With shrinking budgets at many nonprofits, most of us no longer have the luxury of bringing in outside trainers for our volunteers. If we have to be both the development director and the trainer, how do we ensure that our volunteers (and CEO!) will respect, listen to, and learn from us? We know how to raise money, but how do we design training sessions that will engage, encourage, educate, and motivate our volunteers? Best practices for working with adult learners will be discussed, as well as ways to quietly “prove yourself” to your volunteers so they will get the most out of your experience and expertise.

Jill Pranger, ACFRE, Pranger Consulting and Training, Webster, N.Y.