Call for Workshop Proposals

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.