We Are For Good Podcast – Ep. 641: 7 Tips to Building a Thriving Volunteer Program

Guest: Nicole Stewart (Executive Director, Boston CASA)
Date: September 1, 2025
Host(s): Jon McCoy & Becky Endicott

Episode Overview

This episode of "We Are For Good" explores the pillars of building a thriving volunteer program, focusing on the work of Boston CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children). Executive Director Nicole Stewart shares her deeply personal journey from childhood in foster care to nonprofit leadership and provides practical guidance and inspiration for nonprofit professionals looking to engage, recruit, and retain transformative volunteers.

Main Themes and Purpose

• Illuminating the unique role and profound impact of CASA volunteers on children in the welfare system
• Practical and actionable strategies for growing volunteer programs, centering equity and lived experience
• The vital importance of leadership authenticity, support structures, communications, and organizational culture in volunteer engagement

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Nicole Stewart’s Story: Purpose Born from Lived Experience

[02:41–09:06]

• Nicole shares her journey from growing up in Boston's Franklin Field housing projects, being placed in foster care, experiencing instability and trauma, and ultimately reuniting with her biological family as a teenager.
• Her foster mother, "the only person I've ever called mom," was instrumental in shaping Nicole's values and purpose:

  "She showed me what it meant for a child to have a consistent, caring adult in their life. And that is what changed everything for me." (Nicole, 07:08)

• Nicole translates her own transformative experience into her leadership at Boston CASA, aiming to triple the number of children served and double the organization's budget by 2028.

The CASA Model: Earthly Angels for Vulnerable Children

[11:28–17:58]

• CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) are volunteers, not professionals, assigned to one child or sibling group, serving as a consistent, caring adult and advocating directly in court for the child's best interests.
• Personal stories underscore the impact, such as Chris, a CASA who built trust and changed the trajectory of a boy experiencing repeated placement instability:

  "The real work of a CASA is in the everyday things. It's in being the adult who keeps showing up simply because you care." (Nicole, 15:52)

• Data supports this model: children with CASAs have better educational outcomes, increased stability, and are less likely to re-enter welfare.

7 Tips to Building a Thriving Volunteer Program

[18:57–23:13, 24:53–28:42]

1. Anchor in Organizational Values and Leadership Example

• "A lot of it starts with your own organizational values and how our staff show up. They have to reflect also that which we expect." (Nicole, 18:57)
• Staff must embody values of equity, commitment, and purpose before volunteers can.

2. Rigorous & Supportive Training

• CASA onboarding includes a virtual info session, thorough application/interview, and a 35-hour pre-service training covering child welfare, advocacy, and supporting marginalized children.
• Ongoing education: 12+ hours of annual training, peer groups, and professional supervision.

3. Clear and Authentic Communication

• Newsletters, recognitions like CASA of the Month, and regular mixers foster identity and connection among volunteers.

4. Community and Consistent Support Structures

• Volunteers are paired with advocate supervisors who guide and support them through emotionally taxing cases, acknowledging "it can take an emotional toll" (Nicole, 18:57).

5. Recognition and Retention

• Volunteers are seen as "integral to the success of our organization," regularly acknowledged for their impact.

6. Strong, Positive, and Visionary Messaging

• Recruiting volunteers comes easier when the organization radiates hope, purpose, and clear goals:

  "It has helped me to recognize despite what’s going on in our country, there are a lot of good people out here who want to do something good and want to get behind something good." (Nicole, 26:04)

7. Authentic Leadership and Storytelling

• Nicole's lived experience and transparent, mission-driven leadership model attracts purpose-driven volunteers:

  "You can look down the road now, 53 years. ... You never know the life that you’re touching." (Nicole, 27:41)

• Consistent, clear articulation of mission and authentic storytelling bring credibility and attract those seeking meaning.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the difference one person makes:

  "No one, I will say, not even me, would have imagined that little girl from Franklin Field could have made it to where I was." (Nicole, 08:16)

• About the impact of volunteers:

  "Our CASAs can focus on just one child or sibling group at a time and often they become the only consistent adult in that child's life." (Nicole, 12:18)

• From a CASA’s insight:

  "The real work of a CASA is in the everyday things. It's in being the adult who keeps showing up simply because you care." (Chris, relayed by Nicole, 15:52)

• About leading volunteers:

  "We have to invest in our volunteers and make sure that we're fueling them so that their tanks don't run empty." (Nicole, 22:38)

• On strategic growth:

  "People also want to get behind something that's growing. So, it's a positive message that we want to serve more children." (Nicole, 26:33)

• On grounding yourself as a leader:

  "You have to know what grounds you. ... Let it fuel you because when you're grounded, you can lead with clarity, resilience and purpose." (Nicole, 33:27)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:41] Nicole’s childhood and journey to nonprofit leadership
• [09:06] The CASA mission and model – overview
• [12:15] Personal CASA success story
• [18:57] Practical strategies for volunteer management and engagement
• [23:13] Keeping volunteers engaged and joyful; Burnout prevention
• [24:53] Strategic volunteer recruitment: Growth, communication, authentic leadership
• [29:29] Nicole’s first experience with philanthropy – her foster mother’s example
• [33:27] Nicole’s “one good thing” for nonprofit leaders and advice to prevent burnout
• [35:05] How to get involved with Boston CASA

“One Good Thing” – Nicole’s Advice to Nonprofit Leaders

[33:27]

• Ground yourself in whatever practice centers you—faith, reflection, time for renewal—and make it non-negotiable.
• "You can’t help others if you can’t breathe yourself. ... When you're grounded, you can lead with clarity, resilience, and purpose." (Nicole)

Resources & Ways to Get Involved

• Interested in volunteering or learning more? Visit bostoncasa.org
• Nicole welcomes direct emails from interested listeners: nicole@bostoncasa.org

Summary: Big Takeaways

• The health and growth of a volunteer program are rooted in organizational culture, authentic leadership, rigorous training, and recognition.
• Personal stories and lived experiences can inspire, instruct, and attract dedicated volunteers.
• Consistency, clarity, and genuine care—both for volunteers and the children they serve—are indispensable.
• Volunteering changes lives, sometimes even just one at a time, but those “ones” become many.

This episode is a must-listen for nonprofit professionals seeking to build or energize volunteer programs, and for anyone needing a reminder of the transformative power of caring adults showing up for children who need them most.