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Darcy Hughes

Darcy Hughes

Darcy Hughes is the Content & Storytelling Manager at VolunteerMatch.

Recent posts by Darcy Hughes

3 min read

Exclusive Conversation with Crisis Text Line’s CEO, Dena Trujillo

By Darcy Hughes on October 23, 2023

Volunteering: The Gift That Gives Back

Q: Can you tell us about yourself and your organization, Crisis Text Line?

A: Yes. Thank you. I have been the CEO of Crisis Text Line for three years, and it's truly been a privilege to lead such an extraordinary organization that provides free and accessible mental health support through text messages.

Topics: virtual volunteering Interview
2 min read

9 Benefits of VolunteerMatch Pro Membership

By Darcy Hughes on July 18, 2023

You know that the right volunteer can mean a world of difference in moving your mission forward. With a VolunteerMatch Standard Membership, you have the ability to recruit from the world’s largest network of volunteers and, when you upgrade to Pro, you unlock a whole new level of benefits to ensure you’re connecting with the right ones. 

2 min read

Volunteering as a family: 7 opportunities to give back together

By Darcy Hughes on May 9, 2023

Volunteering as a family is a great way to connect with your community and each other. Make time for what matters most this summer with these fun and family-friendly volunteer activities.

Topics: inspiration
2 min read

4 Ways to Support Disaster Relief

By Darcy Hughes on February 20, 2023

You can make a meaningful difference in relieving the effects of natural disasters, whether it be through donations, volunteerism, or advocacy. When looking for ways to contribute before, during, and after natural disasters, consider how you can maximize impact by working with others! Here are 4 ways to support disaster relief efforts today:

Topics: disaster relief
3 min read

7 Ways to Honor Black History this February and Beyond

By Darcy Hughes on February 15, 2023

Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. This list offers a few ways to delve deeper into Black history and support a more equitable future.

Topics: nonprofit resources social justice inspiration advocacy
3 min read

7 ways to Level-Up your Social Strategy to Recruit more Volunteers

By Darcy Hughes on February 9, 2023

Every follower on your organization's social media is a potential volunteer—they just might not know it yet. Building and maintaining a social media presence, especially in a small organization, is not without its challenges. That is why we compiled 7 ways to level-up your social media strategy to recruit more volunteers:

Topics: nonprofit resources volunteer engagement
2 min read

Pledge to volunteer in the new year!

By Darcy Hughes on December 7, 2022

One thing I have learned as a marketer on a small team is that making content that serves multiple audiences or multiple purposes is invaluable. The same goes for our efforts in life. We only have limited energy and hours in the day so we need to be efficient—this is how I approach New Year's resolutions.

Topics: inspiration
2 min read

5 easy ways to volunteer – virtually

By Darcy Hughes on November 23, 2022

With all the hustle and bustle of our modern lives, it can be easy to let our good intentions to volunteer fall by the wayside. Volunteering doesn’t have to feel like an extra task on your never-ending to-do list. From small tasks to larger projects, finding ways to get involved is easier than you might think.

Topics: virtual volunteering
5 min read

The Process was Magic: How a Creative, Skills-Based Volunteer Opportunity Became a Documentary Short

By Darcy Hughes on November 14, 2022

In 2020, Cedar Schimke, Executive Director of Slow Food Minnesota, posted an opportunity on VolunteerMatch, seeking creative volunteers to tell her organization's story. At the same time, filmmaker Kish Daniels was looking on VolunteerMatch for an engaging, skills-based project. He saw Cedar's posting and clicked the button, "I Want to Help," what came next was a project neither party could have expected.

Topics: inspiration local volunteering
3 min read

Planting the Seeds for Change during National Adult Education Week

By Darcy Hughes on September 22, 2022

This week is National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week and we want to show some #LocalLove to Literacy Minnesota, the only statewide, volunteer literacy organization in Minnesota. 

Sophie Phan, Volunteer Outreach Coordinator and volunteer for Literacy Minnesota, believes in English literacy as a powerful means to broaden educational and economic opportunities for immigrants and refugees in the United States. Sophie immigrated from Vietnam to Minnesota when she was five years old, grew up as a voracious reader, and believes in the power of stories to motivate and inspire.

Topics: inspiration Interview

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