Be BOLD. Make Change: Why International Volunteer Managers Day 2025 is Your Moment to Step Up

On November 5^th, 2025 Volunteer Engagement Professionals across the globe will be marking International Volunteer Managers Day (IVMDay). And this year, we're not just celebrating; we're making a statement.

The theme for IVMDay 2025, "Be BOLD. Make Change," isn't just a catchy slogan designed to look good on social media (though it certainly does that). It's a rallying cry for our profession, a gentle-but-firm nudge to encourage us to step outside our comfort zones and take action — to improve our work, our professional status, and, ultimately, the impact we have on the communities we serve.

The Power of Professional Recognition

Since its inception in 1999, International Volunteer Managers Day has had one clear purpose: to bring recognition to the work of Volunteer Engagement Professionals. For too long, our profession has operated in the shadows, quietly ensuring that millions of volunteers worldwide are recruited, trained, supported, and retained. We've been the conductors of an orchestra that others hear but rarely see.

But here's the thing about being bold: it requires visibility. It demands that we step forward and claim our rightful place as strategic leaders within our organisations. The volunteer engagement field has matured significantly from when I started in the mid-1990s, yet many of us still find ourselves explaining what we do to our seat neighbours on flights and trains, or worse, defending our profession's value to our own senior leadership teams and boards.

Why "Be BOLD" Matters Now

The beauty of this year's theme lies in its recognition that for change to occur, we often need to step outside our own comfort zone.

Let's be honest, many of us entered this field because we're naturally inclined to support others, often putting their needs before our own. We're the people who ensure everyone else shines while we remain comfortably (perhaps too comfortably) in the background.

But in 2025 we need to be different. The post-pandemic world has fundamentally shifted how we think about volunteering, community engagement, and professional expertise. Organisations are grappling with new challenges and the need for more strategic approaches to volunteer management. These challenges require bold leadership, not background co-ordination.

Your IVMDay Action Plan

So how do we embrace the "Be BOLD. Make Change" theme? Here are some tangible ways for you to step outside your comfort zone in the run-up IVMDay 2025:

Speak Up About Your Expertise: That board meeting where volunteer engagement is relegated to a two-minute update? Ask for fifteen minutes instead. Present data about volunteer impact, retention strategies, or innovations. Your expertise and hard work deserve more than a footnote in the annual report.

Demand Professional Development: If your organisation doesn't have a professional development budget for volunteer management, make the case for one. Attend conferences, pursue certifications like the CVA, join professional associations. Boldness includes investing in your own growth and demanding that your organisation does the same.

Challenge the Status Quo: Are your volunteer engagement efforts still running on systems from 2015? Are you using recruitment methods that worked twenty years ago? Are you still creaking along with Excel rather than a modern Volunteer Management System? Being bold means questioning "how we've always done things" and advocating for modernisation.

Network Strategically: Connect with your peers, both locally and internationally. Share challenges, celebrate successes, and learn from each other. The IVMDay community spans continents — leverage that global network.

Advocate for Your Profession: Write articles, speak at conferences, mentor newcomers to the field. The more we elevate our profession collectively, the more each of us benefits individually.

Your IVMDay Challenge

When we embrace boldness, the impact extends far beyond our own careers.

Better-supported volunteer engagement efforts create more meaningful experiences for volunteers, which leads to higher retention rates, greater community impact, and ultimately, stronger organisations. It's a virtuous cycle that begins with us having the courage to step forward.

When we're bold about our professional value, we create space for our organisations to be bold about their community impact.

This IVMDay, don’t just post on social media (though please do that too – #IVMDay2025 needs your voice). Take one bold action that moves your career, your work, or your profession forward. Whether it's proposing a new initiative, joining (or starting!) a professional association, or simply having a conversation about your strategic value with your supervisor, make November 5th the day you stepped up.

The volunteer engagement field is ready for bold leadership. The question is: are you ready to provide it?

After all, if we won’t advocate for the importance of our profession, who will?

Be bold. Make change.

Your volunteers, your organisation, and your future self will thank you for it.