keep volunteers – Christopher L. Scott

For the past couple of weeks I have been writing about how leaders within nonprofit organizations can keep their volunteers long-term. Today’s post focuses on how leaders of volunteers can keep volunteers at their organization by continually connecting the volunteers’ work with the cause and purpose of the nonprofit organization.

It is essential, in both theory and practices, that volunteers experience a feeling of engagement or an energetic and affective connect with their work. Rather than seeing it as stressful and demanding, they should view it as challenging, interesting, and enjoyable. If so, they will feel good about themselves and committed to their organizations. This is an ethical strategy for nonprofit organizations to use to retain volunteers over the long term and a possible way for volunteers to feel happier and for society to improve.
Vecina and Chacon, “Volunteer Engagement and Organizational Commitment,” p. 300

Continually Connect Volunteers Work with the Cause

Photo Credit: Adam Fletcher

I. VOLUNTEERS NEED TO MEET NEEDS

A. Volunteers Volunteer Because:

In almost ten years of experience leading volunteers I have noticed several reasons that volunteers quit volunteering for an organization. Some reasons seem obvious, some reasons do not. Sometimes volunteers do not want to quit but they have to because of personal obligations, sometimes volunteers want to quit but they don’t because they feel obligated to the organization they volunteer for.

10 Reasons Why Your Last Volunteer Might Have Quit

Photo Credit: Lightstock

In today’s post I share 9 reasons why volunteers often quit volunteering for nonprofit organization.

I. VOLUNTEERS NEED TO MEET NEEDS

A. Volunteers Volunteer Because:

I. THEY HAD LIMITED TIME TO VOLUNTEER

A. 58 percent of volunteers did not continue volunteering because of time restrictions from: