Volunteers

Interns

Creating Volunteer Program Policies

Looking at other organizations’ policies, such as those of the Minnesota Historical Society (PDF) and the Kansas Historical Society, can provide ideas for how to frame or revise your own volunteer policy.

If you rely on a large number of volunteers, check out this quick consumer’s guide to volunteer management software. (PDF)

The Corporation for National and Community Service offers this volunteer management guidebook. (PDF)

Having a one-time or recurring event that you need volunteers for? Look at Florence May’s article, offering suggestions and questions you should ask about your volunteer policy before you get started planning.

Recruitment

This article gives a few tips for recruiting volunteers.

Thomas McKee’s “The Seven Deadly Sins of Recruiting Volunteers” gives tips on what not to do when trying to recruit volunteers.

Looking for ideas for recruitment? These are the ABCs of volunteer recruitment. (URL)

Here are 101 suggestions for volunteer recruitment! (PDF)

The National Park Service offers this set of guidelines for writing volunteer job descriptions. (DOC)

The Millennial Impact Project offers research, discussions, and meetings so that organizations can learn how to engage with the Millennial generation. (URL)

Keeping Baby Boomers Volunteering: A Research Brief on Volunteer Retention and Turnover is an insightful look at one of the largest groups of volunteers: Baby Boomers. This is an example of the research reports on trends in volunteering produced by the Corporation for National and Community Service. All reports can be downloaded for Free. (PDF)

Training Manuals & Handbooks

Volunteer training manuals can expedite and UNIFY volunteer efforts. This is an outline that takes you through the process of constructing a training manual. (PDF)

Hagley Museum and Library has a good example of a volunteer training manual. (PDF)

The Museum & Education Department Volunteer Handbook from the Champaign County Forest Preserve District is a good model that you can follow for your own volunteer handbook. (PDF) It includes volunteer job descriptions, application and emergency contact forms, and waivers for risk and background checks.

After your volunteers arrive, you’ll need to orient them to your site. Check out this orientation manual for a good example. (PDF)

Legal Issues

This webinar covers a range of risks your organization may face and numerous risk management strategies that can be tailored to meet your organization’s needs.