TIPS AND TOOLS FOR RECRUITING AND RETAINING VOLUNTEERS

The Corporation for National and Community Service provides resources related to findings from the Volunteering in America research. The resources on this page have been developed to help you get involved in service or recruit and retain volunteers for your organization, company, program, or community.

Tips for Becoming a Volunteer

  • Research the causes or issues that are important to you. Look for a group that deals with issues about which you feel strongly.
  • Consider what you have to offer. If you enjoy outdoor work, or have a knack for teaching, you may want to look for a volunteer opportunity in which your special skills can be utilized. Similarly, think about your personality and how your organizational skills or communication style might fit with different organizations or activities.
  • Think outside the box! Many community groups that are looking for volunteers, like neighborhood watch programs, prisons, disaster relief organizations, youth organizations, intergenerational programs, and park services may not have occurred to you but could just be the perfect fit.
  • There’s no need to wait to be asked There are many ways to find organizations that are looking for volunteers. Ask your friends or colleagues about their own volunteering activities. The Internet has great online volunteer referral services, including www.serve.gov. Or try visiting your local volunteer center. These services can help you to find the right opportunity for you.
  • When you find an organization that is in line with your interests, request an interview and plan for it in much the same way that you would plan for a job interview. Be ready to describe your interests, qualifications, and background, and also be prepared to ask your interviewers about their organization and the benefits they offer to their volunteers. An interview will allow you and the organization to find the right match for your skills and interests.
  • Would you like to learn something new? Consider whether the organization offers training or professional development opportunities for their volunteers. Volunteering can provide you with the chance to learn about something you’re interested in and develop skills in a new area.
  • Find the volunteer activity that fits your schedule. Organizations need different levels of commitment for different types of volunteer activities. Serving as a mentor, for example, will require a regular, intensive commitment, while volunteering for a walk-a-thon is a seasonal commitment.
  • Volunteer with friends or as a family. Think about looking for a volunteer opportunity that would be suitable for parents and children to do together, or for husband and wife or a group of friends to take on as a team. Volunteering with others can be a great way to get to know people better and can help keep you excited about volunteering.
  • Virtual Volunteering. —yes, there is such a thing! If you have computer access and the necessary skills, some organizations now offer the opportunity to do volunteer work over the internet. This can be a great way to get started in volunteering, and can also provide a way to volunteer at home on a flexible schedule.
  • Don’t give up! If you find that your volunteering experience is not all that you expected, talk to your volunteer supervisor or coordinator about it. Think of what could make it better and check with them to see if your ideas are possibilities.

Recruitment Quick Tips

  • Create a very detailed recruitment plan before you start to ensure you’re focusing your efforts in the right direction.
  • Remember to be as creative as possible when recruiting and engaging volunteers. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box as much as you want. Remember, the more people you get to sign up the bigger the impact you’ll be able to make, and the more likely your organization will be able to retain volunteers for future projects.
  • Streamline your recruitment message. How can you best market your volunteer opportunities in a way that conveys the most information in the most concise way possible? Always remember to make your mission clear and upfront.
  • Understand your target audience, and recruit to them specifically.
  • Help potential volunteers connect with something larger, be prepared with plenty of information on your organization’s mission and the overall need for the project they will be working on.
  • Employ multi-faceted recruitment strategies. Different people want to volunteer for different reasons, and your recruitment plan should be flexible and prepared to address as many different types of volunteer motivations as there are different types of volunteers.
  • Don’t forget to leverage your connections, either within your organization, among other organizations in the community, or amongst your colleagues or peers in the field, and don’t hesitate to adopt strategies or lessons that they have learned.
  • Leverage viral marketing. Viral Marketing is about letting the people spread the word for you, using word of mouth techniques, e-mail blurbs, online blog and calendar blurbs, radio spots, etc. is a great and cost-effective way to call for potential volunteers.
  • Determine where your target audience is most likely to see your recruitment messages and work to get your recruitment messages to them through those channels. For example, if college students best fit your needs for availability and skills consider reaching out to them through school groups, community service offices on campus, social media, or other community groups with college-age members such as religious or sports organizations.
  • Get back in touch with interested volunteers within 24 hours of your initial contact. Be professional and organized with the details of upcoming training dates, projects, etc.
  • Don’t spend an excessive amount of time trying to re-connect with volunteers who drop out early or don’t respond after the initial contact. It’s better to simply ask them if you can put them in touch with another volunteer issue they’d be more interested in working with. The creation of this positive relationship will make them more likely to recommend your organization or open positions to their friends and colleagues.
  • Invite volunteers to planning and general meetings to let them know their input – and not just their labor - is important.
  • Organize several low-pressure mixers with light appetizers and plenty of printed information about your organization, the issues and goals of the organization and the community, etc. This is a good time to partner with other organizations or businesses, and your volunteers will appreciate the networking opportunities you are offering.

