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There are three pivotal components to volunteer selection: 1) the interview, 2) screening, and 3) matching. Meeting the potential volunteer for a one-on-one interview gives you the opportunity to ask more about their motivation, skills and experiences they are hoping to use and learn, and their expectations. It’s also the time to begin the process of screening; for example, the individual who can’t stand dogs is not the best candidate to volunteer in the kennels. More formally, there are background checks that may be applicable, especially when working with vulnerable populations like children, differently-abled individuals, or homebound seniors.

Based on the results of your interview, as well as your own personal and/or formal institutional screening, you are ready to begin matching. Is the individual a good fit for your organization? Can you offer them a volunteer position that fits their needs, wants, expectations? Will everyone be safe with this volunteer arrangement – the volunteer, the client or constituent, the organization? At the end of your assessment, you’ll invite the volunteer to join your organization or suggest other organizations or opportunities that might be a better fit. Here are some resources to help you with this process:

Also see Risk Management and Resources for Volunteer Management Professionals for population, organization, and volunteer position specific information.

Energize, Inc. – Interviewing and Screening Volunteers

Also Worth Checking Out:

Volunteer Interview

• Effective Volunteer Interviewing – Steve McCurley @ National CASA Association New to Field
• Essential Volunteer Management: Interviewing – Rick Lynch and Steve McCurley @ National CASA Association
• Handbook of Volunteer Management (PDF) – The Volunteer Center Serving San Francisco and San Mateo Counties
• Interviewing - Broaden the View! – Debbie Anderson @ Volunteer Management Review, CharityChannel
• Interviewing and Screening New Volunteers – ServiceLeader
• Interviewing Volunteer Applicants Using Role Playing – Steve McCurley @ Corporation for National and Community Service
• Sample Interview Questions – La Tertulia, Latin American Women's Rights Service (Español)
• Sharpening Your Interviewing Skills – Merrill Associates Exp Paid Exp Vol
• Strategies For An Interview Overhaul – Jill Friedman Fixler @ Volunteer Management Review, CharityChannel
• Volunteer Interviewing Scenarios – Steve McCurley @ National CASA Association
• Volunteer Interviewing Techniques – Steve McCurley @ National CASA Association

Volunteer Screening

• Forms for Managing Volunteers: Reference for a Volunteer – Hands On Helpers
• The Importance of Background Screening for Nonprofits: An Updated Briefing (PDF) – ChoicePoint Inc.
• Intuition or Indigestion? – Andy Fryar @ Volunteer Management Review, CharityChannel
• Methods of Screening Potential Volunteers – Monika Penner @ Charity Village
• Saying No by Saying Yes, or how to turn volunteers down in a positive way – Nan Hawthorne @ Volunteer Management Review, CharityChannel
• New! Screening – The Resource Center, Corporation for National and Community Service
• Screening – Volunteer Canada New to Field
• Screening and the Volunteer Recruitment Process – Volunteering Australia
• Screening for Sexual Predators – David Allburn, Safe Harbor Resources @ Merrill Associates
• Screening "In" – Nan Hawthorne @ Volunteer Management Review, CharityChannel New to Field
• Screening Online Volunteers – Jayne Cravens, United Nations Volunteers @ Corporation for National and Community Service
• Screening: Volunteer Canada’s Safe Steps Screening Program – Volunteer Canada
• Screening Volunteers – Volunteering England
• Statewide Criminal Background Check Resources – National CASA Association
• Volunteer Screening: Are You Using your Intuition -- or Bias? – Nan Hawthorne @ Volunteer Management Review, CharityChannel
• Why Screen Volunteers at All? – Nan Hawthorne, CyberVPM @ Idealist New to Field
• Who’s Lending a Hand? A National Survey of Nonprofit Volunteer Screening Practices (PDF) – The National Center for Victims of Crime (US)
• Working with New Volunteers – ServiceLeader

Volunteer Reference Forms

• Volunteer Reference Form (PDF) – Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay Council
• Volunteer Reference Request Letter (PDF) – Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay Council

Didn’t find what you were looking for? Let us know and consider checking out the following sites:
Energize, Inc.
The Resource Center (CNCS)
Volunteer Canada
Volunteering Australia
Volunteering England
World Volunteer Web