Training Materials | Get Involved! Resource Clearinghouse

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
Questionnaire Design Tip Sheet - Harvard University A tip sheet on question wording from the Harvard University Program on Survey Research.	Capacity Building, Staff Training	surveys	2021
A Savior No One Needs: Unpacking and Overcoming the White Savior Complex White savior complex is a term that’s used to describe white people who consider themselves wonderful helpers to Black, Indigenous and People of… more	Staff Training	diversity, equity, inclusion	2021
Outdoor Programming and Outreach Best Practices - Oklahoma City OK Developed by the Metropolitan Library System in Oklahoma City during the COVID-19 pandemic as a guide for staff.	Capacity Building	outdoor, outreach, programming, COVID-19	2021
Engaging Volunteers: A Comprehensive Literature Review Literature Review completed for AmeriCorps by ICF International in 2021.	Capacity Building, Staff Training	literature	2021
Volunteers and the Law: Legal Considerations A good summary of legal issues from Tobi Johnson & Associates, 2021.	Staff Training	law, legal	2021
Volunteer COVID-19 Safety Guidelines - Cedar Rapids IA General guidelines for volunteers returning to the library during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.	Capacity Building, Job Specific Volunteer Training	COVID-19	2020
COVID-19 Action Levels for Volunteers - Indianapolis IN When the Indianapolis Public Library started bringing volunteers back during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, they were prepared with this document for… more	Staff Training	COVID-19	2020
"Holds Hunter" Volunteer COVID-19 Procedure Changes - Cedar Rapids IA Procedural changes developed for volunteer "Hold Hunters" by the Cedar Rapids Iowa Public Library during 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic.	Capacity Building, Job Specific Volunteer Training	COVID-19	2020
Moving Forward: Taking Action on Race and Equity On Nov 19, 2020 the Points of Light Foundation hosted the first conversation in their Listen. Learn. Act to End Racism initiative, in partnership… more	Staff Training	equity, inclusion	2020
Volunteer Safety Precautions in a Pandemic World - Indianapolis IN Safety precautions for volunteers returning to the Indianapolis Public Library during 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.	Job Specific Volunteer Training, Capacity Building	COVID-19	2020
Power, Privilege, and Volunteerism Volunteerism can reinforce patterns of power and privilege (whites and people of means as volunteers, and communities of color or those without means… more	Staff Training	equity, inclusive, inclusion	2020
Introduction to Virtual Volunteering This 35 minute recording is a presentation made by Jayne Cravens of Coyote Communications for the 2020 Points of Light Conference.	Staff Training	virtual, remote	2020
Fighting Racism Through Diverse and Inclusive Volunteer Engagement Programming (Part 2 of 2) Part 2 of thoughts on how to audit your own diversity, equity and inclusion strategy (DEI) in how you engage volunteers from Jerome Tennille, CVA,… more	Staff Training, Capacity Building	racism, inclusive, diversity, Recruitment	2020
NextGen Nexus: Moving Beyond Awareness This article answers the question: How do we build awareness about our issue among young Americans?	Millennials	Gen Z	2020
Engagement as a Path to Inclusion and Justice This brief article from Beth Steinhorn at VQ Strategies outlines 4 questions we can all ask ourselves for developing and implementing a plan that… more	Capacity Building, Staff Training	inclusive, racism, diversity	2020
What Do Volunteers Want? This article discusses the importance of following up with volunteers -- keeping them in the loop through good communication.	Capacity Building, Engaging High Impact Volunteers	communications, followup	2020
Volunteer Ethics & Risk Management: Should You Bring Volunteers In? This blogpost on ethics and volunteer liability and risk management was prepared by Toby Johnson during the Covid-19 Pandemic of 2020. It serves as… more	Staff Training	Risk Management, liability, Liability Waiver	2020
Why Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Matter for Nonprofits This article from the National Council of Nonprofits not only describes the issue, but suggests ways to start making changes, and provides a number… more	Capacity Building, Staff Training	racism, diversity, inclusion	2020
Social Media & Blog Content Guidelines for Staff & Volunteers - CMBCL, OR This document is used by Cedar Mill & Bethany Community Libraries to provide guidelines for staff and volunteers who are assisting with community… more	Engaging High Impact Volunteers, Job Specific Volunteer Training, Staff Training	social media, blog	2020
COVID-19 Safety Protocols Training Powerpoint - Gail Borden PL, IL This powerpoint was developed by the Gail Borden Public Library in Illinois to as part of its training for volunteers about safety issues and… more	Capacity Building	COVID-19	2020