Area Nonprofits: Join Us for Networking and Collaboration!
The Heart of Illinois Volunteer Administrators (HOIVA) strengthens volunteer engagement throughout central Illinois by supporting local nonprofits through collaboration, networking, and education. Our goal is to provide a respected, energetic voice for volunteerism across the community to achieve the shared outcome of making our area a better place to live and work.
Managed by the Heart of Illinois United Way, HOIVA membership is free and open to nonprofit organizations throughout Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford, Marshall, Stark, and Putnam counties. We also invite you to join the HOIVA Facebook Group for news, agency sharing, upcoming webinars, and more! Click here to join
2025 Sessions |
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Topics and Speakers |
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| January 15, 8:30 am via Zoom | The Power of Micro-Moments: Attracting & Engaging Volunteers in the Age of Distractions Presented by Shari Pash of Strategic Solutions for Growth Attention spans are shorter than ever. Micro-moments and minutes are all we have to intrigue and gain the attention of our volunteers, donors, and business partners. So, when it comes to engagement, recruitment, and fundraising are you creating impactful content and messaging that captivates your community and compels them to take action? Join us for open discussions on how to make the most of every moment! Click here to access Shari's presentation materials. Read more about Shari Pash here. |
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| February 19, 8:30 am via Zoom | Don’t Ask My Age! Tips from a former teen volunteer turned volunteer manager Presented by Corina Sadler, CVA, Volunteer Manager and National Service Commissioner in Texas Join Corina Sadler for discussion and tip sharing on engaging the dynamic audience that is teen volunteers. Where is our nonprofit workforce of tomorrow? Likely, they’re applying to volunteer with your organization right now! Corina asks, how can we nurture the pipeline of talent that will be inspired by our missions and care about our causes in the future? You are not alone in facing challenges related to supporting youth volunteerism, this session will spotlight its value to organizations large and small. Click here to access Corina's presentation materials. Read more about Corina Sadler here. |
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| March 12, 11:30 am at Heart of Illinois United Way (Carriage House) | Well Served: How United Way's BoardSERVE and Skills Link programs benefit you Presented by Lexie Brinker and Gina Edwards, HOI United Way As one of the leading organizations at utilizing a large and talented pool of skills-based volunteers, join us this month to learn more about our new BoardSERVE format and new features added to our Skills Link volunteer networking platform. Lunch provided along with agency sharing! Click here to download the presentation. |
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| April 16, 12:00 pm at Trailside Event Center | You're Vital to Volunteering in Illinois! Presented by special guest speaker Jacob Jenkins, Serve Illinois We invite you to celebrate National Volunteer Month with the Heart of Illinois United Way! Join us for this special luncheon with Jacob Jenkins, Volunteer Program Manager/Disaster Liaison for the IDHS - Serve Illinois Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service. Jacob will inspire you with a message focused on 'Knowing Your Big Why' and provide information on the great work being done by Serve Illinois across the state. We hope you'll join us for this special luncheon as our way to say thank you for all that you do to support volunteer engagement in central Illinois. Click here to download the presentation. Read more about Jacob Jenkins here. |
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| May 21, 11:30 am at Heart of Illinois United Way (Carriage House) | Now You're Talking: Roundtables, sharing, and lunch ... oh, my! Facilitated by Gina Edwards, HOI United Way We invite you to join us for small roundtable discussions on the volunteer topics you want to talk about most! Let's tap into each others ideas and skills to generate solutions and new ideas. We'll ask attendees to submit topics and/or questions in advance. We'll also take a little time to focus on you with an activity that will help you access your wealth of skills and think about your goals. |
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| June 18, 9:00-10:30 am via Zoom |
From Roadblocks to Results: Best Practices in Employee Volunteer Programs Panel discussion moderated by Megan Dominguez, Director of Growth and Strategy, Realized Worth Join us for an insightful panel discussion featuring CSR and Social Impact leaders from diverse companies who will share their journeys in developing and sustaining successful employee volunteer programs. Learn proven strategies for establishing, scaling, and integrating volunteering initiatives across your organization, regardless of your company's size or current program maturity. This session will explore best practices, common challenges (we're getting real with you!), and innovative approaches to create lasting social impact through employee engagement. You'll leave with a new understanding of both high-level principles and tangible takeaways to implement in your program today. Our panelists and moderator include:
