The International Youth Council (IYC), together with the Zam Zam Foundation and the Zakat Foundation Institute, hosted a one-day Professional Training on Volunteer Management at the Zam Zam Foundation Auditorium in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday, 1 November 2026. Titled “From Recruitment to Retention: Building a Culture of Trust, Care and Belonging”, the session ran from 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM and brought participants together to examine how organisations can recruit, support, motivate and retain volunteers over the long term.

The training was led by Dr Amjad Mohamed-Saleem, Assistant Professor of Humanitarian Studies at the Zakat Foundation Institute. It followed the volunteer journey from motivation and recruitment through management, recognition, wellbeing and retention. Topics included clear expectations and role clarity, communication and constructive feedback, meaningful recognition beyond a simple thank-you, inclusion, diversity and belonging, safety and safeguarding, managing challenging situations, preventing volunteer burnout, and working effectively with young people and diverse volunteer communities.

The programme combined interactive exercises, case studies, real-life scenarios and guided reflection. Participants looked at the systems needed to manage volunteers well and at the behaviours and organisational culture that shape the volunteer experience. The session was built around one principle: volunteers don’t just give time, they give trust, and both need to be handled with care.

Participants left with practical approaches they can apply immediately to build volunteer programmes that are safer, more inclusive, more motivating and more sustainable. IYC thanks the Zam Zam Foundation for hosting the training.