Original Broadcast Date: September 16, 2026

Summary: Join Heather Nelson, Corporate Sponsorship and Partnership Specialist, and Jessica Pang-Parks, Volunteer Engagement Expert, for a conversation about how employee volunteering can become a meaningful part of your corporate partnership strategy.

They explore how nonprofits can design employee volunteer experiences that are impactful for the community, valuable for employees, and aligned with the goals of corporate partners.

Learning Objectives:

• Designing employee volunteer opportunities that leave a lasting impact on both the nonprofit and corporate partner, ensuring a win-win for everyone involved.
• Positioning volunteer opportunities as part of a stronger corporate partnership conversation, not just a one-off engagement activity.
• Strategies to effectively advocate for volunteer opportunities to be recognized as paid, adding value for the corporate partner and the employees.
• Measuring and sharing the impact of volunteer events in ways that strengthen relationships, support stewardship, and open the door to future partnership and fundraising opportunities.

Explore the rest of what CharityVillage Volunteer Week has in store.

 

Panel recording

 

Resources mentioned in the panel discussion

• • Check out this resource to learn about the nine language shifts that build volunteer trust

Featuring

Heather Nelson, MBA, CFRE, is the founder and president of BridgeRaise, a boutique consultancy that helps nonprofits raise more through values-aligned corporate partnerships. With over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Heather has supported hundreds of organizations to build strategic, sustainable relationships with companies.

Heather began her career in fundraising and program management at small charities and went on to lead national corporate fundraising efforts at Food Banks Canada. She taught Introduction to Fundraising at Toronto Metropolitan University and is a long-time mentor and member of AFP Golden Horseshoe.

In addition to her consulting work, Heather is a contributor to the women’s leadership book Embracing Ambition and regularly shares insights on LinkedIn to help fundraisers feel more confident in their corporate fundraising. Outside of the office, she’s happiest among trees, with her dog, or cheering from the stands as a dedicated hockey mom.

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Jessica Pang-Parks, CVA, Trauma of Money Certified™, is a volunteer engagement thought leader who helps organizations build trust, create impact, and inspire belonging. She is the recipient of the 2021 Alison Caird Young Leader Award in recognition of her leadership and excellence in volunteer engagement and the recipient of the 2023 VMPC Exemplary Leader Impact Award in recognition of her contributions to the field as a mentor, leader, trainer, and advocate.  

Jessica facilitates Fleming College’s Volunteer Management: Spectrum of Engagement course and was named one of the Top 10 Volunteer Leadership Voices in 2025. She has held professional volunteer and community engagement roles at Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, Pathways to Education Canada, the Heart & Stroke Foundation, Volunteer Toronto, and WWF-Canada. Learn more about Jessica at www.learnwithjpp.com.