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 |
|---|---|---|---|
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 |
8 Volunteer Recognition Ideas to Show Your Gratitude
A few new ideas mixed in with some old ones . . . worth a look. |
Staff Training | recognition, appreciation | 2025 |
6 Ways to Make Your Volunteer Opportunities Appeal to Short-Term Volunteers
The shift towards shorter volunteer commitments is no longer a passing trend; it's a lasting change. Short-term volunteers bring invaluable… more |
Capacity Building, Staff Training | Recruitment, job descriptions | 2025 |
Success with Idealist
This webinar was recorded on December 3, 2025. Jennifer Bennett, Director of Education and Training for Idealist helps us make a successful… more |
On-line Volunteer Recruitment, Staff Training | Idealist, Recruitment | 2025 |
Revitalizing Your Friends
Here’s the link to the recording and slides from our July 8 2025 webinar - Strategies for Revitalizing Your Friends presented by Isabella… more |
Staff Training, Capacity Building, Engaging High Impact Volunteers | Friends, Friends of the Library, Teens | 2025 |
Engaging Youth Volunteers: How Young People are Showing up in Service
2025 Galaxy Digital webinar on youth volunteers. |
Millennials | Youth, Teens, young adult | 2025 |
Ask an Exec: What Execs Really Think About Volunteer Programs
Recording of July 2025 webinar from the Association of Leaders in Volunteer Engagement dealing with executive director and leadership team support (… more |
Staff Training | leadership, staff buy-in, Director | 2025 |
Volunteer Recruitment Activities
Good overview of recruitment ideas in a 3 & 1/2 minute video. Check it out to see if you're missing a piece of the puzzle. |
Staff Training | Recruitment | 2025 |
Volunteers Can Make or Break Your Space: Volunteer Involvement in a Makerspace
In this July 24, 2025 webinar, Makerspace Librarian Trina Camping of the Woodland Public Library (CA) shares what she’s learned about how best to… more |
Engaging High Impact Volunteers, Capacity Building | maker space | 2025 |
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 |
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 |
Volunteer Recognition Ideas Across Generations
Ways to think about the types of recognition you provide for different generations of volunteers. |
Baby Boomers, Millennials, Staff Training | recognition, generations | 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 |
Bibliography on Volunteer Engagement
Bibliography and Web Resources on Volunteer Engagement developed by Carla Lehn |
Capacity Building, Staff Training | bibliography, Lehn | 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 |