Volunteer Involvement Program (VIP)

United Way’s Volunteer Involvement Program (VIP) is designed to develop and enhance leadership skills and increase diverse volunteer participation in nonprofit board and leadership positions in Greater Atlanta. VIP gives participants the tools to serve as effective board members of local nonprofit agencies.

Janice Robinson
Executive Director, United Way VIP
VIP participants develop their leadership skills, earn a highly regarded credential, and benefit from the connections they make among the VIP alumni network.

Joining VIP is more than just volunteering—it’s a powerful opportunity to grow as a leader, connect with your community, and make a lasting impact. As a VIP participant, you’ll earn a highly regarded credential and gain access to a dynamic network of alumni who continue to shape the nonprofit sector in meaningful ways. VIP alumni are known for bringing strategic thinking, leadership, and innovation to the organizations they serve—often helping nonprofits expand their reach, improve operations, and deepen their community impact. By joining VIP, you’re not only investing in your own development—you’re stepping into a legacy of service that continues to transform communities long after the program ends.

The program is offered in the spring, summer and fall. Spring and Fall are offered in-person on Monday’s or Wednesdays, Summer classes are fully virtual. We no longer accepting applications for our FALL 2025 cohort. The SPRING 2026 application is now open. The SPRING application deadline is Friday, February 13, 2026.

Spring 2026 Dates – All sessions are in-person from 4 – 7 p.m.

  • Mondays: March 9, 16, 23, 30; April 6, 13, 20, 27; May 4, 11
  • Wednesdays: March 11, 18, 25; April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29; May 6, 13

Upon acceptance into the program, a $100 non-fundable Board Commitment Fee is due by February 27, 2026, and a $900 fundraising requirement is due byMay 8, 2026.

Benefits That Add Up To More

VIP alumni benefit not only from the excellent training and the well-respected credential but also from the connections they make and the network they become part of as VIP alumni.
Grow
Get the tools you need to serve as an effective board member.
Network
Join a network of 3000+ leaders who are diverse in their ethnicity, profession, and community service.
Learn
Gain skills in nonprofit financial governance, intentional leadership, and so much more.
Lead
Use your VIP training to serve as a nonprofit board member and shape the future of Greater Atlanta.

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Highlight Reel

United Way of Greater Atlanta VIP launched in 1992 with the goal to build better nonprofit boards — with a focus on building a pipeline of diverse board candidates. Thirty years later, United Way VIP has trained more than 3,300 program graduates and connected board members to more than 1,100 nonprofits in Greater Atlanta and across the U.S.

News and Events

Nadia Rahali, General Manager of Loudermilk Conference Center, started giving to United Way of Greater Atlanta’s 211 Contact Center just months before a call with them would transform her life.

Nadia’s 211 Story 

Eboné Smiley, a Tri-Cities journalism fellow, is rediscovering her neighborhood and helping spread the word of local arts initiatives.

Narrating the Neighborhood 

A yellow school bus marked our eight in-person Stuff the Bus locations where we collected school supplies to help 14,000 Greater Atlanta students start the school year strong.

You helped us Stuff the Bus! 

United Way partnered with WSB-TV to Stuff the Bus with supplies, helping thousands of students start school with confidence, and continue learning all year long.
Ten Forest Park residents pose at a monthly grantmaking meeting to decide how to invest in their local community

Forest Park residents steer change

Governor Roy Barnes, supporter of the Georgia Early Learning Initiative (GELI), and his wife Marie Dobbs Barnes read to a classroom of students.

GELI to Smart Start

Thank you !

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