Learn how to effectively manage volunteers throughout their full engagement cycles.
Overview
Alumni volunteers are valuable to institutions in both their service and their giving power, as they tend to give 10 times more than non-volunteers over their lifetimes. Yet, however crucial their efforts are in advancement shops, managing volunteers also poses unique challenges—like dealing with volunteer motivations and aligning volunteer efforts with your mission.
Our three-day conference is specifically designed for volunteer managers in higher education who want practical takeaways to help them to intentionally and strategically manage volunteers throughout the six phases of the volunteer engagement cycle, covering:
- Planning
- Recruiting
- Onboarding and training
- Managing relationships and information
- Evaluating your volunteers
- Recognizing your volunteers
This hands-on conference will prepare you to return to your campus with a comprehensive toolkit, strategy, and a new level of intention when working with your volunteers.
Who Should Attend
This conference is designed for alumni relations professionals, or teams of professionals who manage volunteers for alumni boards, regional chapters, clubs, and other volunteer programs. Though our curriculum will be applicable to managers of all types of volunteers, we will not be diving specifically into any one volunteer group.
Register 3 or more people and get a team discount! Discounts will be automatically applied at check out.
What makes our events different?
Academic Impressions conferences provide the opportunity for quality conversations and relationship building through both formal and informal networking opportunities in an intimate setting. Our in-depth and hands-on approach to learning provides you with actionable takeaways.
Agenda
Sessions Include:
- Phase 1: Developing an Intentional Volunteer Management Plan
- Phase 2: Considerations for Recruiting Volunteers
- Phase 3: Considerations for Onboarding and Training Volunteers
- Phase 4, Part I: Creating a More Inclusive Volunteer Experience & Managing Group Dynamics
- Phase 4, Part II: Telling the Story of Volunteer Impact through Data Collection
- Phase 5: Evaluating Your Volunteer Program
- Phase 6: Considerations for Appreciating and Recognizing Volunteers
- Solutions Clinic: Getting Advice from Peers to Manage Difficult Volunteer Scenarios
Pricing
August 18 - 20, 2025
Chicago, IL
Starting at:
$2,495
/person
What Our Attendees Are Saying
“Being new to the alumni relations world, I was looking for ideas and direction. This program gave me exactly that and I’m so excited to take my new knowledge back to my university!”
“Academic Impressions’ Intentional and Strategic Management of Alumni Volunteers conference is one of the best I’ve attended. As my team and I work to develop our alumni volunteer program, we found the sessions incredibly insightful. The program was focused, the speakers were knowledgeable and engaging, and the conference was well-executed.”
“I really enjoyed attending this Academic Impressions conference. I learned a lot from leaders in the field and plan on implementing best practices at my institution. Additionally, the intimate conference was a great way to learn from other institutions and networks.”
“As the person responsible for the overall volunteer program, this conference helped set the stage for success from the beginning of the volunteer planning process to the recognition of volunteers. I learned just how important it is to prioritize the volunteer experience just like you would in any other aspect of the job.”