Keeping Volunteers Happy: 5 Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Photo by Ismael Paramo on Unsplash
Volunteers are the lifeblood of nonprofit organizations, providing essential support and bringing diverse skills and perspectives. However, keeping volunteers committed and happy can be challenging. According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, nearly one out of every three volunteers will stop providing service to your organization this year. This post discusses five common mistakes nonprofits make in volunteer engagement and offers actionable strategies to avoid them.
Understanding Volunteer Motivation
Common Mistake: Focusing solely on extrinsic rewards such as bonuses, gift cards, certificates, and awards.
Solution: Emphasize intrinsic motivations. Volunteers are often driven by joy, fulfillment, passion, or a sense of purpose. Highlight how their contributions make a tangible difference and ensure they understand how their specific work aligns with the organization's mission.
Example: Richard, a long-time volunteer at a local food bank, was initially drawn to volunteer appreciation events. However, a one-on-one meeting revealed his passion for gardening. The director assigned him to manage the community garden and collect fresh produce from local grocers. This role aligned with his interests and allowed him to see his impact immediately.
Things you can do now:
Develop a survey to understand what drives each volunteer.
Hold brief one-on-one meetings for private, unrushed conversations about their motivations.
Assign roles and tasks that align with their personal interests and motivations.
Make small modifications in tasks based on their feedback to increase engagement.
Creating a Positive Volunteer Culture
Common Mistake: Neglecting internal organizational culture for volunteers.
Solution: Foster community and identity through intentional activities like social events, team outings, and volunteer appreciation parties. Ensure each volunteer feels respected and included regardless of their background or role.
Example: A local legal aid firm organized quarterly potluck picnics where volunteers could socialize and bond. During these events, leadership publicly recognized volunteers for their contributions, creating a sense of personal awareness and belonging. This simple, cost-effective activity created a welcoming culture that made volunteers feel valued.
Things you can do now:
Talk to your volunteers about preferred team-building activities.
Organize simple, cost-effective events like potluck picnics or group trips to museums and parks.
Make public appreciation a habit, ensuring it is specific and genuine.
Encourage an environment where volunteers feel comfortable praising each other.
Providing Meaningful Volunteer Opportunities
Common Mistake: Misaligning volunteer roles with skills and interests.
Solution: Match the skills and interests of your volunteers to their roles to ensure they find their work fulfilling. Provide a variety of tasks and projects that cater to different interests and skill levels.
Example: At a community theater, Sarah, a volunteer with a background in graphic design, felt unfulfilled by general administrative tasks. The director recognized her skills and assigned her to design posters and programs for upcoming shows. Sarah’s enthusiasm and commitment increased significantly, as she could contribute in a way that matched her interests and talents.
Things you can do now:
Rotate roles periodically to keep volunteers engaged and help them develop new skills.
Involve volunteers in defining roles and activities that interest them.
Make an honest effort to align tasks with what volunteers find rewarding.
Be realistic in your promises but show genuine effort in accommodating volunteer preferences.
Effective Communication and Feedback
Common Mistake: Failing to provide clear, consistent communication about roles, responsibilities, and logistics. This includes feedback as well.
Solution: Ensure your communication is clear, consistent, and concise. Avoid overloading volunteers with too many emails or messages. Too many messages make it easy for important information to be lost or overlooked.
Example: A local animal shelter noticed volunteers were often confused about their daily tasks. The shelter manager implemented a weekly email summarizing upcoming events, volunteer schedules, and specific responsibilities. This concise, organized communication led to fewer misunderstandings and improved overall volunteer satisfaction.
Things you can do now:
Evaluate if your communication is effective by assessing the results (e.g., sign-ups, attendance).
Ask for specific feedback from volunteers about the clarity and frequency of your communications.
Ensure that important information stands out and is easy to find.
Reduce clutter in communication channels to avoid overwhelming volunteers.
Managing Volunteer Time
Common Mistake: Not paying attention to the value of time as a limited resource of the volunteer.
Solution: Create clear schedules for volunteer activities and communicate them in advance. Plan breaks and ensure tasks are appropriately assigned to avoid burnout.
Example: The local history museum hosts a one-day exhibit showcasing artifacts from the town's early days. To ensure the event runs smoothly, the museum:
Creates a detailed schedule for the day, including setup, exhibit hours, and cleanup.
Communicates the schedule to volunteers a week before the event via email and a printed handout.
Includes designated break times for volunteers.
Assigns tasks based on each volunteer's skills and preferences.
Plans activities that can be completed within the allotted time.
Things you can do now:
Create clear schedules for volunteer activities and communicate them in advance.
Plan breaks and communicate them clearly to prevent burnout.
Avoid over-assigning tasks to willing volunteers to prevent burnout.
Be mindful of the time commitment required for activities and plan accordingly.
Volunteers play a vital role in the success of nonprofit organizations. Nonprofits can keep their volunteers committed and happy by understanding their motivations, fostering a positive culture, providing meaningful opportunities, maintaining effective communication, and recognizing their efforts. These strategies are not expensive and often cost nothing more than an adjustment of where you spend your time and energy. Try some of these ideas and ask for feedback. Before long, your volunteers will have helped you create the engaging and important organization they have always wanted to work with.