A Code of Conduct establishes acceptable interactions and outlines the expectations and responsibilities of any person with access to children at your organization.

This document from Safe Kids Thrive explains the three Steps to creating and using a Code of Conduct.

Preventing Child Sexual Abuse Within Youth-serving Organizations:
Getting Started on Policies and Procedures

Youth-serving organizations strive to create a safe environment for youth, employees, and volunteers so that youth can grow, learn, and have fun. Part of creating a safe environment is making sure that youth are not harmed in any way while participating in organization-sponsored activities. One risk in any organization working directly with youth is child sexual abuse.

Nonprofits theatres of all shapes and sizes rely on volunteers to help them continue fulfilling their mission day after day. Whether they’re ushering, building sets, or setting up fundraising events, volunteers provide their time and skills to amplify your organization’s impact.

In 2025, Independent Sector estimated that each U.S. volunteer’s hour was worth $33.49. To secure such valuable support for your nonprofit, however, you’ll need a clear strategy for how to recruit the volunteers you need.

Interns can be terrific additions to a nonprofit theatre, and can also contribute to the pipeline of future theatre leaders. Through Internships, students can gain industry experience, develop professional skills, and make valuable connections that can lead to employment in the arts..

Volunteers are an essential resource for a community theatre. For many organizations, a steady supply of individuals willing to give their most valuable resource—time—is critical for basic operations. Volunteers are also among the most loyal donors, so don't overlook them as prospects for gifts or bequests. 

The Role of Volunteering in Philanthropy is a report that illustrates how donors support charitable causes with both their time and money—and how the COVID-19 crisis has changed how volunteers are able to serve.
 

53-page Employee, Volunteer, & Contractor Handbook in MS Word format, from Waco Civic Theatre.

Your theatre relies on volunteer support—but skilled, reliable volunteers don’t appear out of thin air. You need strategies that will attract and retain top-quality, passionate volunteers that you can count on.

Volunteer management is crucial to the continued success of most theatres. They bring skills, dedication and, most important, passion to the time they give you.

Proper volunteer management has the potential to grow your volunteer pool and foster retention, helping you maintain access to skilled, reliable support. In this guide, we cover the core components of an effective volunteer management strategy, including:

This classic book by Sue Vineyard (now out of print), remains highly relevant today, with chapters including "Motivating and Volunteering," "Why People Volunteer," "What Turns People On (And Off)" and advice on keeping them, too.

This classic work by Marlene Wilson may be dated in some respects, but the basic insights into recruiting, training, and keeping volunteers is as relevant today as wehen the book was first published.