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 |
|---|---|---|---|
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 Training, Capacity 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 Training, Interviewing 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 Boomers, Staff 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 Training, Capacity 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 Boomers, Staff 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 Building, Staff 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 Building, Staff Training | Artificial Intelligence, AI | 2025 |
6 HR Strategies for Nonprofits to Enhance Volunteer-Staff Collaboration
A quick read with ideas on maximizing volunteer-staff interactions. |
Staff Training, Engaging Staff and Unions | Staff Resistance, staff buy-in, volunteer staff relations | 2025 |
Volunteer Recruitment Workshop Series
This 2025 series of 5 Idealist webinars was recorded and are stored together with their slides and handouts. Topics include: Position Descriptions,… more |
On-line Volunteer Recruitment, Staff Training, Capacity Building | Recruitment, Position Descriptions, job descriptions | 2025 |
9 Proven Volunteer Retention Strategies
Strategies for improving your volunteer retention rate. |
Staff Training, Capacity Building | retention | 2025 |
8 Strategies for Creating a More Inclusive Volunteer Program
A good summary from Idealist of the Minnesota Alliance for Volunteer Administration (MAVA)'s research study which resulted in a set of… more |
Staff Training | Recruitment, diversity, equity, inclusion | 2025 |
A Guide for Creating Inclusive Volunteer Position Descriptions
This is one part of the 2024 "Is Everyone Welcome? Tools to Broaden Volunteer Engagement" toolkit found here: https://www.idealist.org/en/orgs/is-… more |
Staff Training | inclusive, Position Descriptions, job descriptions | 2024 |
Managing Volunteer Risks -- Where Are You Now?
In this blog, Volunteers Insurance Service Association, Inc. (VIS) suggests that to know where you need to be in managing your organization’s risk of… more |
Staff Training | Risk Management | 2024 |
Engaging the Volunteer of the Future
This 1 hour webinar was presented by Jennifer Bennett, Education & Training Director for VolunteerMatch in January 2024. In this webinar you’ll… more |
Capacity Building, Staff Training, Millennials | Millenials | 2024 |
Working Together: Developing Neurodivergent and IDD (Intellectually and Developmentally Disabled) Inclusive Volunteer Opportunities
This webinar was recorded on June 6, 2024. Speakers: Cecily Ponce de Leon, Plano Public Library; Jungwon DeVone, Somerset County Library System; and… more |
Staff Training | neurodivergent, disabilities, special needs | 2024 |
Surveys in Volunteer Engagement
On February 8, 2024, this Get Involved live Zoom discussion focused on Surveys in Volunteer Engagement. The group discussed types of surveys and… more |
Staff Training | surveys | 2024 |
Books and barks: Library pet programs for everyone
This quick read points to a variety of programs libraries have started focused on "furry friends." Take a look! |
Staff Training, Job Specific Volunteer Training | Pet Therapy, dog, reading | 2024 |
| Capacity Building, Staff Training | disabilities, inclusive | 2024 |