The purpose of Training Designs is to pool the knowledge and experiences of trainers around the world and to create a unique, user-friendly, expanding training resource to enhance the training activities of those working with volunteers and paid staff. The quarterly articles provide training examples, exercises, tools, resources, and tips on various aspects of content and processes in training staff and/or volunteers. Each issue offers an in-depth exploration of one technique or topic applicable to a wide range of organizations.
The training materials are intended as a starting point to stimulate further sharing among readers. Please share your insights, experiences, and knowledge of previously published or unpublished training examples on the topics addressed.
Almost every nonprofit has volunteer leaders – people who are especially passionate about an organization’s mission and dedicate time, energy and talents to even the smallest tasks. Over time, studies have shown that organizations that offer these dedicated individuals…
When designing a training workshop or planning a conference, you probably consider using an icebreaker or two as part of your format. Before settling for conventional icebreakers that you have used time and again in the past, take a moment to read this Training Design. Author…
The expression “work-life balance” was first used in the UK in the late 1970s to help explain the unhealthy life choices that many people were making. According to one definition, people “were choosing to neglect other important areas of their lives such as family, friends,…
This Training Design by Rick Lynch presents basic points about how to design an effective training session for volunteers. Co-author of the best-selling book, Volunteer Management, Lynch describes three distinct training arenas or “domains” – training to increase volunteer…
PDF Version with Handouts
Single days of service through organized, large-scale events are growing in popularity around the globe. Although such episodic volunteering is a major trend in volunteering, too often we evaluate these events on the specific outcomes of that one day of…
The Internet increasingly provides a means for nonprofits and government organizations to engage with people in their circles of influence. More and more organizations are blogging and posting YouTube videos and, more importantly, a great many organizations are asking their…
In these incredibly difficult economic times, there is perhaps one silver lining: volunteer resources. For those organizations wise enough to seize it, the economic crisis can be viewed as an opportunity to take advantage of the skills and ambitions that today’s volunteers have…
Ivan Scheier delighted in creating group exercises that allowed people to actively interact, have fun and still accomplish serious goals. One of his early and most popular training designs started out as “Mini-Max” and evolved over 20 years into other formats, notably the “Glad…
The larger a conference, the harder it is to actually meet new people. And if participants are really diverse, the obstacles to personal interaction seem to multiply. To address these issues, the Asian Pacific Volunteer Leadership Conference (APVLC), which took place in…
Despite the prevalence of small nonprofits and all-volunteer organizations, training for leaders of volunteers is often geared towards the full-time volunteer manager working in a large organization. While most training is valuable to volunteer managers in all sizes of…
Formal volunteer awards are designed to acknowledge the extraordinary achievements of extraordinary individuals, those volunteers who’ve extended themselves beyond expectation and contributed their services to an issue, project or cause. But it’s not easy to jump into the award…
The face of volunteerism is changing globally and our field is being challenged to respond in new and innovative ways. How do we create programs that welcome and affirm the variety of experiences our volunteers bring to the table? How do we meet the needs of our organization and…
People are the competitive advantage of the voluntary sector. And yet we seem to concentrate very little time on how to work with this amazing resource. This Training Design presents a workshop that introduces five important tools to help organizations fully engage specifically…
There’s The Talker. The Know-It-All. And, of course, The Silent Type. When it comes to challenging participants during training sessions, we’ve all experienced them. This Training Design offers a review of some of the most common challenging participants, along with tips on…
When it comes to volunteer training, the secret to success may lie in the approach. In this Training Design, learn how the switch from a problem-focused approach to a strengths-based approach called Appreciate Inquiry can make a huge difference in your volunteer training and…
How do you avoid having to sell a solution or future direction that the management or leadership team has created? Because it IS a sell job when a few people decide on a new way for the many. When there are circumstances where any answer is a potential right answer – and there…
People usually suggest an ice breaker because “we need to break up the atmosphere at the start of a meeting” or “people won’t know each other” or ”we always have an icebreaker to start off.” Announce that you’re about to run an “ice breaker,” however, and watch the collective…
It has been said that public speaking is one of the number one fears of people. Knowing that, how do volunteer program leaders attract volunteers to an organization’s public speaking program? And then, what do volunteers need to know once they get there? This article will…
Research shows that over 50% of those volunteering do so in response to being asked by a friend, co-worker, or relative. This leads to what Steve McCurley and Rick Lynch call the “concentric circle” theory of recruitment, an approach that maximizes the relationships of those…
This training exercise aims to get participants to explore their own perceptions around cultural diversity. Nancy Nuñez, Training Service Manager for Volunteering Ireland, shares an exercise she learned in ‘Anti Racism Training for Trainers’ that she usually uses with volunteer…
