Nonprofit volunteer training: Tips and best practices to align your team

Volunteer training is a critical part of running successful nonprofit events. Whether assisting with your 5K charity run, providing weekly administrative support to staff, or interacting directly with beneficiaries, volunteers are vital to the sustainability of the social sector. However, to fill this critical role, volunteers need the training and expertise to help execute their tasks with success.

Here, you’ll learn what volunteerism is, why volunteer training matters, and what the essential steps are for volunteer training to kick-start your volunteer program and ensure your team is well prepared for your next nonprofit event.

What is volunteerism?

Volunteerism is the practice of freely giving your time, skills, or effort to help others or support a cause, without expecting pay in return. The United Nations describes it as an expression of people’s willingness and capacity to help shape their own future and that of their communities, and it takes many forms: periodic event support, ongoing skilled work, mentorship, and more.

In the United States, volunteerism is also a significant force. More than 28% of Americans (75.7 million), formally volunteered for an organization between September 2022 and 2023, according to joint research by the U.S. Census Bureau and AmeriCorps.

That willingness to help is only the starting point. Turning it into real impact for your nonprofit takes volunteer training, the process of equipping the people who show up with the knowledge and confidence to deliver on your mission.

What is volunteer training?

If volunteerism is the willingness to help, volunteer training is what makes that help effective. Volunteer training equips your volunteers with the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to contribute effectively to your nonprofit organization. It’s about preparing them to complete tasks and become ambassadors of your mission.

Effective volunteer training typically includes:

• Orientation: Introduce volunteers to your organization, its mission, and its impact.
• Role-specific training: Provide detailed instructions and practice for volunteers’ specific tasks.
• Soft-skills development: Enhance communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills.
• Safety and compliance: Make sure volunteers understand safety protocols and legal requirements.
• Ongoing education: Provide continuous learning opportunities to help volunteers grow with your organization.

A well-planned volunteer training program lays the foundation for success. It’s an educational journey that starts by introducing volunteers to your organization’s culture and values, and their specific roles.

From there, training varies depending on the responsibilities involved. It can range from simple tasks, like setting up event spaces, to more complex duties, like managing donor databases or leading community outreach programs. The key is tailoring the training to your organization’s needs and your volunteers’ skills.

Training serves a dual purpose. For your organization, it ensures volunteers are effective and efficient. For volunteers, it means feeling valued and empowered, knowing they have the support and knowledge to make a meaningful contribution.

In essence, well-trained volunteers are more than helping hands. They’re informed advocates for your cause, bringing enthusiasm, commitment, and a deeper understanding of your nonprofit’s work that translates into more effective engagement with your community and donors.

Why volunteer training matters

Onboarding gives volunteers an overall understanding of your mission and work, but that’s not the same as knowing how to complete the specific tasks they’ll perform. At orientation or on their first day, show volunteers what it’ll look like to execute their roles and introduce them to the tools they’ll use.

Remember, even if something seems straightforward to you, it may be new to them. It’s better to train volunteers up front than to spend time correcting mistakes later.

4 essential steps to volunteer training

From the moment you begin volunteer recruitment, it’s critical to start thinking about volunteer retention. These four steps will help you build a volunteer training program that sticks with your team.

1. Onboard volunteers to your mission and vision

Training should always start with showing how volunteer work relates to your mission. This ensures every volunteer knows your vision, operations, and strategic plan. When you explain what volunteers help you achieve, you make their service more satisfying, and volunteers who gain a sense of accomplishment from their work are more likely to help again.

New volunteers should receive an onboarding orientation, particularly if their role requires external conversations. With this information, volunteers will know what your work hopes to accomplish, how you plan to make an impact, and what they can do to help.

If you need to onboard several volunteers at once, prepare a short webinar or volunteer manual to deliver these details at scale. Nonprofits that recruit volunteers frequently can set up a monthly orientation meeting or online training to bring new supporters up to speed.

2. Build effective volunteer training courses by role

While initial onboarding helps volunteers understand your mission and work, task-specific training is where they develop the confidence to deliver on their responsibilities effectively.

At orientation or on their first day, assign mentors to your volunteers. This one-on-one support ensures every volunteer feels supported. However, if your volunteer base isn’t large enough for one-on-one mentorship, a one-to-many approach works well as an alternative.

Training is also easier to manage when volunteer roles and learning objectives are clearly defined since this lets you provide the right training materials for each role. For example, volunteers helping with your social media will need to know how to log into your accounts and where to find approved photos for posting.

Also, make sure your volunteers know who their supervisor is, and that they always have access to a staff member who can answer real-time questions and offer solutions.

3. Connect new volunteers’ skills to the right opportunities

On top of being a great resource for delegating simple tasks, volunteers also bring unique experience and skills to your organization. Use sites like LinkedIn, Catchafire, or Idealist to list volunteer positions and recruit people with specialized skills, such as web design or grant writing.

When assigning special projects, match volunteers’ past experience to the skills the project requires, and bring them up to speed on your brand-specific elements so they can apply their skills to best reflect your organization. For example, if a writer offers to help your marketing department write blog posts, they need to understand your voice and tone.

