Volunteer Management Hybrid Conference
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
Embracing the Future of Volunteer Engagement
Building Resilience and Sustainability
If you are a volunteer leader or work with volunteers, this conference is one you won’t want to miss. Volunteer professionals are being asked to do more than ever, with fewer resources and higher expectations. This year’s Volunteer Management Hybrid Conference brings together national experts and local colleagues for a full day focused on building stronger, more resilient volunteer programs, ones that can adapt and thrive no matter what comes next.
Now in its fourth year hosted by HandsOn Suburban Chicago, this hybrid event connects you with leading voices in the field through a live national broadcast. Each year attendees tell us that while it’s energizing to learn from national experts, the real value is being with peers, feeling connected, learning from one another and realizing you’re not alone in the experiences and challenges you’re facing.
We keep registration to a nominal fee, to cover the essentials, because we want this day to be an opportunity, not a hurdle.
Leave with new tools, ideas, inspiration, and new connections.
There are not many of us who do this work and I value the time we can be together
-Sadie Volunteer Manager
Tuesday, October 20
9:30 am - 4:40 pm
Barrington Area Library
505 N Northwest Hwy, Barrington, IL
Registration Cost
$85 per person (non-partners)
$60 per person (partners with signed Partnership Agreement)
*Registration includes continental breakfast, boxed lunch, light snacks, handouts, and participation gift.
Why Should I Attend?
Gain Proven Strategies – Learn how to translate volunteer impact into clear outcomes and data that leadership understands and values.
Strengthen Your Voice – Discover techniques to advocate for resources, recognition, and support for your program.
Elevate Your Program – Walk away with practical tools to align volunteer engagement with organizational priorities.
Connect With Peers – Join local volunteer engagement leaders and nearly 1,000 colleagues across North America and Canada for shared learning and networking.
Turn Numbers Into Influence – Understand how to capture both the financial and social value of volunteerism to increase buy-in across your organization.
Who Should Attend?
- Nonprofit and government organization leaders and staff members who use and need additional resources, assistance, and the expertise that volunteers bring.
- Coordinators, Directors, and Managers of Volunteer resources who want to leverage the power and potential of volunteers strategically.
- Clients of nonprofits and government organizations who can benefit from additional resources made possible by enhanced volunteer engagement
What To Expect
Leading volunteer engagement through change, and why nostalgia isn't a strategy
Free AI tools and tool kits that can transform your volunteer program
Making your data work for you with impact reporting that supports long-term sustainability
Future-proofing your volunteer program to keep the heart of your mission beating strong
Interactive local conversations, networking and connections with local peers who get it
Coffee and a boxed lunch included
Meet This Year’s Incredible Speakers
- Jessica Pang-Parks, CVA: Nostalgia Is Not a Strategy: Leading Volunteer Engagement Through Change
- Michele Wiesner, MPA, CVA: Making the Data Work for You: Impact Reporting for Program Sustainability
- Veronica Torres Deally: The AI Toolkit: 4 Free Tools to Transform Your Volunteer Program
- Bec Treby: Keeping the Heart Beating: Future-Proofing Volunteer Programs
Register Online
Register by Check
If you or your organization needs to pay by check or need an invoice email us at: volunteer@handsonsuburbanchicago.org.
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