Learning Center
Tools and Trainings for Those Who Engage Volunteers
Interested in learning how to recruit and manage volunteers more effectively? These resources can help.
"I've been doing volunteer management for years and took this for a refresher. I have about four things that I am implementing because of this webinar. Old dogs can learn new tricks!"
Sharon Fouke, Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum
Welcome to our Learning Center. We've created a series of trainings to help you use VolunteerMatch effectively and to better recruit and engage the volunteers that work work with your organization. All of our webinars are free - you just need a computer with speakers, and an internet connection to attend. If you have any feedback or if you have a suggestion for a new topic let us know.
Nonprofit Webinars - Introductory
- VolunteerMatch: Getting Started
- Best Practices for Recruiting Online
- Using your Premium Account Tools
- The New Volunteer Manager's Toolkit
- Single Days of Service: Make It Work
- Social Media and Volunteer Engagement
- Walking the Walk: Engage Volunteers in your Volunteer Engagement Program
Nonprofit Webinars - Core Volunteer Program Components
- Creating a Comprehensive and Engaging Volunteer Training Program
- Writing Accurate and Useful Volunteer Position Descriptions
- Playing by the Rules: Creating an Effective Volunteer Handbook
- Successful Volunteer Interview Strategies
Nonprofit Webinars - Advanced
- Engaging Pro Bono and Skilled Volunteers
- Managing Difficult Volunteer Transitions
- Making Volunteer Engagement Everyone's Job
- The CVA Credential: A Mark of Excellence
- Where Do I Go From Here? Evolving your Volunteer Program for More Involvement
Boomer Volunteer Engagement Webinars
- The Foundations for Success
- Successfully Managing Change
- Creating Positions and Developing Leaders
- Sustaining a Culture of Volunteer Engagement
VolunteerMatch Webinars - Introductory
These webinars introduce VolunteerMatch's tools, and basic ideas or theories in volunteer engagement. You don't need to take these in any order, or complete them before moving onto other levels. They are listed as Introductory because the content starts at the beginning and focuses on the basics and the how-tos.
VolunteerMatch: Getting Started
New to VolunteerMatch or need a refresher? Join this free webinar to learn how to post volunteer opportunities to attract the volunteers you need. You'll also learn how to manage and maintain your account and receive a coupon good for three free months of our enhanced organization account known as Community Leader.
Wednesday, 1/11, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Wednesday, 1/25, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Wednesday, 2/8, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Wednesday, 2/22, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Wednesday, 3/7, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Wednesday, 3/28, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Wednesday, 4/11, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Wednesday, 5/2, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Wednesday, 6/6, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Best Practices for Recruiting Online
Learn how to make the most of your VolunteerMatch account by creating your volunteer opportunities using best practices. This webinar will cover the eight simple steps to making your opportunities stand out on VolunteerMatch.
Tuesday, 1/10, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Tuesday, 2/7, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Tuesday, 3/6, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Tuesday, 4/3, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Tuesday, 5/1, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Tuesday, 6/5, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Using your Premium Account Tools
Ever wondered what we mean by "Community Leader Tools"? These are our premium account features for nonprofits, available for a small fee. If you're already a Community Leader, or if you're thinking about signing up for these premium tools, this webinar will introduce you to the tools and best practices for making the most of your VolunteerMatch account. Learn how to add photos to your listings, ask questions of prospective volunteers, provide them with more information about your program, and much more.
Wednesday, 1/18, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Wednesday, 2/15, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Wednesday, 3/21, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Wednesday, 4/18, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Wednesday, 5/9, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Wednesday, 6/13, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
The New Volunteer Manager's Toolkit
New to volunteer management? Looking for a refresher on the basics? This webinar will walk you through the three primary Rs - recruitment, retention and recognition. We'll discuss the most popular program components such as interviews, orientations, volunteer handbooks, and more. And, we'll talk about the importance of managing risk for your program and your organization. All attendees will also receive a sample packet with examples of program documents and program assessment checklists to help you evaluate your existing program.
Thursday, 1/5, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Thursday, 3/1, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Thursday, 5/3, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Single Days of Service: Make It Work
Volunteer engagement is changing. More and more volunteers are looking to get involved and make a difference in a single day of service. The political and social climate is further emphasizing this trend. How do you create meaningful work that can be completed in a single day by a large group of diverse volunteers? This webinar will walk you through the first steps for incorporating single days of service into your program, and help you begin to think more creatively about volunteer engagement.
Wednesday, 4/25, 2012 —11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT— Register Now
Social Media and Volunteer Engagement
What do you need to know about social media as a volunteer program manager? How can you use sites like Facebook, and Twitter to promote your volunteer opportunities and recruit volunteers? This webinar will offer an introduction to including social media in your volunteer recruitment and retention plans. You'll also learn about the social media tools available in your VolunteerMatch account that help you promote your volunteer opportunity on other social networking sites.