Retention Quick Tips

Retention typically refers to a volunteer’s adherence to the initial contract agreement. If a volunteer is asked to commit 4 hours a week for a six month period, and the volunteer leaves after 6 months, it can be said that the retention was successful. Retention may also refer to a volunteer’s consistency in service over a longer period of time, whether they are returning to the same organization and activity, or continuing to serve in another capacity.

Retention begins when you have accurately described the volunteer position and assessed whether the potential volunteer is right for the job. Hence, retention begins in the interview process. Tune in to the volunteer’s main reason for volunteering and honor this throughout his/her time with you.

There are several key components in a volunteer program that enhance retention. These are: placement, orientation, training, supervision, evaluation, and recognition.

  • Placement refers to the position that is assigned and agreed to by the volunteer. This might be a standardized job or a newly created job that matches the skills, interests, and availability of the particular volunteer. It is important that a position description is constructed and a contract is signed.

  • The orientation is important in allowing the volunteer to feel as though he/she is part of the agency and ensure he/she understands the agency on a larger level. An orientation should cover the agency’s history, mission, programs, population served, staff introductions, and volunteer program basics. Include a tour of the agency and point out locations of office equipment and supplies if these are relevant to the position.

  • Volunteers have the right to be given training for the tasks required of the position. Even if the volunteer is a consultant and already has the skills necessary, she/he must still be offered clear directions and timelines for how the activity is to be completed. Volunteers must know what is expected of them, both in their product and delivery of that product.

    If extensive training is required, it is helpful to create group training experiences over a full day or weekend. This allows the volunteers to learn together and support one another through the process. It also allows volunteers to get to know one another and make friends at the agency.

    Use as many different training techniques as possible such as: lecture, on-the-job demonstration, written material, role-playing, etc. [Note that adults learn best when they have practical and experiential modes of learning. Ask for their input and allow them to practice and offer immediate feedback.]

  • The training should also explain the method of supervision — so that volunteers understand to whom they should turn with a question or for feedback — as well as how the supervisor will be evaluating the work. Supervision can be handled as check-in meetings, ongoing informal discussion, or written reports. It is important to set up "checkpoints" along the way.

    Make sure that the volunteers have all the resources necessary to complete the job.

  • Incorporate evaluations both of the volunteer and by the volunteer. Volunteers have a right to grow professionally and therefore require constructive feedback of their work. They also have a right to let you know how you and the agency can better support them in doing their work.

  • Provide authentic on-going recognition of the volunteer both verbally and concretely. Recognition is a key component of volunteer retention. If volunteers feel appreciated for their efforts, they are more likely to want to volunteer again. Understand your volunteers so you know how best to keep them motivated and engaged.

    Individual volunteers have a variety of reasons for volunteering and thus are motivated in a variety of ways. It’s important to be aware of what has motivated a volunteer to work with you so that you can best identify how to appropriately thank and recognize them for the work they’ve contributed. This in turn will allow them to know how important they are to your organization and will keep them coming back.

  • Keep the work challenging and impactful but do allow flexibility to these adults who are experienced and general capable of their own time management.

  • Ask them if they’d be interested in organizing lighter, team-building activities like lunch outings, etc, or if they have ideas of their own.

  • Set up follow-up meetings within a couple days after the work or major milestones have been completed, to allow for reflections and celebrations.

  • Have an on-going semi-formal evaluation process available. Set aside time to evaluate the volunteer and allow them to evaluate their experience and the organization.

  • Work with volunteers on how to improve the project and/or volunteer roles for next time.

Creating a Successful Recruitment Plan Back

The Basics

  • What’s the substance? What is the issue you are recruiting for?
  • What’s the volunteer time commitment you are asking for?
  • What is it you want? What would you be expecting the volunteers to be doing?
  • What is your target number of volunteers to sign up?
  • Who cares? Who might be interested in the issue that you’re addressing with your service opportunity? How can you tap into the interests of a local university or nearby retirement community?
  • Who might not know they care? Think about other groups in the community and creatively of the different aspects of your service issue.
  • Who’s got the skills? Consider the tasks involved in your volunteer project. What are the physical, emotional, and intellectual expectations you would have from your volunteers, and are they clearly defined?
  • Who can commit?

