213. Impact Lab POV - Community-based Volunteer Networks with Kristi Sebald

Strengthening volunteer engagement isn't always about doing more with your own program. Sometimes it's about letting go of the need to hold onto every volunteer and instead building connections across your entire community.

In this episode of the Volunteer Nation Podcast, part of the Impact Lab POV Series, Tobi Johnson is joined by Kristi Sebald, a guest advisor and expert in volunteer and community engagement. Kristi shares how an abundance mindset and intentional coalition building can transform isolated volunteer efforts into powerful, community-wide networks. Drawing from her work with Habitat for Humanity and other local collaborations, she explains why collaboration is a force multiplier – increasing trust, sharing resources, and amplifying impact far beyond what any single organization can achieve alone.

The conversation challenges the myth that we must keep volunteers for ourselves and instead explores practical strategies for outreach, referral, and relationship-building with community leaders, faith groups, and corporate partners. Kristi also offers real-life success stories and actionable tips for effective communication and follow-up that nurture long-term partnerships.

If your organization is ready to stop working in a silo and start building a sustainable volunteer network that expands your reach, this episode – and Kristi’s upcoming Impact Lab seminar on May 12th – will give you the playbook to get started.

Volunteer Networks – Episode Highlights 

• [00:00] Introduction to Kristi Sebald
• [04:33] Importance of community collaboration
• [08:13] Volunteerism in today’s world
• [16:12] Mindset shifts in volunteer management
• [32:23] Practical outreach steps
• [37:45] Success stories in coalition efforts
• [44:37] Cross-referral strategies
• [50:00] Power of gratitude and follow-up
• [55:07] Upcoming Impact Lab Seminar

Helpful Links 

• Volunteer Strategy Scorecard™ 
• Volunteer Management Progress Report 
• Volunteer Nation Episode #152: What Every Nonprofit Executive Should Know About Community Engagement 
• Find Kristi 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].