Last week, our Data-Driven Engagement Webinar Series welcomed Michelle Del Carmen, Chief Executive Officer of Centre for Dreams, a York Region charity celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. Drawing on more than 25 years advocating for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (a commitment shaped by both her professional work and her lived experience as a sibling), Michelle walked us through a case study titled “From Strategy to Impact: Innovative Approaches to Volunteer Engagement and Fundraising.” Her central message was simple: volunteering and fundraising can no longer be managed as two separate files. They are one community of support.
One pathway, not two programs
Michelle’s first theme was that volunteers and donors move along the same journey: discover, try, belong, lead, champion. At Centre for Dreams, that pathway often begins with a student field placement. What started as one or two practicum students has grown into roughly 25 co-op students per semester, drawn from nursing, social service work, developmental service work, occupational therapy, recreation and leisure, and teachers’ college. Remarkably, 12 of the organization’s 15 staff first arrived as placement students. Michelle frames each placement as “a four-month interview,” a structured entry point that builds future leadership rather than just filling hours.
The lesson for the rest of us: the biggest mistake organizations make is asking people to commit before they feel they belong. Start low-risk, build connection and confidence, then expand responsibility.
A shifting volunteer landscape
Michelle situated her case study within a broader shift. In her presentation, she noted that the desire to help has stayed constant, but formal pathways have weakened: the overall volunteering rate (formal and informal combined) fell to 73 per cent in 2023, down from 79 per cent in 2018, while the formal volunteering rate fell to 32 per cent, down from 41 per cent. Over the same period, total volunteer hours dropped to 4.1 billion, down from 5 billion.
Her takeaway was that volunteer roles now have to be easier to start and more meaningful to sustain. Time pressures, burnout, and cost of living are competing for people’s attention, so we need to treat volunteers as a strategy, not as extra help.
Recruitment as a recipe
Michelle offered a memorable recruiting formula: who we serve, plus what we need, plus the time required, plus why it matters, plus the next step. Like a recipe, every ingredient matters. Her practical reminders included writing postings that don’t read like “a job ad from 1998,” being specific (“two hours on a Monday night” rather than “help needed”), using warm networks over cold calls, showing impact quickly, and never cheapening the thank-you.
Fundraising in the 2020s
On fundraising, Michelle described a move from annual asks, gala-heavy calendars, and broad appeals toward micro-giving, monthly donors, digital-first campaigns, and story-led, relational asks. Importantly, she was clear that “then” practices aren’t dead: Centre for Dreams still runs a gala and a golf tournament, but reimagined to stand apart (a “denim and diamonds” gala featuring members of their Dream Team, line dancing, and an art gallery of members’ work).
Her 1010 10 campaign captured the new model: donate $10, invite 10 friends to donate $10, and engage with their social media. Low barrier, low overhead, and entirely digital, it surpassed its goal while expanding the organization’s database and storytelling reach. Underpinning all of it was her fundraising mantra: head, heart, pocket. People give once they know you and feel connected to you.
The challenge she left with us
Michelle closed with a reflection for every organization: Where do people first meet you? What is your easiest first “yes”? How do people move from helping once to belonging? Her challenge was to identify one improvement we could make in the next 30 days to build a single, sustainable culture of support, where volunteers, donors, ambassadors, and partners are all part of one community.
We’re grateful to Michelle for sharing Centre for Dreams’ story, and to everyone who joined us. The recording will be available on the Volunteer Canada YouTube channel.
Check out our infographic below with key highlights and themes from Michelle’s presentation.