The Details of the Recruitment Process

  • Virtual/Real Community Details
  • Community: What is the community like? Lots of traffic or parks?
  • Targeted Locations: Where are the types of people you are recruiting likely to be found in the community?
  • Campus/Community Center Activities: Is there a local community events calendar posted online or somewhere locally?
  • Do the schools or organizations you’ve already identified have websites, newsletters, or regular meetings that you know of?
  • Who are some of the obvious community leaders that you can identify?

Rules and Regulations

  • Where can you "table"
  • Where can you post or hand out fliers, posters, etc?
  • What are the newspaper, e-mail, community calendar submission rules
  • What are the deadlines for any local meeting agenda submissions?

Capacity

  • How many people will be recruiting?
  • What, if any, is the recruitment budget?
  • Time - how long do you have to achieve to reach your recruitment goals?

The Approach

  • Materials: Will you make posters or fliers to hand out? Will you need a table or incentives to give away?
  • Messaging: What information will you have on your printed material? Do you have photographs of volunteers? If you are partnering with another organization, do you have information about that organization on your materials? Do you have permission to use their logo?
  • Contact Information: What method will you use to allow volunteers to sign up? Make sure this information is clearly stated on all of your material.

Sample Volunteer Contract Back

As a volunteer, you are an important member of our staff and act as a representative of our organization to the community at large. For a better understanding of what you can expect as a volunteer and what is expected of you by our organization, we ask you to read and sign the following Volunteer Contract.

The organization will provide for you:

  • Beneficial and life-enriching experiences.
  • Comprehensive orientation and general training sessions plus any specialized training for specific jobs, such as xx and xx.
  • Opportunities for professional development and social interaction with other volunteers.
  • An opportunity to learn about xx, xx, xx, and many other fields as well as a chance to learn how xx operate behind the scenes; and
  • A specific job description detailing duties and responsibilities.

The organization asks that you:

  • Work an agreed number of hours on a scheduled basis that is acceptable to both you and the organization.
  • Choose an assignment within your abilities, interests, and time
  • Attend a scheduled orientation, training classes, and tour of the organization.
  • Notify the organization beforehand if you will be absent or if you have arranged a substitute.
  • Conduct yourself in an appropriate and ethical manner at all times when dealing with visitors’ board members and staff.

  • Have fun and agree to ask questions if needed. Remember we are here for you!

    By my signature I declare that I have read, understand, and agree with all parts of the Volunteer Contract and will strive to fulfill all parts therein.

Sample Volunteer Orientation Back

Welcome and Introduction (5 minutes)

Welcome the volunteer(s) to the organization. Include relevant paid staff from the nonprofit, particularly those who will work directly with volunteerd.

Nonprofit’s History and Mission (5 minutes)

Understanding the history and mission of the organization is essential to volunteers, particularly as the mission of the organization provides the basis for the nonprofit’s programs. If the history of the organization is lengthy, just give the significant highlights. Take the time to link the ways in which the organization's mission has been played out over the history of the agency.

Volunteering History (10 minutes)

Describe the history of volunteer involvement in the organization. Volunteers need to understand how their assignments will help to accomplish the organization’s mission. Include what volunteers can expect from the organization. Describe the relationship of the volunteer program to service delivery, so that the volunteer has a sense of the organizational climate regarding the work of volunteers.

Address issues related to public relations and volunteer service. Be explicit about what role, if any, a volunteer will have with other staff, clients, or the public. Explain what the volunteer’s role is in maintaining the public's trust, and how the way in which clients, stakeholders and the public are treated reflects on the organization.

Describe the organizational culture. Such basic information as the location of the lunch room, rest rooms, mail room and materials needs to be part of the orientation to your organization. Discuss prohibited behaviors. Describe the organization's policies on drugs/alcohol, sexual harassment and any others that define prohibited behaviors and their consequences. Emphasize that the prohibited behaviors and the consequences apply to all staff regardless of their pay status.

Provide a copy of the volunteer handbook, if relevant, for the volunteer.

Performance Expectations (30 minutes)

This segment of the orientation is crucial to articulating expectations of performance and behavior. The discussion needs to be clear and straightforward. This is an appropriate time to review the scoping materials, the contract, and a workplan to ensure that everyone understands the project and the role of the volunteer in the same way. It is also a good time to review how the volunteer will be evaluated at the end of the project.

Include what volunteers can expect from the organization. Volunteers need to know that the organization has a grievance process and that issues related to assignments or working conditions should be brought to the attention of the director of volunteers who is willing to work with volunteers to resolve problems.

Questions & Answers (10 minutes)

Adapted from the Nonprofit Risk Management Center

The Resource Center