How to keep volunteers happy

Volunteers are the beating heart of the charity sector. Whether they’re delivering hot meals to vulnerable people, or petitions to parliament, volunteers are crucial for making your charity’s mission a reality.

 

When you recruit the right volunteers, you arm your charity with extra expertise, capacity, energy, and time to achieve your shared goals. But not all volunteers are the right fit for your non-profit. And you don’t want to waste time, energy, and resources training up volunteers who might leave the team.

 

It’s vital that you not only attract the best volunteers to your team, but you keep them happy and engaged so they stick around. Here’s how.

 

 

Offer flexibility

 

“Flexibility is key,” says Jennie Smith, Head of Volunteering at Citizens Advice. “We’ve found real benefits in being flexible with volunteering offers – like allowing volunteering from home as well as in-person – and offering accessible online, phone and in-person support between our staff and volunteers.”

 

If your team includes in-person and remote volunteers, set up systems to make hybrid working inclusive.

 

 

Design a thoughtful induction

 

“I was welcomed like a friend from day one,” says Andrew, who volunteers for his local food bank. “I was assigned a buddy, who had volunteered for five years and knew how everything worked. I also got a welcome pack full of information, from how to arrange a car share, to where to get a delicious coffee nearby.”

 

Ask current volunteers what they wish they knew when they started out. You could use this handy induction checklist from Volunteer Now to design your welcome process.

 

 

Understand their ‘why’

 

“Understanding the motivations of your volunteers is crucial,” says David Coles, Volunteer Centre Manager at LSE.

 

Listen to your new recruits. Find out what motivates them, why they chose your charity, and what they hope to achieve here. The more you can match tasks to their inner ‘why’, the more likely they are to stay motivated.

 

 

Show the impact of volunteering

 

“Our research shows altruistic reasons are the biggest motivators for LSE students to start volunteering”, says Coles. “They want to volunteer for a charity that is making a difference and for their role to make an impact. Being able to demonstrate this to them will keep them engaged for much longer.”

 

 

Keep your team connected 

 

“Regular updates help our volunteers feel like a community,” says Olivia Dixon, Assistant Manager at Windsor Homeless Project. “We keep our team connected with frequent, friendly email updates. We show our volunteers how they’re creating change, so they can feel proud to be part of our team and our shared achievements.”