Welcome to Idealist.org’s Volunteer Management Resource Center! Volunteer management professionals do challenging and rewarding work and we here at Idealist are committed to supporting you with resources, tools, and networking opportunities.

Check out the sections below for current research, best practices, tools, and ideas.

What Is Volunteer Management?

• Why Is It Important?
• How to Advocate for the Profession
• Volunteer Management as a Career

Best Practices

• Organizational Readiness
• Risk Management
• Developing Your Volunteer Program
• Finding Volunteers
• Screening, Selecting, and Matching Volunteers
• Training Volunteers
• Support, Supervision, and Retention
• Financial Management
• Motivation and Recognition

Professional Development for Volunteer Management Professionals

Volunteer Managers + Human Resource Managers

Resources

• Accessibility, Diversity, and Barriers to Volunteering
• Board Service and Skilled Volunteerism
• Corporate/Employee Volunteering
• Disaster Response Volunteering
• Engaging Generations of Volunteers
• Faith-Based Volunteering
• Family Volunteering
• Government Volunteering
• Group and Special Event Volunteering
• International Volunteerism
• Legal Issues and Ethics
• Models of Volunteering: Entrepreneurial, Episodic, Informal, Mandated, and Residential
• Online/Virtual Volunteering
• Promoting Volunteerism
• Research on Volunteerism
• Student Engagement: Service-Learning and College/University Volunteers

Support Networks

• Virtual Conversations: Volunteer Management Listservs and Discussion Boards
• By Location: Volunteer Management Organizations and Associations

Additional Resources

Acknowledgments

Susan Ellis and Energize, Inc. are invaluable partners of the VMRC, sharing and providing access to comprehensive best practices and resources throughout the site.

The following people also provided guidance and direction as we created the VMRC:

• Jennifer Anastasoff, BuildingBlocks International, San Francisco, California
• June Bass, Multnomah County Library, Portland, Oregon
• LaVerne Campbell, Volunteers of America, Alexandria, Virginia
• Kelley Carmichael, PsyD, Off the Beaten Path, Portland, Oregon
• Kari Dunn, The Case Foundation, Washington, D.C.
• Nancy Gaston, CVA, Gifts Differing, Vancouver, Washington
• Karen Heller Key, National Human Services Assembly, Washington, D.C.
• Justin Ho, Volunteer BC, Vancouver, British Columbia
• Sherry Iversen, University of Chicago Hospital, Chicago, Illinois
• Lesa Ketterlinus, Truman State University, Kirksville, Missouri
• Debbie Krakauer, Volunteer San Diego, San Diego, California
• Sarah Jane Rehnborg, Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin/Volunteer Champions Initiatives, Austin, Texas
• Cami Thompson, American Heart Association, Dallas, Texas
• Scotti Weintraub, Oregon Volunteers, Portland, Oregon