Leveraging the Power of Volunteers
Delaney Mullennix, the Nonprofit Hub Radio Podcast host, interviews Khari Brown of Spark the Journey about how to leverage the power of volunteers in the nonprofit sector.
In this podcast episode, Khari Brown, Chief Executive Officer of Spark the Journey, discusses how the organization empowers young athletes through sports and mentorship.
Khari talks about his role as the only employee in the organization and how he handled the responsibilities effectively. He emphasizes the importance of finding mentors who guided him in his journey and highlights the engagement of the working board in supporting the organization’s mission.
Futhermore, the episode explores volunteer retention. Khari shares some strategies Spark the Journey uses to keep volunteers engaged and committed. He further explains how the organization has grown over the past 22 years in terms of volunteers and paid staff. He discusses the challenges and strategies employed to increase the workforce and budget for additional wages.
Lastly, the conversation focuses on inspiring younger generations to get involved in the philanthropic sector. Khari addresses concerns about millennials being disadvantaged by the economy and suggests ways listeners can become mentors to inspire involvement in volunteering, entrepreneurship, or employment within the philanthropic sector.
At the time Khari joined, he was Spark the Journey’s only employee and has since built the organization from a niche program that reached only 50 students per year to a burgeoning organization that is currently supporting more than 500 students and has grown by 400% since 2012. By expanding its program offerings and leveraging the power of hundreds of trained volunteers on daily basis, Spark the Journey has been remarkably successful in helping its students overcome the barriers that limit most low-income students. Under Khari’s leadership, Spark the Journey has seen 61% of its graduates’ complete college on time, a rate that is nearly three times that of similar students nationally.
Leezá is an Executive Coach for Forbes Coaches Council, a Canfield Success Trainer, former Tony Robbins Results Coach and host of the public TV show “Live With Leezá ”. Her certifications include Executive and Life Coach (ICF), Trainer & Group Facilitator, Mediator and NonViolent Communication Trainer.