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| July 16, 9:00-10:30 am via Zoom | Leading the Way to Strategic Engagement: Assessing Needs and Developing Roles Presented by Beth Steinhorn, President of VQ Volunteer Strategies Strategic engagement begins with the right opportunity—one that meets the needs of both the volunteer and the organization. Yet, all too often, we revert to offering volunteers the same opportunities that we have offered for years without considering new ways to leverage their skills, truly help staff, and address community needs. In this session, we’ll explore how to assess organizational needs and identify those that volunteers can address, engage colleagues in the process and build their buy-in for volunteer engagement, and craft position descriptions that help us assess the role, recruit qualified candidates, and set volunteers and staff up for success. We will also explore how you can embrace your role as “internal consultant” and position yourself as “change leader” by facilitating these processes. This is part one (July 16) of a two-part series (August 20). Click here to watch the recording. Click here to view the session's materials. Read more about Beth Steinhorn here. |
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| August 20, 9:00-10:30 am via Zoom | Moving from Recruitment to Cultivation: Rebuilding Your Volunteer Base Presented by Beth Steinhorn, President of VQ Volunteer Strategies You have volunteer opportunities, but how do you find qualified individuals to fill these vital roles? In recent years, recruitment has been a pervasive challenge across the sector. While new circumstances demand new tactics, no one “quick fix” exists. Instead, by understanding shifting volunteer expectations, we can adjust our strategies accordingly. In this session, learn what research reveals about recruitment and volunteer expectations, then explore such tactics as adapting volunteer roles to attract new volunteers, leveraging volunteer personas, transforming episodic volunteers to ongoing, and nurturing partnerships to build your volunteer pipeline. This is part two (August 20) of a two-part series ( first session on July 16). Click here to watch the recording. Click here to view the session's materials. Read more about Beth Steinhorn here. |
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| September 24, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at Trailside Event Center, $25/person | Organizational Excellence: Strengthen Your Boards & Committees and Streamline Strategic Planning by Shari Pash of Strategic Solutions for Growth Join us for our Organizational Excellence Workshop, presented by Shari Pash, Strategic Solutions for Growth, on September 24 at the Trailside Event Center in Peoria Heights from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm. Workshop includes an espresso bar, pastries, and a lunch buffet. Cost is $25 per person. We will kick off the morning (8:00 am - 9:00 am) with Espresso Your Interest - a special, local networking event for skilled professionals and passionate nonprofits. Skip your usual morning grind and join our espresso bar happy hour for networking with local volunteers looking for board, committee, and skills-based volunteer projects. Our workshop guest speaker, Shari Pash with Strategic Solutions for Growth, will give a short keynote address on the 'Top 10 Questions Every Volunteer and Nonprofit Should Ask Each Other' when starting a new role. Read More and RSVP here. Read more about Shari Pash here. The morning networking event is free; the workshop, which includes lunch, will be $25/person. Look for the special opportunities to save up to $25/attendee if you participate in the relaunch of our new Skills Link platform. |
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| October 2025 Opportunities | Coming Soon ... registration details for the Association for Leaders in Volunteer Engagement (AL!VE) hybrid conference on October 29; and the Illinois Conference on Volunteer Administration (ICOVA) in Chicago; depending on interest, HOIUW may offer group transportation. | |
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| November 5, Happy Hour! | Did you know? November 5 is International Volunteer Managers Day! Let's celebrate another great year of volunteering before the busy holiday season! Location TBD. | |
We invite you to join the HOIVA Facebook Group for news, agency sharing, upcoming webinars, and more! Click here to join.
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By making a reservation for an upcoming meeting, we will add you to the membership/mailing list for HOIVA. We invite you to bookmark this page to keep up-to-date on new learning and networking opportunities provided throughout the year in addition to the monthly offerings listed above. |
JOIN THE HOIVA MEMBERSHIP/MAILING LIST:
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Are you or your team interested in joining HOIVA, but not ready to RSVP for an upcoming meeting? Click here to join the membership/mailing list and receive updates on upcoming meetings, events, trainings, and more. |
Membership Information
- Membership is agency-based and open to any staff who wants to attend. Membership is automatically extended to our community engagement partners including HOIUW partner agencies and nonprofit organizations who are part of HOIUW’s online volunteer center.
- Monthly meetings focused on peer-based sharing and discussing topics relevant to volunteer management.
- Tools and resources provided to help nonprofits manage volunteer programs such as access to educational webinars hosted by Heart of Illinois United Way and the national Association of Leaders in Volunteer Engagement (AL!VE).
For more information about HOIVA contact:
Gina Edwards, CVA
VP Marketing and Community Engagement
Heart of Illinois United Way
gina.edwards@local.unitedway.org
