Early in 1970, The Volunteer Center at Mile High United Way began to receive inquires from area volunteer coordinators about how information concerning the development and operations of volunteer programs could be shared between agencies. The Volunteer Center invited a small group of volunteer coordinators to explore the possibilities of starting an association in the Denver metro area. This group of volunteer leaders held a general meeting in October 1971 at which point the potential members demonstrated overwhelming support for the creation of a professional development and training association for volunteer managers. Dr. Ivan Scheier, then Director of the National Information Center on Volunteerism, and Marlene Wilson, co-founder of the Volunteer Program at Colorado University in Boulder, Colorado, helped to facilitate the discussion about how to identify priorities and goals for this new organization.
Today there are several volunteer management associations nationwide.