Tuesday, 2/14, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Thursday, 4/5, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Walking the Walk: Engage Volunteers in your Volunteer Engagement Program
Are you modeling the volunteer engagement you want for your organization in your own program? Stop just talking the talk and start walking the walk! Learn how to effectively delegate volunteer engagement and management work to volunteers so you have the opportunity to "think bigger." We'll discuss evaluating your program for volunteer engagement, determining how best to use volunteers, creating a communication plan, screening and training volunteers to be an important part of your volunteer recruiting, retention and recognition plans. Sample VolunteerMatch listings and position descriptions for key positions will be provided.
Tuesday, 4/24, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Thursday, 6/7, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Core Volunteer Program Components
These webinars delve deeply into some common building blocks in a volunteer engagement program. Ideas that were introduced in some of our Introductory Webinars take center stage as we provide insight into why these are Core Volunteer Program Components and how to integrate them into your program.
Creating a Comprehensive and Engaging Volunteer Training Program
What do your volunteers need to know to be successful? This webinar will start with the basics and help you understand how to determine what information you should be sharing with your volunteers, and how that can be used to create a curriculum. We'll then discuss how to present this information in a variety of ways using different delivery methods that appeal to adult learners. Assessing what your volunteers have learned, and creating ongoing training and professional development training for your volunteers will also be covered.
Thursday, 3/8, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Thursday, 6/14, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Writing Accurate and Useful Volunteer Position Descriptions
A good position description can make the recruitment and placement of volunteers so much easier, but this foundation component of a program is often overlooked or put into a folder and never used. This webinar will start with the basics of what should be included in a position description and will help you create or update position descriptions for all of your volunteer opportunities. Once those position descriptions are created – use them! Learn how accurate and up-to-date position descriptions can help you recruit and train volunteers, and how they can help with retention and the development of leadership positions within your volunteer engagement program. Templates and sample position descriptions will be provided.
Thursday, 1/12, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Thursday, 4/19, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Playing by the Rules: Creating an Effective Volunteer Handbook
When was the last time you reviewed your Volunteer Handbook or Policies and Procedures Manual? It's probably been too long. Learn how to create a living document that can help both paid and volunteer staff be better informed and know what is expected of them. A good Volunteer Handbook can also help you better identify and deal with challenging volunteers. Whether you're just starting to create a Handbook or if you're looking for best practices on information to include, this webinar will evaluate the Handbook you have and help you create a stronger framework for your volunteer engagement program.
Thursday, 2/9, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PM PT — Register Now
Thursday, 5/10, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PM PT — Register Now
Successful Volunteer Interview Strategies
Interviewing each prospective volunteer can seem overwhelming, but it's one of the best ways to ensure that the volunteers you recruit are the volunteers you need. This webinar introduces a variety of question types used in volunteer interviews and offers strategies for honing your interview skills. Materials will be provided to help you implement this process in your organization.
Thursday, 2/16, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PM PT — Register Now
Thursday, 5/17, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PM PT — Register Now
VolunteerMatch Webinars - Advanced
These webinars approach topics and theories in volunteer engagement from a wider perspective. While the Introductory and Core Components webinars discuss the how-tos these webinars focus more on the whys. The content will help you think more holistically about your volunteer engagement program and encourage you to think differently about how volunteers might fit into your organization.
The CVA Credential: A Mark of Excellence
Credentialing in any profession increases credibility and promotes career development. Learn about this unique performance-based credentialing program, the process for becoming Certified in Volunteer Administration and how it can benefit you and your organization. Recommended for those with at least 3 years of experience in any setting.
Tuesday, 1/17, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Engaging Pro Bono and Skilled Volunteers
Integrating skilled volunteers into your existing volunteer program is both exciting and scary. If you're thinking about adding skilled volunteers to your program, or if you've just started, this seminar can help you make the experience successful for both the volunteer and the organization. Navigating the introduction of the idea into your organization, developing the art of delegating work to volunteers, and setting achievable outcomes will be covered.
Thursday, 1/19, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Thursday, 4/26, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Managing Difficult Volunteer Transitions
What do you do when it's time to ask a volunteer to leave your organization? This webinar will give you the tools to address challenges around difficult volunteers, volunteers aging in place, and suggestions to minimize these situations in the future. Suggestions for determining when a volunteer should be terminated, and making it easier on you, other volunteers, and staff will be presented. And, the role that risk management plays in these decisions will also be included.
