Your ideal volunteers are both passionate about your cause and have the skills necessary to carry out the tasks that meet your objectives. While your volunteer recruitment efforts likely attract motivated, eager volunteers, most new recruits will require some level of volunteer training in order to make the most impact.
In this article, we offer strategies for developing an effective volunteer training program, from developing a training manual to utilizing volunteer management technology, so you have the information you need to help your volunteers succeed.
Volunteer training prepares individuals to support your organization while upholding specific standards and values effectively.
Through training, volunteers learn essential skills, safety protocols, and organizational procedures that enable them to provide consistent, high-quality service.
At its most basic level, volunteer training prepares volunteers for their work. However, an effective volunteer training program benefits all stakeholders.
Training allows your volunteer base to be more:
Though every volunteer training program will differ depending on the organization’s goals, the best programs are well-planned and thoughtfully considered, using the following three steps.
Establishing a budget for your volunteer training program will help you allocate resources like funding and personnel. Typical volunteer training expenses may include:
To reduce costs, consider repurposing materials, go paperless where possible, and create materials in-house (like videos and training manuals).
What do you want your volunteers to learn? How extensive will your volunteer training be? These are the questions you’ll want to consider when planning the shape of your volunteer training.
A typical nonprofit volunteer training program outline may look something like this:
It’s important to note that the level of training your volunteers receive will depend on the complexity of the task you’re asking them to do. Training will be more extensive for certain skilled volunteer roles.
Next, you will need to consider how you will conduct your volunteer training and the tools you will use to support your training.
To make the most of your volunteer training program, you’ll want to think about how you will keep your volunteers interested in the material.
The secret? Tapping into a variety of learning styles like:
Training requires volunteers to take more time out of their busy schedules. While your volunteer training program should be comprehensive enough for trainees to perform their tasks well and safely, it should also respect their time and efforts.
With this in mind, here are some best practices to help shape your volunteer program:
Introducing technology into your training program will not only help volunteers get acquainted with the systems you use, but it will also keep them engaged in the material.
Here are some ways to embrace technology in your training:
When training volunteers, it’s important that they feel supported. One of the best ways to support new volunteers and build trust is by providing them with a volunteer mentorship program, which can assist with on-the-job training and evaluation.
The volunteer mentor may be a staff member or a seasoned volunteer. Hold a mentor meet-and-greet so that volunteers can get to know their new mentors in a relaxed setting.
Goal-setting helps to motivate trainees while creating criteria for evaluation. Work with your volunteers to set learning objectives at the beginning of your training session.
For example, a learning objective may be:
At the end of this lesson, volunteers will be able to assess an adult’s literacy level using the standard assessment methods provided.
Just because a volunteer training session has ended doesn’t mean your work is done. To ensure maximum volunteer retention and engagement, be sure to:
Looking to streamline your volunteer program while putting these training best practices into action? Get Connected provides the robust volunteer management tools you need to support your training initiatives and keep volunteers engaged throughout their journey.
Get Connected helps you:
Don't let administrative tasks distract you from delivering impactful volunteer training. Let Get Connected handle the logistics so you can focus on what matters most — preparing your volunteers to make a difference.
Ready to learn more about how our volunteer management platform can enhance your training program and overall volunteer experience? Schedule a free demo today.
Looking for specific volunteer training topics? Check out our list of specific volunteer training workshops and skills-based resources for these popular institutions: