Professional Standards
Professional Standards
AL!VE's Individual Standards for Volunteer Engagement provide a research-informed framework to help organizations design, assess, and strengthen effective volunteer engagement practices. Revised and updated in 2025, the Standards were developed by volunteer engagement professionals for volunteer engagement professionals. Grounded in both research and real-world practice, they are proven to deliver value to organizations while creating meaningful and impactful experiences for volunteers.
Practical, Adaptable, and Scalable
This version of the Standards, along with the accompanying Self-Evaluation Tool, is intentionally designed to be practical and flexible across organizations of all sizes and structures. The Standards are relevant across sectors and industries and scalable for both emerging and mature volunteer engagement programs.
They reflect current and evolving trends in the field, including:
- Inclusion, diversity, equity, access, and belonging
- Transformational volunteerism
- Context-based and flexible volunteer engagement models
Useful at Every Stage of Your Career
The Standards support volunteer engagement professionals at all levels of experience. Those who are new to the field can use the Standards as a roadmap for building or formalizing a volunteer engagement program. Experienced professionals can use them to evaluate effectiveness, identify gaps, and support continuous improvement. In all cases, the Standards can be used to make the case for increased investment in volunteer engagement and stronger integration of volunteers into organizational strategy and impact.
A Living Framework
The Standards are a living document. Feedback from practitioners is essential to their continued relevance and effectiveness. The Standards Task Force continues to solicit input and will use that feedback to refine and strengthen future versions. Training and support opportunities will continue to be developed to help organizations apply the Standards in practice.
An introduction to the Standards was presented during the June 2022 AL!VE Academy session titled Using Standards to Make Your Case: Introducing AL!VE's Individual Standards for Volunteer Engagement. The webinar recording and presentation materials are available below.
Use the Standards in Your Local Association
Looking for a meaningful topic for your next Local Association meeting? The Standards are an effective conversation starter and professional development resource. Designed to be accessible at any experience level, they encourage discussion and help members envision stronger volunteer engagement practices across sectors.
If you are an AL!VE member and staying current on best practices, you have already met Standard #2: Professional Volunteer Management and Professional Development. Well done.
Interested in requesting an AL!VE speaker to present a deeper dive into the Standards at your next virtual local association meeting? Let us know. We are happy to support you.