Tuesday, 1/31, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Tuesday, 5/15, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Making Volunteer Engagement Everyone's Job
Too often engaging volunteers falls to the volunteer program manager, and it's not uncommon to hear the phrase "your volunteers" used in organizations. How do you make volunteer engagement everyone's job? This webinar will provide you with the tools to become an advocate for volunteer engagement. Learn how to create a step by step communication plan to reinforce the importance of volunteer engagement to key stakeholders within your organization.
Thursday, 2/2, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Tuesday, 6/12, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Where Do I Go From Here? Evolving your Volunteer Program for More Involvement
How long do volunteers usually stay with your program? Do you struggle with keeping them interested, involved and engaged? This webinar will help you think about new strategies and help you evolve your program to include new roles and responsibilities for volunteers, pathways for more involvement and leadership positions in your program, how recognition plays a role in retention, and the importance of including continuing education and professional development to keep your volunteers engaged. Tools to help you evaluate your program implement new ideas will be provided.
Thursday, 3/22, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Tuesday, 6/26, 2012 — 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT — Register Now
Boomer Volunteer Engagement Webinars
Based on the books Boomer Volunteer Engagement: Collaborate Today, Thrive Tomorrow and Boomer Volunteer Engagement: Facilitator's Took Kit the team from JFFixler Group will walk you through the concepts and the steps outlined in the books to help you engage older adults as volunteers in your organization. While these webinars are presented as a collection, you do not need to take them in order.
Boomer Volunteers Building Capacity: The Foundations for Success
Imagine a world in which you have all the resources your organization needs to serve more clients and deliver more programs. The skills and talents of Baby Boomer volunteers can help make this vision a reality. Join Jill Friedman Fixler, author of the Boomer Volunteer Engagement series, and co-author/editor Beth Steinhorn for this introduction to the tools and strategies that can help you engage Boomer volunteers as leaders to help your organization use high-impact volunteers to build organizational capacity. This webinar will feature case studies, needs assessment, timelines, and recruitment tools. The series is designed as a collection of four separate webinars and can be taken in any order.
Wednesday, 1/25, 2012 — 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM PT — Register Now
Boomer Volunteers Building Capacity: Successfully Managing Change
Shifting from a traditional culture of volunteer management to a collaborative culture of volunteer engagement presents challenges and opportunities. This webinar introduces participants to specific tools that help to smooth the transition and structure your organization for successful–and lasting–change. The webinar features the stages of change, tools to assess of current volunteer practices, and a proven model for change that participants can take back to their teams to begin implementing. The series, presented by Jill Friedman Fixler, author of the Boomer Volunteer Engagement series, and co-author/editor Beth Steinhorn, is designed as a collection of four separate webinars and can be taken in any order.
Wednesday, 2/29, 2012 — 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM PT — Register Now
Boomer Volunteers Building Capacity: Creating Positions and Developing Leaders
Engaging effective volunteers builds organizational capacity beyond what staff alone can accomplish. Through this webinar, participants will better understand how to develop appealing leadership opportunities, craft effective position descriptions, market those positions to skilled volunteers, and cultivate leaders. Presenters Jill Friedman Fixler and Beth Steinhorn will share case studies, position description templates, and marketing messages. The series is designed as a collection of four separate webinars and can be taken in any order.
Wednesday, 3/28, 2012 — 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM PT — Register Now
Boomer Volunteers Building Capacity: Sustaining a Culture of Volunteer Engagement
Collaborative volunteer engagement positions organizations to survive and thrive through changing times. This webinar will address key steps to sustaining a collaborative culture of volunteer engagement with Baby Boomers, focusing on strategic interviewing, negotiating results, and supporting your volunteers. Join Jill Friedman Fixler, author of the Boomer Volunteer Engagement series, and co-author/editor Beth Steinhorn as they also share an evaluation tool and process to help your organization leverage the success of one pilot project towards organization-wide change. The series is designed as a collection of four separate webinars and can be taken in any order.
Wednesday, 4/25, 2012 — 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM PT — Register Now
More Ways to Get Help
Help Videos
We've created a series of free, online videos to help you maximize all the tools VolunteerMatch has to offer.
Get answers fast with these other resources
Online Help
Our online Help articles have answers to most of your questions.
VolunteerMatch Support Dept.
Still having trouble? Our Community Support team is happy to lend a hand.
Learning Matters!
The better you are as a volunteer manager, the better off your organization will be. Spend time today to learn how to use VolunteerMatch to build your capacity.
Boomer Volunteer Engagement
These innovative books provide a step-by-step guide for engaging Boomers as volunteers to build organizational capacity.
Read Engaging Volunteers
Our new blog for organizations has articles, interviews, and tips on how to recruit and manage volunteers more effectively to reach your mission.
More Volunteering Resources!
The VolunteerMatch Resource Library at IdeaEncore has hundreds of great nonprofit how-tos, guides, books, trainings, and other helpful documents - or share your own.
