The VolunteerBadge podcast
The Sign-In Table: Interviews with nonprofit leaders about their mission, their start and their impact
Stories from the nonprofit leaders keeping their communities safe, served and strong.
Hosted by Matt Angerer · New episodes every other week · about 45 minutes
Episodes
Episode 1 · Coming soon
One child, one mentor
Brandi Pillow, Founder, braveONE
Brandi Pillow joins The Sign-In Table to talk about building a one-to-one mentoring program, how braveONE matches, and what she wishes more people understood about raising a child with Type 1 Diabetes.
Read the braveONE storyEpisode 2 · Coming soon
Contributors, not recipients
Catherine Stephenson, Founder and CEO, IROSA Cares
After more than 35 years as an educator, Catherine Stephenson founded IROSA Cares and named it for her parents. She talks about turning a 9/11 Day of Service into a year-round Impact Club at Stamford PAL, and the partners it takes to keep youth programs running all year.
Read the IROSA Cares story
Our first conversations are being recorded now.
Subscribe on YouTube to hear each episode the day it goes live, or put your own organization forward as a guest.
Every episode
Four questions we always come back to
- 1
The mission
What your organization does, who it serves and where.
- 2
Why you started
The moment, the need or the person that got it going.
- 3
The impact
The stories and numbers that show what is changing in your community.
- 4
How others can help
Volunteers, donors, partners and the one ask you would put in front of every listener.
What we talk about
Guests pick the topics. These are the ones leaders ask about most, and we are happy to go anywhere else your story leads.
Youth camps
- Launching a first summer
- Hiring and training seasonal staff
- Counselors-in-training
- Waterfront and health safety
- Keeping camp affordable
Churches and ministries
- Children’s and youth ministry
- Safe sanctuaries and screening
- Recruiting servers without burnout
- Outreach and benevolence
- Mission trips
Homeschool co-ops
- Parent-led governance
- Building a co-op from scratch
- Classes, clubs and field trips
- Child protection in a co-op
Youth sports and clubs
- Volunteer coaches
- Booster clubs
- Scouting and youth clubs
- Concussion and athlete safety
Community programs
- Food banks and pantries
- Mentoring and tutoring
- After-school programs
- Senior services and Meals on Wheels
- Disaster response
- Animal rescue
- Arts and culture
Running the nonprofit
- Starting a nonprofit
- Recruiting and keeping volunteers
- Fundraising on a shoestring
- Grants and funders
- Building a board
- Technology on a budget
- Leader burnout and sustainability
- Telling your impact story
For nonprofit leaders
Be a guest
We talk with the organizations in our monthly Impact Report, the camps, churches, co-ops and community groups doing the work. Here is what you get for about 45 minutes of your time.
Tell your story, your way
A relaxed conversation about your mission, why you started and the difference you are making. No script and no gotchas.
Reach new volunteers and donors
Every episode links to your website, your volunteer page and your donation page, so listeners in your area know exactly how to help.
An episode page on volunteerbadge.com
Your own page with the audio, a written summary and links back to your organization.
Clips you can share
Short audio and video clips, a quote card and the episode link, ready for your newsletter and social channels.
Inspire the next leader
Aspiring founders and first-year directors learn from people who have done it. Your story could be the one that gets someone started.
Easy from anywhere
About 45 minutes from your laptop, in a browser link with nothing to install. A short survey is all the prep there is.
- Step 1
Fill in the short guest survey (about 10 minutes).
- Step 2
We reply with a few times that work and a recording link.
- Step 3
Chat with Matt for about 45 minutes, from your laptop or phone.
- Step 4
We edit the episode, then send you the link and share-ready clips when it goes live.
Your host
Matt Angerer
Co-Founder & General Manager, VolunteerBadge
Matt co-founded VolunteerBadge to take the cost out of keeping volunteers safe: a background check for $5, so a church, camp or co-op never has to choose between screening and its budget. On The Sign-In Table he hands the microphone to the people doing the work.
Why we started VolunteerBadgeAbout the show
- What is The Sign-In Table?
- An informal, audio-first interview podcast from VolunteerBadge. Matt Angerer talks with nonprofit leaders about their mission, why they started, the impact they are making and how others can help. New episodes come out every other week.
- Who are the guests?
- Leaders of the camps, churches, ministries, homeschool co-ops, youth programs and community nonprofits that use VolunteerBadge, many of them featured in our monthly Impact Report. If your story would help other leaders, you are welcome to apply too.
- Where can I listen?
- Episodes are published on the VolunteerBadge YouTube channel and on this page, with Apple Podcasts, Spotify and the other major apps following as each goes live.
- How do I become a guest, and does it cost anything?
- It is free. Fill in the short guest survey and we will email you times and a recording link. The conversation takes about 45 minutes from a laptop or phone, with nothing to install.
- Do guests have to talk about VolunteerBadge?
- No. The conversation is about your organization and your community. If you want to talk about how you screen volunteers, great; if not, we never bring it up.