The P2P Soapbox

Long before nonprofit organizations had local offices and national program leads, peer-to-peer fundraising thrived through the dedication of volunteer leaders passionate about raising money for causes they loved. While volunteer management remains a critical strategy for the success of our events, it is often an elusive task for many organizations.

Identifying the right people, placing them in suitable roles, empowering them to make decision and holding them accountable can be challenging - and time-consuming. As a result, it's often tempting to handle the work ourselves. However, this approach limits our potential to expand our reach and influence within the community.

In the episode, P2PPF’s Marcie Maxwell is joined by Bryan Sherwood, Senior Director for Relay For Life  at the American Cancer Society  (ACS). Bryan will share his personal journey from local and national volunteer to national program lead. Together, they explore how the volunteer experience and volunteer expectations have evolved over the years, particularly in the post-pandemic era. Bryan also highlights the key qualities his team seeks when identifying new volunteer leaders.

Additionally, this episode covers:
  • Lessons learned from working volunteers across different generations
  • Tips for training staff on critical volunteer management skills
  • The role that volunteers can play in diversifying your P2P portfolio

Mentioned Links
American Cancer Society
Relay For Life
Instagram: @relayforlife

Stay Connected on LinkedIn
Connect with Bryan
Connect with Marcie
Connect with the Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum
  • (00:00) - Welcome to The P2P Soap Box
  • (01:52) - Introducing Bryan Sherwood
  • (05:49) - How has the volunteer experience evolved?
  • (07:49) - Exploring the National Volunteer Committee
  • (13:40) - Training Volunteers on the Ground
  • (16:44) - Learning Across Audiences
  • (20:32) - Diversification
  • (23:59) - Engaging Volunteers
  • (27:56) - Get Involved!

What is The P2P Soapbox?

As peer-to-peer fundraising professionals, we are inherently passionate people. Passionate about our missions, our fundraisers, our events, and our campaigns. We barely shy away from sharing our opinions. Whether it's the debate between back-to-basics, or searching for the next big idea, the battle of retention versus recruitment, or even our very strong feelings about T-shirts and registration fees.

Welcome to The P2P box, a brand new podcast that amplifies the voices of our peer-to-peer fundraising community and gives us a platform — a box, if you will — to discuss the hot topics facing our industry.

Join your host and P2P BFF, Marcie Maxwell, the Managing Director of the Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum, as she sits down with industry peers and leaders, delving deep into their box issues, sharing best practices, and celebrating success stories.