Training Materials

Learn more about best practices in volunteer recruitment and engagement, and how to get the results you need.

NOTE: These are examples from public libraries and should be reviewed and modified to ensure fit with local policies and culture.

Title Keyword Tags Year
Create/Revitalize Volunteer Engagement at your Library
Carla Lehn, Project Manager of California's Get Involved initiative presented this webinar in January 2026 for RAILS ( Reaching Across Illinois… more
Staff TrainingCapacity Building Position Descriptions, Recruitment, staff buy-in 2026
Are Your Volunteers Disengaged? Here’s What Might Be Going Wrong
Volunteer engagement is not just about who shows up. It is about whether people feel their time and effort actually matter. 
When communication is… more
Staff Training morale, volunteer engagement 2026
9 Proven Ways to Boost Volunteer Morale
Here’s a sobering reality: 76% of volunteers who leave say feeling underappreciated was a major reason for their decision. In other words, three out… more
Staff Training morale, volunteer engagement, retention 2026
State of Corporate Volunteering 2026 Report; Finds Growing Chasm Between Corporate Interests and Nonprofit Needs as Employee Volunteering Reaches Record Levels
A new report reveals a growing tension between corporate volunteering and nonprofit needs as employee volunteering reaches record levels. The report… more
Engaging High Impact Volunteers corporate 2026
How Nonprofits Can Improve Volunteer Retention
Volunteers are more likely to commit to a nonprofit based on their expectations about the mission and its organizational effectiveness . . .… more
Staff TrainingCapacity Building retention 2026
The Gen Z Volunteer Blueprint: How Nonprofits Can Recruit and Inspire a Generation
This brief article is based on Red Cross research about how to get and keep Gen Z involved.
Millennials Gen Z, Recruitment 2026
Four Ways I'm Using Artificial Intelligence
In this article, well-known volunteer engagement consultant Rob Jackson shares four practical ways in which he is using AI in his work as a Volunteer… more
Capacity BuildingStaff Training Artificial Intelligence, AI 2026
Enhancing Volunteer Retention: The Role of Experienced Volunteers
This research focused on volunteer retention found that  that the presence of experienced volunteers on a shift increases new volunteer… more
Capacity BuildingStaff Training retention 2026
Susan J. Ellis Hot Topics Reference Guide
Susan J. Ellis Hot Topics – A Thematic Reference Guide for Volunteer Engagement Professionals (1997 – 2020 – energizeinc.com) This is an awesome AI… more
Staff Training Training 2026
Young Volunteers are Redefining Service
Questions about younger generations’ community service habits abound for nonprofits, which are contending with an aging volunteer base whose… more
Millennials Youth, young volunteers, informal volunteering 2026
Building Super Supporters: The Donor/Volunteer Connection
This webinar was recorded on June 11, 2026. Some simple but important concepts and ideas were shared.
Session Description: In this fun workshop… more
Capacity BuildingStaff Training fundraising, fund development 2026
Building the Case to Fund Volunteer Engagement
Based on our annual survey of the Get Involved listserv, we find far too many missed opportunities to engage community members as library supporters… more
Staff TrainingCapacity Building funding, staff buy-in, leadership buy-in 2025
Stop Rejecting Volunteers. Start Redirecting Them.
Redirection communicates helpfulness, preserves dignity, and keeps the door open for future connection. It is the opposite of “thanks but no thanks… more
Staff TrainingInterviewing Volunteers rejection, interview 2025
Multi-Generational Panel on Volunteering
This March 2025 panel of volunteers from varying generations provides some keen insights into engaging each group. This event was produced by the… more
Baby BoomersStaff Training generations, Gen X, Gen Y, Gen Z, Millenials 2025
Creating an Effective Volunteer Impact Story
A good volunteer impact story does more than describe what someone did — it shows why what they did mattered. It connects actions to outcomes, and… more
Staff TrainingCapacity Building public relations, leadership buy-in 2025
Engaging Gen Alpha to the Silent Generation: Volunteer Strategies for Nonprofits
This brief article gives a great description of each generation along with what defines them and tips for engaging each in volunteering.
Baby BoomersStaff Training generations, Gen X, Gen Y, Gen Z, Millenials, Gen Alpha 2025
Neurodiversity Inclusion Tips
Have you considered neurodivergent applicants in your organization's recruitment strategy?
An estimated 15-20% of the world’s population identifies… more
Staff Training neurodivergent, neurodiversity, inclusion, diversity, inclusion 2025
Where Do I Go From Here? Engage Volunteers in New Ways
This 1 hour webinar was presented for the Get Involved initiative by Jennifer Bennett, Director of Education and Training at VolunteerMatch on… more
Capacity BuildingStaff Training Recruitment, strategic planning 2025
Social Media and Volunteer Engagement
This is the 30 minute recording of Jennifer Bennett’s March 2025 presentation on utilizing social media in your library volunteer engagement efforts… more
On-line Volunteer Recruitment social media, Recruitment 2025
Ten AI Use Cases for Volunteer Managers
For folks new to AI, including myself, I found this September 2025 webinar from Civic Champs to be a very helpful overview of what AI can do. The… more
Capacity BuildingStaff Training Artificial Intelligence, AI 2025