196. Behind the Scenes of 10 Years of Industry Research with Pam Kappelides & Allison Russell – Part 1

To mark 10 years of the Volunteer Management Progress Report (VMPR), Tobi Johnson hands the mic to nonprofit scholar Allison Russell for a behind-the-scenes conversation about what it really takes to produce a decade-long, global research study, without grant funding, institutional backing, or a full research team. 

Joined by longtime research partner Pam Kappelides, this episode explores why volunteer engagement research matters more than ever, how practice-informed research gets done, and what practitioners can learn (and apply) from the VMPR process. 

Full show notes: 196. Behind the Scenes of 10 Years of Industry Research with Pam Kappelides & Allison Russell – Part 1 

Industry Research - Episode Highlights 

• [00:55] - History of the Volunteer Management Progress Report 
• [13:54] - Importance of Research in Volunteer Engagement 
• [17:25] - Challenges and Innovations in Volunteerism 
• [31:59] - The Origin Story of the Survey 
• [32:43] - The Generosity of the Volunteer Community 
• [33:27] - Planning and Executing the Survey 
• [34:47] - Setting Goals and Philosophical Approaches 
• [36:23] - Steps in Survey Design and Analysis 
• [37:10] - Challenges and Practical Advice 
• [46:02] - Qualitative Analysis and Coding 
• [50:16] - Impact and Reflections 

Helpful Links 

• Volunteer Management Progress Report
• VolunteerPro Impact Lab
• Engage Journal
• Volunteer Nation Episode #101: Tap the Power of Psychological Contracts with Pam Kappelides
• Volunteer Nation Episode #058: Innovative Models in Volunteerism Research with Lucas Meijs 
• Pam Kappelides and Tobi Johnson, A Heavy Load: Challenges and Current Practices for Volunteer Managers in the USA, Australia, and Canada, Journal of Nonprofit & Public Sector Marketing, 32(1)
• Find Allison on LinkedIn
• Allison’s UT Dallas Profile 
• Pam’s LaTrobe Profile
• Find Pam on LinkedIn

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast. If you enjoyed it, please be sure to subscribe, rate, and review so we can reach more people like you who want to improve the impact of their good cause.

For more tips and notes from the show, check us out at TobiJohnson.com. For any comments or questions, email us at [email protected].