Strategic Volunteer Program Consulting

Building Impactful Volunteer Programs

Volunteer Engagement Consulting partners with nonprofits, healthcare organizations, and governments to design resilient, compliant volunteer programs, built to hold up under audit and grow without losing structure.

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Who We Are

A Structured Approach to Volunteer Engagement

Volunteer Engagement Consulting helps organizations build impactful volunteer programs through strategy, structure, and intentional engagement, backed by 15+ years of hands-on leadership across hospice, nonprofit, and corporate settings.

Volunteers standing together in a circle, hands joined in solidarity
Who We Work With

Tailored Strategies for Every Volunteer Program

No two organizations engage volunteers the same way. We partner with mission-driven organizations to assess their needs, strengthen their systems, and develop customized volunteer engagement strategies that support growth, sustainability, and community impact.

Hospice Programs

Expert guidance to help hospice organizations build compliant volunteer programs, meet CMS 5% volunteer requirements, and stay survey-ready year-round.

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Nonprofit Solutions

Strategic volunteer engagement solutions that help nonprofits build, strengthen, and scale sustainable volunteer programs through strategic planning, volunteer recruitment and retention, program assessments, board reporting, grant readiness, and organizational capacity-building that advances your mission.

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Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Customized employee volunteer and CSR strategies that align business goals with community needs while enhancing employee engagement, brand reputation, and social impact.

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Why Choose Us

Your partner in building meaningful volunteer engagement, expanding impact, and advancing your mission.

01

Strategic Expertise

From launching new volunteer programs to optimizing established ones, we help organizations build sustainable, high-impact volunteer engagement strategies that advance their mission.

02

Compliance-Driven Solutions

Helping hospice organizations build sustainable volunteer programs that support CMS 5% volunteer compliance through strategic planning, documentation, recruitment, engagement, reporting, and volunteer services that enhance patient and family care.

03

Customized Volunteer Frameworks

Every engagement is tailored to your organization's structure, goals, and mission.

04

Sustainable Community Impact

By investing in strategic volunteer engagement, nonprofits and corporations can strengthen communities, foster meaningful partnerships, and create lasting social impact.

By the Numbers
$0+Saved Through Volunteer-Powered Support
0+Volunteers Engaged
0+Corporate, Nonprofit & Community Partners Engaged
0+Volunteer Programs, Events & Community Initiatives Supported
Testimonials

What people say about working with us

Curious what a strategic volunteer program looks like for your organization?

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About
Our Story

Volunteer Programs as Strategic Assets

Volunteer Engagement Consulting was founded on the belief that volunteer programs are more than gestures of goodwill, they are strategic assets that strengthen organizations and communities. Yet too often, they rely on informal processes that limit their potential.

Drawing on years of hands-on experience in volunteer leadership and program development, VEC helps nonprofits, hospices, hospitals, and mission-driven organizations build resilient volunteer systems that are structured, compliant, and designed to grow.

Every framework, recommendation, and partnership is guided by one purpose: empowering organizations to create meaningful volunteer experiences that deliver lasting, measurable impact.

Professional workshop session with a diverse team of consultants
Portrait of Hayat Nawd, Founder and Principal Consultant of Volunteer Engagement Consulting
Founder

Hayat Nawd

Founder & Principal Consultant

Hayat Nawd learned early that service works best when it's organized. Growing up in Ethiopia, she watched her parents mobilize their community, often accompanying her mother as she ran fundraising drives and collected donations for orphans, vulnerable families, and people in need. That lesson became the foundation for everything she's built since.

She paired that instinct with formal training: a degree in Public Policy with a concentration in Nonprofit Leadership from Georgia State University, a Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP) credential earned in 2013, and a Master of Public Health from the Addis Institute of Public Health. Over more than 15 years leading volunteer engagement at organizations including Blue Summit Hospice and Palliative Care, Open Hand Atlanta, the International Rescue Committee in Atlanta, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and The King Center, she saw the same pattern everywhere: good intentions undermined by programs with no governance behind them. That gap is why she founded Volunteer Engagement Consulting, giving hospice organizations a clear path to the CMS 5% requirement, and giving corporations employee volunteer programs that turn goodwill into measurable community impact.

She still practices what she teaches, leading Kuraz Collective Inc. to help seniors access resources and navigate citizenship, and volunteering monthly with Woman Watch Afrika. Outside of work, she's usually chasing down a good cup of coffee or an old bookstore, convinced every used book has a story worth finding.