After working with an engaged volunteer for a while, you may even let them take charge of a project or initiative. They might be interested in a particular area or have an idea to improve your operations.

4. Recognize your volunteers’ contributions

There’s one more key step to ensuring success: show your appreciation. Recognition strategies can be as simple as a social media shoutout or a handwritten thank-you note, or as involved as a dedicated Volunteer Recognition Day. Volunteer management software can help you keep track of volunteer anniversaries and other details worth celebrating.

For a full list of ideas, from budget-friendly gestures to bigger celebrations, see how to demonstrate volunteer appreciation as a nonprofit.

Best practices for effective volunteer training

Creating a successful volunteer training program involves more than conveying information. It’s about resonating with volunteers and preparing them for their roles. You want each person to learn and internalize the principles, which takes more planning and creativity on your end.

Keep these best practices in mind as you build out your program.

• Define clear learning objectives: Determine what you want volunteers to learn before designing your training program. Set specific, measurable objectives that align with their roles and responsibilities. This clarity helps you create focused, relevant training content.
• Use a mix of training methods: Different volunteers learn in different ways, so vary your approach with hands-on training, interactive workshops, video tutorials, and written materials.
• Incorporate real-world scenarios: Use real-life examples in your training so volunteers understand how their roles affect your organization and community. Role-playing exercises can also help prepare volunteers for situations they might encounter.
• Foster an interactive environment: Encourage questions, discussions, and interaction among volunteers during training. An interactive environment makes training more engaging and reinforces learning through peer discussion and collaborative problem-solving.
• Provide ongoing support and resources: Offer refresher courses, access to online resources, and regular updates on any changes to procedures or policies.
• Keep training sessions concise: Respect your volunteers’ time by keeping sessions focused and breaking complex information into small, manageable segments.
• Leverage experienced volunteers: Experienced volunteers can serve as trainers or mentors, sharing insights and practical tips from their own experience. Peer-led training also builds a sense of community and belonging.
• Evaluate and revise your program regularly: Gather feedback from volunteers and use it to make ongoing adjustments to your training.

How to prepare volunteers for event support

Ensure volunteers are well versed in your work

Volunteers represent your nonprofit brand, so make sure they know how to talk about your organization with authority during an event. No matter their skill level, every volunteer needs a refresher before speaking with guests. Make sure each volunteer can explain:

• Your mission statement
• Your nonprofit’s “why”
• Your event’s purpose
• Your intended use for event donations

Document these answers and email them to volunteers ahead of the event. Group the answers into a one- or two-sentence tagline, followed by a more detailed description. That way, when a guest asks about your organization, volunteers have a concise, on-brand answer ready, along with a longer explanation for guests who want more detail.

Run through the event schedule and goals

Reminding volunteers they’re a critical part of your team is always a good idea, starting with making sure they’re clear on your event’s goals, since volunteers who feel like valued members of your team are more likely to adopt those goals as their own. Sharing this information makes them feel included in your mission.

You should also send volunteers a run-through of the event schedule for reference, including:

• When to arrive
• Where to check in
• When the event ends
• What the dress code is

Prep volunteers for event FAQs

Your volunteers will likely field logistical questions during the event. Prepare them to respond to common inquiries about parking, restrooms, the check-in process, food allergies, seating, and the venue.

Train volunteers on how to handle difficult or unexpected situations, too. What happens if a preregistered guest’s name doesn’t appear on the guest list? If you’re hosting a wine-tasting event, how should a volunteer respond if a guest brings a child?

Everyone benefits when your staff and volunteers feel ready and capable. Make sure your volunteers also know who to contact for other questions, concerns, or emergencies.

Thank volunteers after the event

Saying thank-you goes a long way. After your event, send volunteers a letter or host a small appreciation gathering to express your gratitude. Let them know how the event performed against your goals and remind them that they played a critical role in that success. This helps build long-lasting relationships and makes them more likely to volunteer again.

Additionally, to show that you value their opinions, send a follow-up survey asking what they enjoyed, what aspects of the training helped them feel prepared, and how you can improve the experience next time.

Build your volunteer training program

The journey to a more effective volunteer training program begins with a single step. You also don’t have to overhaul your entire approach overnight. Start by incorporating some of the steps and best practices outlined in this article. Even small changes can meaningfully affect how your volunteers engage with your mission and perform their roles.

Creating an impactful volunteer training program is an ongoing process. It takes a commitment to continuous improvement and adaptation as your organization evolves, as does your approach to training. Stay open to feedback, be willing to make adjustments, and keep looking for ways to enhance the volunteer experience.

Begin with small, manageable steps. Maybe it’s updating your training materials, introducing a new interactive training session, or spending more time getting to know your volunteers’ skills and interests. Each step you take moves you toward a more robust, effective training program.

Ready to train and engage your volunteers to advance your mission? Get in touch with an expert to see how GoFundMe Pro can support your nonprofit events.