Conference Mission
The Illinois Conference on Volunteer Administration (ICOVA) provides valuable networking opportunities for volunteer management professionals. The Annual Conference, held each summer, promotes innovative and dynamic thought by presenting quality professional development opportunities focusing on the future of volunteer administration, including the role of technology and its impact, and strategic approaches to issues facing our society.  
 
Conference Content
The conference consists of fifteen to eighteen 75-minute breakout workshops and an opening plenary session. We welcome proposals from individual presenters as well as teams and panel presentation proposals.  We ask that you focus on providing a great learning experience for the participants and refrain from promoting any products or services with which you may be affiliated.  The general areas that workshops should relate to are:

• Starting from the Bottom Up - Fundamentals of Volunteer Management
• Social Networking and Using Technology to Engage Volunteers
• Best Practices – Volunteer Recruitment, Appreciation, and/or Retention 

           (especially relating to generational differences)

• Strategic Planning
• Budgeting, Accounting and Auditing
• Online Training
• Resource Development and Funding Diversification
• Partnerships and Collaborations (Team Presentations Encouraged)
• Personal and Professional Growth and Development

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Audience
The conference traditionally attracts a wide range of volunteer administration professionals representing the non-profit, governmental and private sectors in the metropolitan Chicago area. The experience level varies rom those early in their careers (1 to 5 year) to those at mid-point 5-10 years) to those more advanced (10-plus years).
 
Benefits to Presenters
ICOVA is an all-volunteer organization. Though we are unable to pay honorariums, workshop presenters are given the following benefits:

• Invitation to attend all other portions of the conference
• Option to distribute promotional materials to conference delegates
• Names and organizations highlighted in registration materials with links on our website.

 
Submitting a Proposal
ICOVA will only accept online proposals. To submit a proposal click here.

Planning is underway for the annual Illinois Conference on Volunteer Administration.  Be a part of it !  The Planning Committee meets monthly by conference call to brainstorm ideas and review program suggestions.  The Planning Committee also has sub-committees that need members - Program, which solicits and reviews workshop proposals and maintains communication with speakers; Arrangements, which solicits donations and in-kind goods and handles "day of" activities - packets, registration, signs & volunteer assignments; and, Outreach, which develops and maintains ICOVAs digital footprint - web site, social media, and e-mail marketing.  Interested ?  Click on "Contact Us" and send a note or send an e-mail directly to illinoiscova@gmail.com.

We have fully reached capacity and registration as well the waiting list are both closed. Thank you for your interest.  If you missed this year's conference we are sorry, but we hope to see you next year.

Riegistration for this year's conference was strong and we have reached capacity !  Sadly that means that registration is closed.  Since as of this writing we are still two weeks away from the conference, it is possibile that there will be cancellations.  For that reason we will have a waiting list.  If you missed the opportunity to register and are interested in being placed on a waiting list please send us an e-mail at illinoiscova@gmail.com.

​Whether you’re new to volunteer programming or a seasoned veteran there is always something for everyone at the Illinois Conference on Volunteer Administration (ICOVA). Conducted In partnership with the Illinois Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service (Serve Illinois) and the Corporation for National and Community Service, ICOVA is intended to promote good volunteer engagement practices in Illinois. The day-long conference offers a general session and fifteen workshops exploring a variety of issues relevant to program and agency management  The conference begins at 9:00 a.m. and ends at 3:30 p.m. Registration which includes breakfast snacks, boxed lunch and conference materials is $25.  The event is in a federal building, so in arriving allow enough to clear security and still make it on time for the 9:00 start.  

Thank you to everyone who submtited workshop proposals. The Program Committee is currently reviewing them and will be back in touch with everyone who submitted one by June 14th.  We expect to have the full conference program in place short.ly thereafter and are anticipating opening up registration the thrid week of June.

In the meantime, we are pleased to announce our Keynote Speake - Eric Weinheimer, President and CEO, Forefront  (formerly known as the Donors Forum).  Eric will address the conference at the Opening Session.   

Remember to keep in mind that the conference is in a federal building and everyone entering needs to pass through security.  Allow yourself enought time to clear secruity and make it on time for the 9:00 a.m. start. 

The Illinois Conference on Volunteer Administration (ICOVA) planning committee is accepting Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for speakers at our August 15th event.
 
Our attendees represent various social service and public agencies that count on volunteer support to be able to achieve great things in their communities. The conference seeks to feature presentations and discussions on a broad number of topics including:
 

• Fundamentals of Volunteer Management
• Applied Research and Innovative Tools in Volunteerism
• Using Technology to Engage Volunteers
• General and Financial Management
• Board Development and Maintenance
• Budgeting, Accounting and Auditing, Risk Management
• Resource Development and Funding Diversification
• Partnerships and Collaborations (team presentations encouraged)
• Personal and Professional Growth and Development or
• Identify a relevant and timely area concerning volunteer engagement that you would like to address with ICOVA participants. 

 
Proposals can be submitted online.. Please submit a picture and a bio with your proposal so that we have that information to post on our web site.  Questions ?  E-mail us - illinoiscova@gmail.com

As we draw close to the conference date, we're excited to let you know that we've hit our maximum capacity for the facility, but saddened to say that has caused us to close off registration.

To those who have registered, we look forward to seeing you on Wednesday. If you missed us this year, hope to see you in 2018 !

If you have any questions, just drop us a note through the Contact Us link.

Look for the Conference Registration to open in the next couple of weeks. Meanwhile, see the Conference information page for information about schedule and cost for the conference. The web site, with information about Sessions and Speakers will be live next week.