Our Mission

To equip mission-driven organizations with the strategies, tools, and expertise needed to build impactful volunteer programs that inspire service, strengthen communities, and create lasting change.

Our Vision

To create a future where every organization has the systems, leadership, and confidence to build volunteer programs that are sustainable, impactful, and drive meaningful community impact.

Our Values

Purpose

Building meaningful volunteer programs that strengthen communities and advance organizational missions.

Excellence

We combine strategic thinking with practical expertise to deliver solutions that are effective, sustainable, and measurable.

Partnership

Strong volunteer programs are built through collaboration. We work alongside our clients as trusted advisors, empowering teams to succeed.

Integrity

Trust is the foundation of every relationship. We act with transparency, accountability, and professionalism in every engagement.

Our Journey

A decade-long path from the field to the framework.

2016
Field Coordination
2019
Program Design
2022
Compliance Consulting
2026
Framework Scale

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Services

Every engagement starts with the operational or compliance pressure driving the call, then we work backward into the right scope.

Strategic support built around your program's specific needs

Program Strategy

Volunteer Program Strategy & Development

Build, strengthen, and scale volunteer programs that advance your mission. We help organizations create sustainable volunteer programs that align with their goals, culture, and community needs.

Services include:

  • New volunteer program development and launch
  • Existing volunteer program assessment and enhancement
  • Volunteer recruitment and retention strategies
  • Volunteer roles, processes, and systems development
  • Volunteer policies and procedures
  • Engagement strategies to maximize volunteer impact
  • Impact measurement and reporting
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Compliance

Hospice CMS 5% Compliance Solutions

Strengthen volunteer programs while supporting compliance, survey readiness, and exceptional patient and family care. We help develop and maintain effective volunteer programs that support the CMS 5% volunteer requirement, strengthen volunteer engagement, and ensure survey readiness.

Services include:

  • CMS 5% volunteer compliance assessments
  • Volunteer program audits and gap analysis
  • Volunteer utilization reviews
  • Compliance readiness assessments
  • Documentation and reporting guidance
  • Volunteer recruitment and engagement strategies
  • Volunteer program improvement plans
  • Survey readiness support and compliance preparation
  • Strategic guidance for sustainable volunteer programs
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CSR & Community

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) & Community Engagement

Create meaningful employee volunteer experiences that drive community impact. We help corporations design and strengthen employee volunteer and CSR programs that connect employees with purpose, build nonprofit partnerships, and create measurable community impact.

Services include:

  • CSR strategy development
  • Employee volunteer program design
  • Day of Service and community impact initiatives
  • Employee volunteer event planning and coordination
  • Nonprofit and community partner connections through our network
  • Corporate volunteer opportunities
  • Skills-based volunteer engagement strategies
  • Employee engagement initiatives
  • Community partnership development
  • Volunteer impact measurement and reporting
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Our Engagement Process

A clear, strategic four-step path to strengthen your volunteer program.

01

Discovery Call

A 30-minute conversation to learn about your organization, volunteer program goals, current challenges, and priorities.

02

Program Assessment

We review your current volunteer systems, documentation, processes, engagement strategies, and program data to identify strengths and opportunities for improvement.

03

Strategic Roadmap

We develop a customized action plan with clear recommendations, priorities, and next steps aligned with your mission, growth goals, or compliance needs.

04

Implementation Support

We provide guidance, coaching, and ongoing support to help your team successfully implement strategies, strengthen operations, and build a sustainable volunteer program.

Not sure which service fits? Start with a free 20-minute scoping call.

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Insights

Practical notes from the field.

Featured Article

Best Practices

The Volunteer Lifecycle—And How to Support Every Stage

Every volunteer journey has stages: recruitment, onboarding, engagement, and exit. But many organizations focus mainly on the beginning, leaving the rest of the journey overlooked.

Latest Articles

Volunteer Management

The Volunteer Program Blind Spot You Didn't Know You Had

Volunteers aren't mind readers. If you're not defining the role clearly, you're unintentionally setting them (and your organization) up for confusion, frustration, and disengagement.
Volunteer Program Design

Why Every Volunteer Program Needs a Strong Framework

A volunteer framework outlines the essential elements of your program—from recruitment and onboarding to supervision and recognition. It ensures consistency, saves time, and supports growth.
Volunteer Onboarding

Your Secret Weapon for Volunteer Success

First impressions matter—and for volunteers, onboarding is that moment. It's your chance to show new volunteers that they're not just needed—they're valued.
View All Articles
Testimonials

What clients and partners say.

