2025 AL!VE & Better Impact's Volunteer Management Conference:
Show Them the Money
"This year's conference is designed to empower you, the volunteer engagement professional, to confidently showcase the tangible financial impact of your work. Whether you’re advocating for budget protection or program expansion, you’ll gain proven strategies, innovative perspectives, and practical tools to translate volunteer contributions into bottom-line results that grab leadership’s attention. Join us and learn how to turn volunteer engagement into a powerful financial story because the numbers don’t just speak; they open doors." - 2025 Conference Organizers
- What: Live, televised conference with local networking and sessions; lunch, bottled water, and snacks provided.
- When: Wednesday, October 29| 8:30 am - 2:30 pm (see agenda below, you can come and go as needed)
- Where: Heart of Illinois United Way Carriage House (509 W High Street, Peoria); Admission is free, but seating is limited in the HOIUW Carriage House.
AL!VE and Better Impact’s "Show Me the Money"
Speakers and Agenda for October
29, 2025
8:30-8:35 am - Welcome
8:35-8:55 am - The
Hidden Cost of “Free” Volunteers – And How to Leverage It
Presented by Brooke
Campbell, CVA
Discover how to quantify the true investment behind volunteer programs and make the case for sustainable funding. Brooke Campbell will share practical tools and strategies to help volunteer managers advocate for increased budgets and elevate the status of volunteer engagement within their organizations. Brooke Campbell, CNP, CVA, is Director of Community Outreach and Disaster Recovery at United Way of Greater Houston. She brings extensive experience in volunteer engagement, disaster recovery, and nonprofit training, and has led programs with Volunteer Houston and AmeriCorps.
8:55-9:20 am, local discussion;
9:20-9:40 am, panel discussion; 9:40-9:55 am break
9:55-10:15 am - Bridging
the Gap: Unifying Donors and Volunteers for Fundraising Success
Presented by Andrea
Hill, CVA
Discover how aligning
fundraising and volunteer engagement efforts can boost your organization’s
impact. Andrea Hill will explore strategies for securing corporate support,
leveraging DTD (Donate Time/Donate Dollars), and using unified storytelling to
showcase the true return on investment—from donor dollars to volunteer hours.
Learn how collaboration between departments can lead to stronger outcomes and
sustainable support. Andrea is a certified nonprofit professional and
fundraising executive with over 20 years of experience in capacity building,
volunteer management, and resource development. She serves as Chief Development
and Partnerships Officer for Tennessee Nonprofit Network, building cross-sector
partnerships that drive impact across the state.
10:15 am-10:40 am, local discussion, 10:40 am-11:00 am, panel discussion,
11:00am-12:00pm - Lunch
12:00-12:20 pm - From
Time to Treasure – How and When to Ask Volunteers for a Financial Donation
Presented by Tony
Goodrow, Founder of Better Impact
Learn how to unlock the full generosity of your volunteers. Tony will introduce the psychology of giving for volunteers and discuss ways to create messaging that is respectful of the relationship and feels natural, share timing strategies that increase your chances of a “yes,” and provide real-world examples of strategies that work and tools you can use. Tony Goodrow is the founder and former CEO of Better Impact, where he turned his passion for supporting volunteer-driven organizations into the creation of Volunteer Impact software. Since 2001, he has helped leaders of volunteers worldwide and spoken at global conferences on volunteer management.
12:20-12:45 pm, local discussion; 12:45-1:05 pm panel discussion; 1:05-1:20 break
1:20 pm-1:40 pm - Strategic
Volunteerism: Building Leadership Support for Your Program
Presented by Dr.
Sarah Mackey, CVA
Learn how to secure leadership buy-in and funding for your volunteer program. Sarah Mackey will share strategies for aligning volunteerism with organizational goals, communicating ROI through data and storytelling, and cultivating executive champions to elevate your program’s influence and impact. Dr. Sarah Mackey, CVA, CFRE, is a nonprofit leader with 20+ years of experience driving impact through strategic growth, fundraising, and volunteer engagement. She leads Women in Security and Privacy (WISP), expanding opportunities for underrepresented professionals, and teaches nonprofit management and social justice at the university level.
(optional) 1:40-2:00 local discussion; 2:00-2:25 panel discussion
About Heart of Illinois Volunteer Administrators (HOIVA)
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.
