while maintaining the quality people have come to expect.

 

Do you know how many people usually attend these festivals? Which festivals seem to be the most popular? 

Since we don’t have tickets or primary entrances, it’s impossible for us to accurately estimate how many people attend each event, but based on what we’ve seen, we estimate a total of 100,000 people throughout the course of the summer. 

It’s hard to guess which event is the most popular as they all have their own niche – jazz fans LOVE the Jazz Festival, movie fans enjoy the Free Movie Series, general community members who enjoy live music love to get together and dance and experience the Friday Night Concert Series, families and all backgrounds enjoy the diversity of things to do at the Iowa Arts Festival and our diverse community embraces the passion of the Soul & Blues Festival.

 

How many volunteers do you usually have for an event and how are they involved? 

The only event we produce which doesn’t have volunteers is the Friday Night Concert Series. For the Free Movie Series, we typically have around 5 volunteers who are needed to help set up our inflatable screen. For the Arts, Jazz and Soul & Blues Festivals, we have anywhere from 25-250 volunteers who help in a variety of areas like setup/teardown, staffing hydration stations, bike parking, merchandise booth, beverage garden, Eco Stations, etc. We also have our year round volunteers who serve on our board of directors and the various festival committees.

 

Are there any festivals or performers that you’ve been particularly excited about this

summer?  

For me personally, each festival brings something fun and different. I am very excited about Friday night at the Jazz Festival with The Nayo Jones Experience (vocalist) and Jane Bunnett and Maqueque (all female band with a Latin flair).

 

Thank you, Lisa! For more information about the Summer of the Arts, please visit https://summerofthearts.org .

 

 

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An Interview with Beth Salinger of Fort2Base

Isabel Reed

At VolunteerLocal, we are always impressed by the outstanding endurance events and races put on by organizations across the country.

 

Today, we interviewed Beth Salinger – the Race Director and owner of Fort2Base. It was a pleasure
learning from Beth the true impact volunteers have on the annual Fort2Base race in Illinois.

 

 

How did Fort2Base originally get started? How old is the race now?

2019 will be the 9th annual run.

 

I grew up near Fort Sheridan, which is where the 10NM (Nautical Mile) starts, and I knew there was another base just north of it. I thought it would be fun to run between the two.

 

When we originally pitched the idea to the base, they asked us to finish on base to help them celebrate their 100th anniversary. The first Fort2Base run was on 9-11-2011, the 10th anniversary of 9-11. It was a fun and sobering day.

 

How long does it take to prepare for your event in August?

We prepare year-round for the event and start recruiting volunteers about 2 months prior.

In preparation, we work on the course, marketing, and speaking with the various cities we run through. And the fun part – designing participant giveaways!

 

We communicate with our volunteers and participants year-round, especially at Thanksgiving and New Year’s. We always want them to know we appreciate them and are thinking of them.

 

What are some of the roles your volunteers have within Fort2Base?

We use volunteers in every aspect of the event – from course marshals, helping with packet pick up, water stations, medical volunteers, and pacers. Volunteers also help throughout the year, to assist at expos and spreading the word!

 

Could you tell us a bit about your Event Ambassadors?

We have about 20 ambassadors who help us throughout the year. They help us get the word out about Fort2Base.

 

We do a lot with social media and look for ambassadors with a strong social presence. We also go to a lot of expos, so the ambassadors help us there as well. Some ambassadors are really involved in local running clubs, so they organize fun runs and pass along extra discounts and swag.

Anything we can do to encourage people to sign up. Generally once they run, they really enjoy the experience!

 

How would you describe the energy at your races?

It is amazing. On the final stretch, we have military volunteers cheering on the runners. Military personnel hand out our medals, and about 30% of our registrations are military. It is a very patriotic feel!

 

Final thoughts about the event and the volunteers that help make it happen?

Many of our volunteers are young sailors – they recently left home for the first time and are in school at Naval Station Great Lakes. To see their sense of pride, wearing their Navy gear and supporting other military personnel is really special. Our last two water stations are often all military, and our course marshals are all military.

 

A few years ago we had a gentleman walking the 10NM and was the last participant by far. The kids were cheering him on, but then as he passed them, they got in formation behind him to support him. By the time he crossed, both water stations and all the course marshals had filed in behind him and were chanting. When he finished, we found out he was a retired Navy Chief, which made it even more special – there was not a dry eye in the house.

 

 

Truly, volunteers can change the entire look and feel of your event!

 

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An Interview with Kim Scott from Illinois Marathon

Isabel Reed

At the tail end of her 2019 event planning, we caught up with Kim Scott from Illinois Marathon to learn more about her role with this major event.

Illinois Marathon is an event loved by locals and visitors alike. Thousands of runners, volunteers, and fans gather each year to support and celebrate the race. This year, the marathon took place April 25-27, 2019

 

The triumph of this event was largely in thanks to Illinois Marathon’s very own Volunteer Coordinator, Kim Scott. In the midst of event planning, she took a moment to chat with us about the event history, her role, and the joy of working with Illinois Marathon volunteers.

 

What are Illinois Marathon’s origins? How did it originally start?

Kicking off in 2008, the Illinois Marathon is now about 11 years old. The marathon was originally founded to encourage health and wellness in central Illinois. Since then, the event has attracted participants from all corners of the country, as well as internationally. In the last 10 years, Illinois Marathon has certainly made an impact, with over 175,000 registrations and over $1.3 million donated to Illinois charities.

 

How did Kim get involved as the Volunteer Coordinator?

Kim was initially involved with the marathon as a runner. After enjoying the event so much, she sought opportunities for further involvement – as a volunteer! She jumped right in with a committee position, in charge of Packet Pickups. Shortly after, a Volunteer Coordinator position opened up. “It was a bit unexpected, but I had been interested in doing more at the time – so it was a great opportunity,” Kim recalled.

Kim is now enjoying her 5th year as Illinois Marathon’s Volunteer Coordinator. “It gets better every year,” she said.

 

What does Kim enjoy most about working with Illinois Marathon volunteers?

In the thick of event planning and coordination, Kim had a lot of praise to share for marathon volunteers. “I love their enthusiasm,” she said. “They always offer more, they’re always willing to do extra.” Much like her own story, she noted that volunteers often return every year. She commented, “Volunteers really have fun with it, and they tend to stay.”

There are many roles that volunteers play throughout the event – hydration, medical team, and course volunteers. From crowd control to medal hanging, they have their bases covered. Even local high school students get involved, jumping to action the day after the race to clean the course from start to finish.

 

Illinois Marathon’s Guest Legend? Do tell!

Each year, Illinois Marathon adds another level of excitement to the race by inviting a Guest Legend. This year, they invited U.S. Olympian and World Champion, Craig Virgin. Through special talks, speeches, and even radio co-hosting, Craig kept the crowd engaged and inspired throughout the event.

 

To wrap up our chat, I asked Kim if there was anything in particular that she was looking forward to as the event approached.

She explained how much planning is involved behind the scenes of every race. With that in mind, go-time is her favorite time: “When we get to the Expo, it means we’ve done everything we can do, and it’s time to shine”.

 

Although this year’s race is now behind us, be sure to set a calendar reminder to register for next year’s event, either as a runner or a volunteer! For more information, visit their website at https://illinoismarathon.com/ .

 

 

 

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