Disney Offers Free Park Admission to Those Who Volunteer
Los Angeles Times
The Walt Disney Co. has unveiled a new promotional campaign for 2010 to spur volunteerism - even as it seeks to boost attendance in its domestic theme parks. The company will offer a free one-day admission ticket to Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla., or Disneyland in Anaheim to as many as 1 million people who volunteer through HandsOn Network, a giant volunteer organization. HandsOn is part of the Points of Light Institute, which operates 250 centers throughout the country, connecting volunteers to more than 70,000 nonprofit agencies seeking help.More

A Listing of Volunteer Management Software
Coyote Communications
Some of the most frequently-asked questions to me are about volunteer management software/constituent relationship software: what's available, how different packages compare with each other, the cost of each, the features of each, and so forth.More

Converting Suspects to Raving Fans
Volunteer Management Newsletter
Ever thought of volunteers as your customers? Volunteer recruitment and volunteer retention is all about selling the volunteering experience. Question is…what is the volunteering experience that you and your organization are selling your volunteers? Is it a positive experience or a negative one?More

Volunteer Management Practices and Retention of Volunteers
The Urban Institute
This report is the second in a series of briefs reporting on findings from a 2003 survey of volunteer management capacity among charities and congregations. The findings in this report are based on conversations with a systematic sample of charities about their practices, challenges, and aspirations for their volunteer programs.More

Successful Selling Is Problem Solving
The Sideroad
The human mind is a computer. You program your computer by the input you feed into it: learning, knowledge, experience and so on. If you program your mind with images of failure, you will fail. If you build a bank of success images, your computer will direct you to success. How do you build and input images of success into your computer? By creativity...by thinking. More

Customer Engagement Strategies for a Better Holiday Workforce
Retail Info Systems News
As we ramp up for the Holidays retailers are wise to bundle three "must haves" at the top of their list: 1) customer engagement 2) relevant data and 3) timely feedback. Amid the seemingly endless string of threats that loom outside our reach, it's easy to lose sight of core behaviors, systems and processes that we absolutely can influence. Honing in what we know, what we've learned and the investments we've already made can yield tremendous payback (and cheer).More

A New Economy, A New Shopper: A New Set of Gift Shop Retailing Rules
Gift Shop Magazine
As a gift shop retailer, you are no stranger to the vagaries of the economy and their impact on your customers' shopping habits. Experts believe that this recession has all the hallmarks of an economic shift that might need a recalibration of the ways in which you conduct business. But with change comes great opportunity - if you are prepared. More

Rock-Solid Marketing for Trendy Times
Entrepreneur
Feeling bombarded by all the theories on the so-called newest, latest and hottest trends in marketing? You're not alone. Jumping from trend to trend in pursuit of the latest idea is the last thing a smart entrepreneur should do in this economic climate. Now's the time to keep a level head and chart a course that's guided by what really works. Take a look at this list of six tried-and-true steps you can take for a successful marketing program in today's marketplace.More