DOVIA-LA Meeting: Listening with Purpose & Encouraging Volunteer Reflection

Los Angeles Area Volunteer Engagement Professionals are invited to attend the final meeting of 2025 before our conference on October 28th. It will also be the final workshop in our three-part series led by Faiza Venzant, CVA, in partnership with the "Is Everyone Welcome Toolkit". Having attended previous sessions is not required to join!

Hosted By: DOVIA-LA (Directors of Volunteers in Agencies – Los Angeles) is a professional membership association for individuals who lead, manage, and recruit volunteers for a diverse range of nonprofit organizations. DOVIA-LA members meet bi-monthly to network, build skills, and learn about current issues in the field of volunteer management. DOVIA-LA is a program of L.A. Works.

What to Expect:

• Faiza Venzant, CVA will lead a workshop titled "Listening with Purpose: Encouraging Reflection from Volunteers ​" which is worth 2 CVA PDUs.
• During this meeting, volunteer engagement professionals will have opportunities to engage with one another in group discussions and we will take time for community support and to hear from members looking to learn about experience with an issue or resource need. 
• This and all regular DOVIA-LA Meetings are planned to accomodate all members and guests by being offered HYBRID. This particular meeting brings our speaker to us in person and we strongly recommend attending in-person for the best experience. 

Workshop Details: 
Volunteers are not just partners—they are key informants of your organization's culture, impact, and connection to community. In this interactive session, volunteer engagement professionals will explore how to thoughtfully encourage reflection from volunteers about their experiences—both within the organization and in the communities they serve. Together, we’ll practice asking meaningful questions, creating psychologically safe spaces for honest dialogue, and determining what to do when powerful reflections or hard truths are shared. Participants will leave with practical tools to integrate volunteer feedback into program improvement, storytelling, and equity-centered decision-making.

About Our Presenter: 
From a young age, Faiza Venzant's parents instilled a strong sense of volunteerism in herself and her two older brothers. They, as immigrants to Canada from Uganda in the early 70s made a successful transition into Canadian life with the help of many generous volunteers. A volunteer herself from a very young age, she has been an advocate for volunteer engagement and excellence in volunteer management for 25 years.  As a facilitator for the Community Action Poverty Simulation, Faiza is passionate about equity and access amongst volunteers and leaders of volunteers. Faiza immigrated to the United States in 2021 and now serves as the Executive Director with the Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration. 

Additional Details

• Location: The event will take place IN-PERSON and virtually on Zoom. The speaker will be engaging the in-person attendees and the virtual space will have video showing the speaker and room while one of our Advisory Committee members will facilitate discussions in the virtual space. 
• Registration Required
  • DOVIA-LA Meetings are free for members.
  • Guest tickets are available.
  • If you are not a DOVIA-LA member, please consider purchasing a membership to gain the benefits of membership and support our local community of volunteer managers. Find out more here: https://volunteer.laworks.com/dovia-la-membership.

Please feel free to share information about registering for this event with any other volunteer engagement and non-profit professionals who may be interested in this topic.

If you have any questions, accommodation needs or need support with registration or your DOVIA-LA membership, please contact the Opportunity Coordinator below.