If you are looking to transition to L&D, your experience matters! Volunteering can help you fill in the gaps. This is exactly what Dr. Ashley Dugger is here to talk about.

Ashley engages volunteers in her organization to help increase the capacity of her team. It also gives those volunteers a chance to deepen their skills in instructional design.

So whether you're a small L&D team looking to expand the capacity of your team by using volunteers, or if you're someone who's looking to transfer to the field of L&D, this conversation is for you.

Key Points:

02:16 Dr. Ashley Dugger’s background in L&D and HR

08:19 How the L&D team at Bucknell University engages volunteers

15:38 The benefits of volunteering

18:53 How to manage volunteers

21:07 Filling gaps in your resume through volunteering

25:06 Tips for L&D teams seeking volunteers

How Small L&D Teams Can Expand Their Impact—Without More Staff

If you’re leading a small L&D team (or a team of one!), you know the challenge: too many training needs, not enough resources. But what if you could scale your impact without hiring more staff?

Dr. Ashley Dugger believes you can.

She brings deep expertise in learning and leadership development, with firsthand experience in scaling L&D initiatives in resource-limited environments. Her work in higher education and nonprofit settings has proven how engaging volunteers and internal talent can expand training capacity without adding headcount.

Ashley shares how her L&D team successfully engages staff volunteers and student employees to extend their capacity and build a stronger learning culture across the organization.

Why Engage Volunteers in the Learning Design Process

Volunteers aren’t just extra hands—they bring new expertise, fresh perspectives, and increased engagement.

Plus, when volunteers get involved in L&D, they:

Develop new skills, such as facilitation, instructional design, coaching, and leadership.
Increase their visibility. It’s an opportunity to gain recognition and career growth opportunities.
Feel more connected to the mission, which strengthens the overall organizational culture

How to Build a Volunteer-Powered Learning & Development Team

Ashley shares 3 tips for engaging volunteers to increase the capacity of your L&D team.

First, you have to make the ask. Many employees want to contribute but don’t know the opportunity exists. You can share how to get involved with your L&D and invite participation.

Second, create incentives. In addition to the benefits listed above, you can provide incentives like training certifications, networking opportunities, or leadership experience.

Third, set clear expectations. Volunteers need to know what is expected of them. This includes things like the time commitment involved. You want them to feel confident contributing to your L&D team, not confused or overwhelmed.

Learning & Development Team Capacity

A small L&D team doesn’t have to mean small impact. By leveraging volunteers, you can scale learning initiatives without increasing headcount. The key is to tap into existing talent and create opportunities for shared learning and growth.

To learn more about using volunteers to increase the capacity of your L&D team, tune into episode 125 of the Learning for Good podcast.

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