Volunteer
Recruitment
and
Retention
What is
Volunteer
Recruitment ?
Volunteer recruitment means attracting
and inviting people to consider
involvement with your organization. New
staff sometimes make the mistake of
beginning their recruiting before they
have an idea of why they are recruiting
and for what positions.
Reasons
Why People
Volunteer
Understanding why people
volunteer makes it easier to
find volunteers, organize their work
and recognize their contributions.
Not everyone is motivated by the
same factors. Research shows that
people volunteer for a variety of
reasons. Some of these include -
Reason #1
Make new friends.
Volunteering is usually
a social activity.
Reason #2
Help the community
and others.
This is often what comes to
mind when people think of
volunteers and volunteering.
Reason #3
Increase self-esteem.
Volunteering makes people feel
better about themselves.
Studies also show that it
improves ones health.
A 2005 survey found that
those who gave support
to others had lower
rates of mortality
than those who did not.
Another study found that,
in general, volunteers
reported greater life
satisfaction and better
physical health than that
reported by non-volunteers.
Reason #4
Help out friends.
They are often the first ones
people turn to when they need
help and it’s a great way to get
together on a regular basis.
Reason #5
Try out a Job.
People considering a job in the
public sector often discover
that volunteering is a good way
to get a peek at what is
happening.
Reason #6
Polish their resume.
Adding volunteer experience to a
resume shows a commitment to
helping others and is sometimes
encouraged by their employers.
Reason #7
Develop new skills.
A volunteer job gives
people an opportunity to learn
something they didn’t know
how to do.
Reason #8
Enjoy something
they love to do.
What Stops
People from
Volunteering ?
Reason #1
Non-volunteers see
themselves as different
from volunteers.
Non-volunteers tend to think of
volunteers as retired, without
children in the home, and
having excess leisure time.
Reality
Volunteers tend to have busy
schedules filled with work,
children and other
commitments. In fact, time
spent with children was actually
higher for volunteers than for
non-volunteers.
Biggest Difference
In Schedule ?
Time spent
watching TV.
Volunteers spend on average 15
hours each week watching TV
compared to 23 hours for
non-volunteers.
Reason #2
Many non-volunteers fear
the time commitment of
service.
By “signing up” they felt they
would have to continue with the
organization or activity
indefinately.
Reality
Data show that
nationwide, 65.5% of
volunteers are episodic
volunteers
(less than 100 hours.)
Reason #3
No One Asked Them
Many people report they would
volunteer if asked, especially
if asked by a trusted friend.
Who
Volunteers ?
According to a study from the
Corporation from National and
Community Service, about 62.6 million
people volunteered through or for a
non-profit or community organization at
least once during 2013.
The proportion of the population who
volunteered was 25.4%.
Demographics
Highlights of
Volunteer
Survey
By age, persons age 35
to 54 were the most
likely to volunteer –
31.3%
People in the early
twenties were the least
likely to volunteer –
19%
Whites volunteered at a
higher rate – 27.7%
than blacks – 20%
than Asians – 19.5%
and Hispanics - 13.5%.
(2007 figure)
Married persons volunteered
at a higher rate – 31.9%
than those who had never
been married – 19.2%
and those with other marital
status – 20.9%.
(2007 Report)
Parents volunteered
at the highest rate –
33.4%
(2013 figure)
Individuals with higher levels
of educational attainment
volunteered at a higher rate
than those with less education.
Among persons age 25 and over,
more than 4 out of 10 college
graduates volunteered compared
with fewer than 2 in 10 high
school graduates and almost 1 in
10 of those with less than a high
school diploma.
Part-time workers
volunteered at higher rates
than full-time workers –
35.4% versus 26.9%.
People are more likely to volunteer
in rural and suburban areas than
in large cities. Nearly 30% of the
population of suburban and rural
areas volunteered while only 24%
of residents in urban areas did.
Women were much more
likely than men to have
volunteered –
29.3% versus 22.9%
Senior Volunteers
While many in the volunteer field
continue to consider retirees as the
most likely to volunteer based on
their “having the time”, studies show
that those 65 and over not
participating at any higher rates than
other cohorts, in fact lower
Senior Volunteers
Ages 65-74 – 27.1%
Ages 75-plus – 20.4%
Studies have also shown however
that while those over 65 have lower
participation rates, those who do
volunteer commit the most in hours
of any age groups – 96 hours a year,
compared to compared to
36 hours for 25 to 34 year-olds
And the overall average of 52.
Studies have also shown however
that while those over 65 have lower
participation rates, those who do
volunteer commit the most in hours
of any age groups – 96 hours a year,
compared to compared to
36 hours for 25 to 34 year-olds
And the overall average of 52.
“Boomer” Volunteers
Though the volunteer participation rate of
those over 65 is lower than other groups the
first of the boomers turned 60 in 2006.
Since boomers have shown higher levels of
participation than other age groups and their
predecessor groups in past studies, it is
anticipated that the participation rate of this
age group will go up.
That’s the good news …
“Boomer” Volunteers
The potentially bad news …
While this group will be an important
one to target, and the research is
indicating they will respond, the challenge
will be keeping them engaged since
research also shows that they are
somewhat fussy about
what they will do.
Illinois - 2013
• Out of the 50 states and the District
of Columbia our state ranked 27th in
our volunteer participation rate of
32.6%
* In 2007 we were 31st but had a
volunteer participation rate of 28%
Number #1 state in 2013 –
Utah with a Volunteer Participation
Rate of 44.6%
They were #1 in 2007 with a Volunteer
Participation Rate of 43.9%.
Chicago 2013
Among 51 cities classified as
large Chicago ranked 34th with a
Volunteer Participation Rate
of 25.9%
#1 City was Minneapolis-St. Paul
with a Volunteer Participation Rate
of 35.8%
#51 was Miami with a Volunteer
Participation Rate of 14.3%
#50 was New York City with a Volunteer
Participation Rate of 17.7%
Where Do
People
Volunteer ?
More Americans volunteer
through religious
organizations than through
any other type of
organization … 33.9 %.
This held true for Illinois
with 36% of our state’s
population volunteering with
religious groups and
Chicago with 33.7% of our
city’s residents doing so
Other Types of Organizations Included 





