Prince William County Focuses on Strengthening Nonprofit Volunteer Workforce

Volunteers play a vital role in helping Prince William County and community organizations provide services and resources to residents. From supporting food assistance and shelter programs to assisting in parks, libraries and schools, volunteers help strengthen the network of services that residents rely on every day. 

Prince William County works closely with nonprofit organizations to help address community needs and strengthening volunteer programs helps expand the reach of services that support residents across the county. 

To support those efforts, Prince William County is co-hosting the second annual Community Volunteer Summit with the Human Services Alliance of Greater Prince William and a coalition of community partners. The free summit will provide nonprofit organizations across the county with tools, strategies and resources to strengthen their volunteer programs and expand their ability to serve residents. 

The event will be held on April 16, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Board Chambers at the McCoart Government Center, 1 County Complex Court in Woodbridge. 

Community partners co-hosting the summit include the Prince William Chamber of Commerce, Sentara Health, UVA Health, Volunteer Prince William, Virginia Cooperative Extension, or VCE, and Prince William County Community Foundation. 

“As community members have increasing demands on their time, nonprofits must refine their value propositions, outreach messaging and engagement pathways,” said Martina Jackson Green, Executive Director of the Human Services Alliance of Greater Prince William. “The summit provides information on developing recruitment strategies that identify target audiences, leverage digital channels and build inclusive pipelines that expand participation.” 

This year’s summit builds on feedback from the 2025 event, where exit surveys highlighted a need for greater collaboration, best practices in volunteer management and hands-on training to strengthen technical capacity. 

“The first summit focused on building capacity within Volunteer Prince William. This year’s event builds on that foundation by expanding support for organizations across the county,” said Paige Thacker, Director of the VCE Prince William Unit, which relies heavily on volunteers to further all facets of its mission. “By participating in the summit, organizations can strengthen their volunteer programs and play an even greater role in supporting services and resources for residents across Prince William County.” 

Each year, approximately 3,000 volunteers contribute an estimated 300,000 hours of service to nonprofit and community organizations in Prince William County, representing nearly $10 million in value. Their work helps local systems operate more efficiently, reduces service wait times and strengthens community well-being.  

The summit is open to all organizations that rely on volunteers to advance their missions. Nonprofit leaders and volunteer coordinators are encouraged to attend to learn practical strategies and tools to strengthen volunteer recruitment, retention and engagement. Lunch will be provided. 

To register and learn more, visit www.thealliancegpw.org/our-events.