Civic Engagement as a Catalyst for Community 

Change: 2021 Research Grantee Dialogue.

June 10, 2021

1

Mobilizing and Managing Volunteers 

for Positive Community Change 
2

Andrea Robles, Ph.D.

Research and Evaluation Manager

Office of Research and Evaluation

Panel Moderator

Mobilizing and Managing Volunteers 

for Positive Community Change 
3

Tufts University, Tisch College of Civic Life

Mobilizing and Managing Volunteers 

for Positive Community Change 

Peter Levine, Ph.D.

Academic Dean and Lincoln Filene 

Professor of Citizenship & Public Affairs

Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life

Tufts University

Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg, Ph.D.

Director, CIRCLE

Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life

Tufts University
4

Mark Hager, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Arizona State University, 

School of Community Resources & Development

Research Grantee: 2017-2021

Arizona State University: Volunteer Management Capacity

Mobilizing and Managing Volunteers 

for Positive Community Change 
5

Volunteer Management Capacity

A Long History:

• 2003 - 2004 National study of Volunteer 

Management Capacity, funded by UPS 

Foundation and AmeriCorps

• Hager at Urban Institute, Data 

collection by Princeton Survey 

Research Associates, and writing with 

Jeff Brudney

• Influential snapshot of the readiness of 

nonprofit organizations and religious 

congregations to engage volunteers

Grantee Program Accomplishments
6

Volunteer Management Capacity

2019: Return to VMC Study provides a 

pre - pandemic snapshot of nonprofit 

volunteer engagement.

What do we see?

• On average, nonprofits have not 

increased their VMC since 2003

• Volunteers are now more interested in 

episodic, short - term assignments

• Electronic tools and social media are 

r e - arranging how we interact with 

volunteers

Grantee Program Accomplishments
7

Technology Evolution

Third - year supplement provides 

opportunity to focus on technology 

responses to the pandemic

• “ Technology Evolution in Volunteer 

Administration ” is a partnership with 

the Council for Certification in 

Volunteer Administration (CCVA)

• Survey of all CVAs yields 60%+ 

response, or 546 cases

• Virtual focus groups with hundreds of 

CVAs provides vibrant illustrations of 

the promise and perils of technology 

adoption

Grantee Program Accomplishments
8

Civic Engagement and 

Environmental Stewardship 

Pamela Paxton, Ph.D.

Linda K. George and John Wilson 

Professor of Sociology and Chair

Department of Sociology

University of Texas at Austin
9

Mobilizing and Managing Volunteers 

for Positive Community Change 

Grantee Program Accomplishments
10

Mobilizing and Managing Volunteers 

for Positive Community Change 

Grantee Program Accomplishments
11

Mobilizing and Managing Volunteers 

for Positive Community Change 

Grantee Program Accomplishments

• Use of Emotion Varies Across Nonprofits and Types of Nonprofits

• Use of Positive Emotion Increases Volunteers

• Use of Negative Emotion Does Not Generally Increase Volunteers 

• except for nonprofits focused on healthcare and civil rights

• especially nonprofits that bond people together
12

Civic Engagement and 

Environmental Stewardship 

Jennifer Crittenden, Ph.D. 

Assistant Professor of Social Work

Associate Director, 

Center on Aging, University of Maine
13

Juggling Multiple Roles: 

An Examination of Role 

Conflict Among Older Adult 

Volunteers

Phases

• Ph I: RSVP Volunteer 

Survey (1,697 Older 

adults) 

• Ph II: Program Survey 

(21 responses)

• Ph III: Program Profile 

Project (11 programs)

• Dissemination 
14

Key Findings
15

Dissemination 

• Reports/White 

Papers

• Presentations

• Tipsheets for 

Volunteers & 

Volunteer 

Managers 

• Manuscripts are 

under preparation 

mainecenteronaging.umaine.edu

/older-adult-volunteer-study/
16

Peter Levine, Ph.D.

Academic Dean and Lincoln Filene 

Professor of Citizenship & Public Affairs

Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life

Tufts University

Jennifer Crittenden, Ph.D. 

Assistant Professor of Social Work

Associate Director

University of Maine Center on 

Aging 

Mark Hager, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, 

Arizona State University

Pamela Paxton, Ph.D.

Linda K. George and John Wilson 

Professor of Sociology and Chair

Department of Sociology

University of Texas at Austin

Mobilizing and Managing Volunteers 

for Positive Community Change 

Panelist Discussion and Q&A

Andrea Robles, Ph.D.

Research and Evaluation Manager, 

Office of Research and Evaluation, 

AmeriCorps

Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg, 

Ph.D.

Director, CIRCLE

Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life

Tufts University
Closing Statement

Tuesday, June 8, 2021 – Thursday, June 10, 2021

Civic Engagement as a Catalyst 

for Community Change: 

2021 Research Grantee Dialogue

17

Mary Hyde, Ph.D.

Director, 

Office of Research and Evaluation