Education
Social Service
Health
Other
Civic
Sports and Arts
Education
 National – 26.2%
 Illinois – 25.5%
 Chicago – 26.6%
Education
Tutoring – Children, Teens, Adults
 Classroom Aide
 PTA
 Advocacy
 Research

 Computer and Technology
Social Services Organizations
 National – 14.8%
 Illinois – 15.9%
 Chicago – 15%
Social Services








Children and Youth Organizations
Job Training Programs
Consumer Protection
Personal Finance
Housing and Homelessness
Poverty and Hunger Organizations
Veteran’s Issues
Senior Citizen and Retirement
Health
 National – 7.8%
 Illinois – 8.9%
 Chicago – 9.3%
Health Organizations
 Community Clinics
 Hospitals
 Nursing Homes
 Aids Organizations
 Hospices
 Recovery, Addiction and Abuse
 Mental Health Organizations
Other
 National – 7.9%
 Illinois – 3.4%
 Chicago – 7 %
Other Organizations
 Animal and Wildlife Organizations
 Environment and Ecology
 Public Safety and Disaster
 Hurricane Relief
 Community Policing
Civic
 National – 5.5%
 Illinois – 4.9%
 Chicago – 4.4%
Civic Organizations
Local Government
• Fire Protection District
• Community Policing






Rotary and Kiwanis
Neighborhood Block Clubs
Community Organizations
Local Chamber Groups
Fraternal Lodges – Elks, Moose
Political Organizations
Sports and Arts
 National – 4%
 Illinois – 3.2%
 Chicago – 3.9%
Top Four Activities




