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
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 Retention: How to Foster Long-Term Loyalty
Includes why we should care about volunteer retention, how to calculate volunteer retention and retention strategies. 
Staff TrainingCapacity Building retention, Recruitment 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 VolunteersCapacity Building maker space 2025
How to Engage Gen Zers as Volunteers and Advocates
Trying to attract younger supporters sometimes feels as foreign as deciphering an ancient scroll. Compared to the traditional methods we’re… more
Capacity Building Gen Z 2025
Designing Volunteer Training in Niche Academy
This webinar was presented on March 27, 2024 by Jessica Link, Library Volunteer Supervisor, Cedar Rapids Public Library (Iowa) and Amy Selmi Amy… more
Staff TrainingVolunteer OrientationJob Specific Volunteer Training Niche Academy, orientation, Training 2024
Successful Volunteer Interview Strategies
This webinar was delivered October 15, 2024 by Jennifer Bennett, Director of Education and Training at VolunteerMatch. She discussed why interviews… more
Staff TrainingInterviewing Volunteers Interview Questions, interview 2024
Volunteer Value Beyond Numbers, Hours and Dollars
A great summary from Sue Carter Kahl of alternatives we can use beyond just numbers, hours, and dollars to measure the value of volunteer engagement.
Staff Training ROI 2024
How to Write Volunteer Surveys for Big Impact
Guidelines for creating your best surveys from VolunteerPro.
Staff Training surveys 2024
Creating a Diverse Volunteer Pool
This is the recording of the May 23, 2024 – Get Involved Live Zoom Conversation: Creating a Diverse Volunteer Pool. An excellent discussion for… more
Staff TrainingCapacity Building diversity, equity, inclusion 2024
Engaging Position Descriptions for Boomers and Future Generations of Volunteers
A great list of dynamic words and catchy titles to use when describing your volunteer opportunities! – created by MAVA (Minnesota Alliance for… more
Baby BoomersEngaging High Impact Volunteers job descriptions 2024
Volunteer Recognition Ideas Across Generations
Ways to think about the types of recognition you provide for different generations of volunteers.
Baby BoomersMillennialsStaff 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
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 BuildingStaff TrainingMillennials 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 TrainingJob Specific Volunteer Training Pet Therapy, dog, reading 2024
Engaging People with Disabilities
Links to resources on this topic available from Volunteer Canada.
 
Capacity BuildingStaff Training disabilities, inclusive 2024
The Human Side of Recruitment
This webinar was presented by Beth Steinhorn of VQ Strategies on July 10, 2024. Recruitment is more than simply posting online ads. Ultimately,… more
Staff TrainingInterviewing Volunteers Recruitment, pitch, interview 2024