Time: 1–2:30pm ET 

Location: Zoom

Featuring: VMPC, Volunteer Canada, CICP

As volunteerism continues to evolve, Canada’s nonprofit sector is being called to rethink how we attract, engage, support, and retain volunteers, and how we build the systems, infrastructure, and leadership needed for volunteering to thrive. 

To launch CharityVillage’s Volunteer Week 2026, we’re bringing together leaders from Volunteer Canada, Charity Insights Canada Project (Carleton University), and Volunteer Management Professionals of Canada (VMPC) for a timely panel discussion on the future of volunteer engagement. Grounded in current data, national strategy work, and the lived realities of volunteer engagement professionals, this conversation will explore what organizations are experiencing now and where volunteering in Canada may be headed. We’ll also dig into what needs to change at the organizational, sector, and systems levels. 

Panelists will discuss recent data and emerging trends in volunteer participation, Volunteer Canada’s National Volunteer Action Strategy, and the need to recognize volunteer engagement professionals as strategic contributors to mission delivery. Designed for nonprofit leaders, volunteer engagement professionals, and anyone invested in the future of volunteering, this kickoff event for CharityVillage’s Volunteer Week 2026 will set the stage for a week of discussion, insight, and special content to help organizations strengthen volunteer engagement for the future. 

Panelists

Adam Janes, CVA (he/him) is passionate about volunteer engagement and connecting people: He serves as President of Volunteer Management Professionals of Canada (2025–27) and is a seasoned leader in volunteer engagement. He calls Ottawa (part of the unceded Algonquin territory) home and is part of the team leading volunteering at the Ottawa Food Bank helping to fight food insecurity locally.  Adam also continues to serve on the Ottawa Leaders of Volunteers board. 

He’s a proud CVA (Certified in Volunteer Administration) going on seven years, a two time contributor to Engage Journal, speaker at the 2024 VMPC National Conference and 2024 International Volunteer Management Hybrid Conference and directed the 2025 VMPC National Forum. Adam previously also held senior roles at Volunteer Ottawa and Christie Lake Kids. He is driven by the core belief: Volunteer Engagement Leaders and the volunteer communities led by them build stronger, healthier communities for all. 

Beyond Volunteer Engagement chat with Adam over coffee about live music, hiking, antropology—or parenting. Happy to connect on LinkedIn or at president@vmpc.ca. 

Sara Lyons, Chief Strategy and Programs Officer, Volunteer Canada, is based in Montreal and has worked in the not-for-profit and charitable sector for over 20 years. She has spent many years working on large-scale, national projects that bring together multiple sectors around new ideas. Before coming to Volunteer Canada, Sara was a Senior Director at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, a Vice President at Community Foundations of Canada, and in 2021 did a secondment with the Equality Fund.

A graduate of McGill and the University of Toronto, Sara has been a frequent public speaker on philanthropy, social innovation, and social finance. She is currently a board member of Exeko, in Montreal and is the former Chair of the Circle on Philanthropy —two roles that have allowed her to live out her passion for transformation, social inclusion, and creating innovative spaces.

Sara loves cycling, playing tennis and spending time with her two teenage daughters.

Dr. Tara McWhinney is a feminist political economist whose research examines gender, unpaid labour, and nonprofit service delivery in Canada. She has collaborated on projects addressing gender equity and long-term care policy with organizations such as CUPE Saskatchewan and CRIAW. Currently a Mitacs Postdoctoral Fellow with the Charity Insights Canada Project at Carleton University, Tara contributes to national research on working conditions, financial stability, and service capacity in the charitable sector. Tara also has extensive experience in the Canadian charitable sector, having worked as a front-line social worker and volunteer with local charities.

Time: 1-2pm ET

Location: YouTube Live Stream

Unquestionably, volunteering is a meaningful way to contribute to your community. If you are looking to start volunteering, you might be wondering how to choose the right opportunity and what to expect from a volunteer role. And if you’re currently volunteering, you might be experiencing a specific challenge, like how to set boundaries, or be curious about whether your volunteer work might be useful in your career. 

In this Ask Me Anything session, we’re answering your questions about all things volunteering. Join us to get practical tips and strategies to help you make the most of your volunteer experience. 

Time: 1-2pm ET

Location: Zoom

Featuring: Heather Nelson and Jessica Pang-Parks

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. 

We’ll 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. We’ll dive into:

• 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.

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.

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.  

Time: 1-2pm ET

Location: YouTube Livestream

Featuring: Lori Gotlieb

Volunteer engagement is changing, and many organizations are rethinking how they recruit, support, and retain volunteers in a shifting landscape.  

In this Ask Me Anything session, Lori Gotlieb will respond to your questions about the practical realities of volunteer engagement today. Drawing on her extensive experience in volunteer management, Lori will offer insights, guidance, and real-world advice to help you strengthen your volunteer program. 

This session is designed for volunteer engagement professionals, nonprofit leaders, program staff, and anyone involved in recruiting, managing, or supporting volunteers. Join us for a practical conversation about what organizations can do to adapt, improve the volunteer experience, and build stronger, more sustainable volunteer engagement strategies. 

Featuring

Lori Gotlieb is a volunteer management leadership expert and consultant, as well as an internationally published author and workshop facilitator and podcaster who has taught workshops to many diverse audiences, including Boards and Committees, Associations and Nonprofit organizations across North America.

Lori is a contributing author to the Volunteer Management Handbook, 2nd Edition as well as a subject matter expert guest on various podcasts in the nonprofit space. Lori has helped organizations with strategic planning, board and committee development, employee volunteerism, marketing volunteer programs, developing resource and learning centres, tools and resources for volunteer programs, and developing volunteer programs to name a few areas of expertise.

Lori was a recipient of the Linda Buchanan Award for Excellence in Volunteer Management. Lori continues to push the boundaries of traditional volunteer management through her writing and teaching and helping leaders of volunteers to build out exceptional volunteer programs. Website.

Volunteer Week Recap

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