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
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 Training, Capacity 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 Building, Staff 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 Building, Staff 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 Building, Staff Training	fundraising, fund development	2026
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 Training, Capacity 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
Why Your Library Needs a Reading Dog In 2010, the University Of California - Davis completed a study on reading dog programs, which found that readers who participated in a 10-week… more	Staff Training, Job Specific Volunteer Training	Pet Therapy, dog, reading	2025
Hands-On Help and Generous Giving: How Volunteering and Donations Fuel Each Other’s Impact Studies show that giving and volunteering work collaboratively to support each other and that volunteers are 14.5 percentage points more likely to… more	Capacity Building, Staff Training	fundraising, giving and volunteering	2025
Resources for Internship Programs - Idealist Several articles on interviewing, hiring, and training interns, as well as managing an internship program.	Interviewing Volunteers, Capacity Building	intern, internship	2025
Bibliography on Volunteer Engagement Bibliography and Web Resources on Volunteer Engagement developed by Carla Lehn	Capacity Building, Staff Training	bibliography, Lehn	2025
Volunteering: An Antidote to the Epidemic of Loneliness In this webinar, experts and global leaders explore how volunteering serves as a powerful antidote to the growing epidemic of loneliness. The… more	Capacity Building, Staff Training	loneliness	2025
20+ Volunteer Survey Questions to Improve Your Program This guide covers the ins and outs of volunteer surveys, from the best questions to ask to top tips for making the survey process a success.	Staff Training, Capacity Building	surveys	2025
Let’s Make Volunteering Accessible to All In this episode of Volunteer Nation, Tobi Johnson is joined by Allyson Ferrari, Director of Connections at Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually… more	Staff Training, Capacity Building	diversity, equity, inclusion	2025
If Volunteers Were Yelp Reviewers: Would You Get 5 Stars? Imagine if volunteers could rate their experience with you like they rate restaurants . . . what would they say? This article suggests 5 ways to… more	Staff Training	recognition, impact, appreciation	2025
6 Ways to Make Your Volunteer Opportunities Appeal to Short-Term Volunteers Short-term volunteers bring invaluable fresh energy and a diverse skill set, contributing significantly to the success of initiatives. However, to… more	Engaging High Impact Volunteers, Staff Training	short term, job descriptions	2025