High School
In high school, take as many college preparatory classes as possible. Courses in English, foreign languages, and speech will help you communicate effectively with volunteers and coworkers. Computer science classes—especially those in database management—will help you learn how to use computers to manage information on volunteers and projects. Other useful classes include mathematics, psychology, business, and marketing.
Postsecondary Training
While most directors of volunteers hold a bachelor's degree or better, there is no preferred college major. Directors enter this field with a variety of educational backgrounds suited to the focus of their nonprofit organization. Courses in communications, business management, marketing and social work, however, have proven helpful to many directors.
Certification
Colleges and universities, online learning platforms (OLPs), and professional associations offer certificate programs in volunteer administration and related fields. These programs typically last six months to a year. Such programs are a good way to build your skills without enrolling in a degree program. One example of such a program is offered by the Georgia Center for Nonprofits, which offers a certificate of nonprofit volunteer management. Students can earn the certificate by completing the following courses: Essentials of Volunteer Management; Volunteer Recruitment and Screening; Best Practices in Volunteer Training and Supervision; and Making Volunteers Your Best Advocates and Leaders.
Other Education or Training
Continuing education webinars and in-person classes in volunteer management, business administration, communication and other personal skills, and other topics are provided by professional associations, OLPs, and colleges and universities. Contact these organizations for more information.
- Active and Contemplative Religious Sisters and Brothers
- Addiction Therapists
- Adult Day Care Coordinators
- Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors
- Behavioral Health Technicians
- Career and Employment Counselors
- Career and Employment Technicians
- Child Life Specialists
- Clinic Managers
- Community Health Nurses
- Community Health Program Coordinators
- Community Health Workers
- Community Nutrition Educators
- Conflict Resolution Specialists
- Contact Tracers
- Creative Arts Therapists
- Dietetic Technicians
- Directors of Corporate Sponsorship
- Directors of Fund-Raising
- Employment Firm Workers
- Environmental Education Program Directors
- Environmental Lobbyists
- Executive Recruiters
- Fund-Raisers
- Geriatric Care Managers
- Geriatric Nurses
- Geriatric Psychiatrists
- Geriatric Social Workers
- Grant Coordinators and Writers
- Grief Therapists
- Health Advocates
- Historic Preservationists
- HIV/AIDS Counselors and Case Managers
- Home Health Care Aides
- Home Health Care and Hospice Nurses
- Hospice Workers
- Human Resources Consultants
- Human Resources Managers
- Human Services Workers
- Labor Union Business Agents
- Land Acquisition Professionals
- Land Trust or Preserve Managers
- Librarians
- Lobbyists
- Management Analysts and Consultants
- Military Recruiters
- Museum Attendants
- Museum Directors and Curators
- Museum Technicians
- Music Therapists
- National Park Service Employees
- Neuropsychologists and Clinical Neuropsychologists
- Nonprofit Social Service Directors
- Nursing Home Administrators
- Occupational Therapists
- Occupational Therapy Assistants and Aides
- Office Administrators
- Orientation and Mobility Specialists
- Park Rangers
- Payroll Directors
- Personal Care Aides
- Personnel and Labor Relations Specialists
- Proposal Managers
- Psychologists
- Public Interest Lawyers
- Public Opinion Researchers
- Public Relations Specialists
- Rabbis
- Recreational Therapists
- Rehabilitation Counselors
- Retail Business Owners
- Retail Managers
- Roman Catholic Priests
- Sign Language and Oral Interpreters
- Social Workers
- Temporary Workers
- Tutors and Trainers
- Workplace Diversity Experts
- Zoo and Aquarium Curators and Directors