Feedback from the organizations and colleagues Hayat has worked alongside.

“

I had the extreme pleasure of working with Hayat Nawd extensively in preparation for an annual celebratory volunteer event. Through her masterful guidance, she spearheaded an extraordinary national service project comprised of hundreds of volunteer and community partners, both in-person and virtually.

I've never seen someone so gently wield such stellar character and incredible leadership acumen, demonstrating how to pivot at a moment's notice in the midst of unexpected crises. As the director of volunteer services at one of the premier humanitarian organizations in our world, her exemplary influence is second only to her immeasurable compassion. She exudes a charismatic demeanor that can extract greatness from the mundane and craft a masterpiece that was once hidden under layers of self-doubt. She is the epitome of restoration and reconciliation in motion.

Our work together was seamlessly collaborative, and she proved that social action is not what she does; it's embedded within the fibers of her being. Her resourcefulness has greatly expanded the vision and value of every endeavor that has been entrusted to her hands. Even when offering insight through courageous conversations, her supervisory style is both affirming and reflective. She models how to be introspective without leaning into self-effacement.

Hayat is both fearless and faithful, wise and warmhearted. One interaction with her has the power to leave an indelible imprint on your life for years to come.

— Imani W.
“

I've had the chance to work with Hayat since 2023. Hayat has been key in helping my team of volunteers contribute to the success of events.

Thanks to her leadership and guidance, our volunteers were able to bring their professionalism and skills to these projects in a way that was truly supported. They not only felt appreciated but also valued the opportunity to contribute to such meaningful causes, making their experience both impactful and fulfilling.

Hayat is professional, calm under pressure, and has a natural ability to connect with people and bring teams together. I've genuinely enjoyed working with her and look forward to continuing our collaboration on an even greater level in the future.

— Nadya M.
“

I had the privilege of collaborating with Hayat Nawd in my role as Community Relations Manager. Hayat played a pivotal role in facilitating our participation in MLK Day service projects. Her exceptional organizational skills and unwavering commitment to community service ensured that our initiatives were not only well-executed but also deeply impactful.

Hayat's ability to engage and mobilize volunteers is unparalleled. She consistently demonstrated a passion for fostering community connections and creating opportunities for meaningful service.

Working alongside Hayat was both inspiring and rewarding. Her professionalism, coupled with her genuine care for the community, makes her an invaluable asset to any organization. I wholeheartedly recommend Hayat for any role that requires a dynamic leader with a proven track record in volunteer engagement and community development.

— Brandon G.
“

Hayat was knowledgeable, professional, and organized. She not only was a pleasure to work with, but also provided expert guidance on how best to utilize volunteerism within an organization to grow its mission and support. She is also an outstanding leader who encourages both professional growth and institutional growth through volunteerism.

In summary, my personal experience working with Hayat was extremely impactful, both personally and professionally. She guided me from becoming a volunteer to an employee. Her expertise in utilizing volunteerism within the nonprofit environment is unmatched and I highly recommend her!

— Eve S.
“

I had the privilege of working with Ms. Hayat where I employed Excel and R to analyze volunteer and outreach data. Ms. Nawd not only welcomed these insights but strategically incorporated them into programmatic decision-making, enhancing volunteer engagement and strengthening community initiatives. Throughout this process, she empowered me with genuine responsibility and ownership over my contributions.

I observed her leadership firsthand during high-profile events that she managed with remarkable poise and a systems-oriented approach. While the execution appeared seamless, it was the result of meticulous planning and coordination under her guidance.

Ms. Nawd developed and operationalized our volunteer program in its entirety, establishing policies, training protocols, reporting systems, and risk management procedures. She led multiple initiatives, events, internship programs, and cultivated high-impact partnerships with corporate, faith-based, and educational organizations that significantly expanded our institutional capacity. Her outreach strategy, which encompassed volunteer fairs, public speaking engagements, social media, and web-based communications, ensured a steady and engaged volunteer pipeline. Simultaneously, her collaboration with internal teams elevated our standards for volunteer management practices.

In sum, Ms. Nawd possesses the rare ability to build systems, cultivate teams, and drive meaningful outcomes.

— Elijah A.

Curious what a strategic volunteer program looks like for your organization?

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Let's find the right starting point for your program.

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Great volunteer programs don't happen by accident—they are built with strategy, structure, and purpose. Connect with us to explore how we can help your organization create a sustainable, impactful volunteer program.