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In Conversation: PanCAN Volunteer Leaders
Affiliate Forum resources are available on Volunteer Central.
Affiliate Chairs and other volunteer leaders from PanCAN affiliates across the country, along with the Volunteer Advisory Council (VAC), gathered in Dallas in September for PanCAN in Action: National Affiliate Forum to explore community-building strategies, plan year-round mission and fundraising strategies, and learn about new PanCAN initiatives. They also celebrated achievements from the past year and forged connections with other volunteers, Community Engagement staff, and PanCAN leadership.
It was a purple-themed weekend packed full of inspiring moments and fun!
The event kicked off on Friday evening with a warm welcome from the VAC and a networking activity that encouraged participants from different affiliates to interact.
This was followed by a powerful presentation about PanCAN’s case for support from PanCAN President and CEO Julie Fleshman, JD, MBA. She shared her gratitude for PanCAN volunteers and emphasized the importance of welcoming new people to the volunteer community and the crucial role volunteers play in reaching PanCAN’s 2030 goals. The evening concluded with a lively Q&A session with Chief Growth Officer Jill Davis and Chief Scientific & Medical Officer Anna Berkenblit, MD, MMSc.
Saturday was dedicated to interactive workshops, opportunities for self-reflection, and insightful discussions.
The morning began with a State of the Union presentation on Community Building and Growth that stressed the critical need to strengthen and expand the PanCAN community through PanCAN PurpleStride and outreach to new audiences. Attendees then participated in a powerful workshop on crafting compelling and personal messages to enhance communications with donors, volunteers, and supporters.
The next sessions focused on community outreach and volunteer engagement. Throughout the day, participants learned from each other by sharing their challenges, successes, and creative ideas.
In The Who, What, and How of Community Outreach session, volunteers engaged in an in-depth exploration of our ten-step outreach guide that can be used to recruit volunteers, grow PurpleStride, and raise awareness of pancreatic cancer and PanCAN. Finally, participants enjoyed an interactive Volunteer Engagement Workshop that included identifying and prioritizing affiliate needs, role-playing conversations with new or potential volunteers, and discussing volunteer-to-volunteer accountability and volunteer retention.
Attendees returned home with fresh ideas, new friends, and a renewed sense of purpose.
Silicon Valley Affiliate volunteer Electra McBurnie is excited to share new strategies with her affiliate and is confident she can lean on her fellow volunteer leaders for support: “One of my counterparts imparted her best practices, which will help our affiliate recruit and retain volunteers as PurpleStride season approaches. We now have new ideas to energize our teams, and I made contacts that we can reach out to for help along the way.”
VAC Co-chair Angeli Bateman adds: “We want PanCAN to be the go-to organization for pancreatic cancer and everything we do as volunteers makes that a true statement. We are truly part of something special here.”
All volunteers are encouraged to virtually attend PanCAN in Action: National Volunteer Summit on Monday, Oct. 21, 4:30 p.m. PT / 7:30 p.m. ET. You will learn more about how the work you do helps us reach our 2030 goals, get a first look at exciting new resources, and more. This event is perfect for long-term volunteers and those who are curious about volunteering, so encourage a friend to attend as well! RSVP today!
Affiliate Chairs and other volunteer leaders from PanCAN affiliates across the country, along with the Volunteer Advisory Council (VAC), gathered in Dallas in September for PanCAN in Action: National Affiliate Forum to explore community-building strategies, plan year-round mission and fundraising strategies, and learn about new PanCAN initiatives. They also celebrated achievements from the past year and forged connections with other volunteers, Community Engagement staff, and PanCAN leadership.
It was a purple-themed weekend packed full of inspiring moments and fun!
The event kicked off on Friday evening with a warm welcome from the VAC and a networking activity that encouraged participants from different affiliates to interact.
This was followed by a powerful presentation about PanCAN’s case for support from PanCAN President and CEO Julie Fleshman, JD, MBA. She shared her gratitude for PanCAN volunteers and emphasized the importance of welcoming new people to the volunteer community and the crucial role volunteers play in reaching PanCAN’s 2030 goals. The evening concluded with a lively Q&A session with Chief Growth Officer Jill Davis and Chief Scientific & Medical Officer Anna Berkenblit, MD, MMSc.
Saturday was dedicated to interactive workshops, opportunities for self-reflection, and insightful discussions.
The morning began with a State of the Union presentation on Community Building and Growth that stressed the critical need to strengthen and expand the PanCAN community through PanCAN PurpleStride and outreach to new audiences. Attendees then participated in a powerful workshop on crafting compelling and personal messages to enhance communications with donors, volunteers, and supporters.
The next sessions focused on community outreach and volunteer engagement. Throughout the day, participants learned from each other by sharing their challenges, successes, and creative ideas.
In The Who, What, and How of Community Outreach session, volunteers engaged in an in-depth exploration of our ten-step outreach guide that can be used to recruit volunteers, grow PurpleStride, and raise awareness of pancreatic cancer and PanCAN. Finally, participants enjoyed an interactive Volunteer Engagement Workshop that included identifying and prioritizing affiliate needs, role-playing conversations with new or potential volunteers, and discussing volunteer-to-volunteer accountability and volunteer retention.
Attendees returned home with fresh ideas, new friends, and a renewed sense of purpose.
Silicon Valley Affiliate volunteer Electra McBurnie is excited to share new strategies with her affiliate and is confident she can lean on her fellow volunteer leaders for support: “One of my counterparts imparted her best practices, which will help our affiliate recruit and retain volunteers as PurpleStride season approaches. We now have new ideas to energize our teams, and I made contacts that we can reach out to for help along the way.”
VAC Co-chair Angeli Bateman adds: “We want PanCAN to be the go-to organization for pancreatic cancer and everything we do as volunteers makes that a true statement. We are truly part of something special here.”
All volunteers are encouraged to virtually attend PanCAN in Action: National Volunteer Summit on Monday, Oct. 21, 4:30 p.m. PT / 7:30 p.m. ET. You will learn more about how the work you do helps us reach our 2030 goals, get a first look at exciting new resources, and more. This event is perfect for long-term volunteers and those who are curious about volunteering, so encourage a friend to attend as well! RSVP today!
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PanCAN President and CEO Julie Fleshman (right) with the PanCAN Volunteer Advisory Council.
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