Fund Raising
Collect/Distribute Food
General Labor
Tutor and Teach
Fundraising
• National - 26.5%
• Illinois - 27.0%
• Chicago - 25.4%
Collect/Distribute Food
• National – 24.2%
• Illinois - 23.9%
• Chicago - 24.2%
General Labor
• National – 19.6%
• Illinois - 16.6%
• Chicago - 19.6%
Tutor / Teach
• National – 18.0%
• Illinois - 15.3%
• Chicago - 18.0%
What Are Some
of the Challenges
to Recruiting
Volunteers ?
In a study conducted by the online
organization Volunteer Match
they identified eight challenges
agencies face in recruiting
volunteers.
Top Challenges In Engaging Volunteers
This has made it difficult for my organization to engage the volunteers we need
Finding volunteers; knowing
where to look for volunteers
53%
People are too busy
to volunteer
51%
Difficult to find people
interested in volunteering
46%
Can’t find people with the
right skills and experience
32%
People have unrealistic
expectations about the work
23%
Hard to find people
interested organization or
mission
23%
22%
Difficult to contact/get
in touch with volunteers
12%
Source: Hart Survey of non-profits 2006 (N=1024)
Difficult to find people who
fit with our
environment/culture
Connecting to Make a Difference
Which two or three of these Internet recruiting
services have you found most useful?
VolunteerMatch.org
68%
Local volunteer center
Web site
14%
13%
Craigslist.org
10%
Idealist.org
VolunteerSolutions.org
HandsOn Network
ServeNet.org
5%
3%
2%
Source: Hart Survey of non-profits 2006 (N=1024)
1-800-Volunteer.org
6%
The
Recruitment
Plan
The most important
step for
recruitment is
planning and design.
To begin the process ….spend
time learning about your
organization from the inside
as well as how your organization
is perceived by the community
and public at large.
Components
of a
Recruitment
Plan
1.) Define the purpose and outcome
for involving volunteers.
Are you recruiting just tutors or can
you use volunteers in other ways
within your program or agency ?
2.) Consider your specific needs
and have and/or develop job
descriptions and volunteer
agreements.
3.) Decide the number of volunteers
necessary to meet the defined need
and the skills needed.
Consider age, gender, location, and
diverse audiences not currently
represented.
4.) Analyze current volunteer
audiences to see where they were
recruited from.
5.) List the benefits for volunteers to be
involved with you - personal
satisfaction, the ability to help others,
community involvement, learning new
skills through training, serving as a
positive role model for others, meeting
new people, and opportunities to
experience fun in a social recreational
setting. Highlight these items in
recruitment efforts.
6.) Clarify costs to volunteers such
as time (to carry out the job
responsibilities), and money
(transportation fees, dues, or
parking charges, etc.). Share this
information with recruited
volunteers.
7.) Design recruitment materials
describing the background of an
organization. Consider the type size
and color of paper for ease of
reading. Use clear, concise language,
and include illustrations showing
various volunteers working in your
organization.
8.) Define the strategies you will
use in disseminating your
recruitment materials.
9.) Consider a needs assessment to
determine the perception the
public has of your organization.
10.) Define who your agency's
neighbors are within the
community. People like to assist
local neighbors. Remember that
other social service agencies are
neighbors too and include
outreach to them in your plan.
11.) Identify ways to thank
volunteers based on their personal
motivations.
12.) Remind yourself that it's a
"compliment" for individuals to be
recruited to serve as your
volunteers.
Beginning
the
Recruitment
Plan
Develop Your Recruitment Message . . .
. . . should be inviting and encourage people to
become involved with your organization. Helpful
to have multiple recruitment messages tailored
to the volunteers being sought, i.e., students,
professionals, neighborhood residents. Each
message should identify:
- The specific need (of the clients and/or the
organization;
- How the volunteer can alleviate the need; and
- The benefits to the volunteer.
In evaluating your recruitment message, ask
yourself the following questions:
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Does the message honor the volunteer ?
Do I know why some people might not say yes ?
Is the message tailored to a target audience ?
Does my invitation include the needs of our
clients ?
• Who in the organization can best deliver this
message ?
Diversity should be an essential element in
your recruitment plan. In addition to race
and ethnicity, consider other components of
diversity, such as age, gender, education, income
levels, religious beliefs, physical abilities, and
skills. Know the demographics of the
community your program serves … you’ll be
more effective is staff and volunteers reflect
the community. Consider deliberate and
strategic outreach to youth, seniors, and
people with disabilities.
Recruitment Strategies –
Targeted – Looking for people with
specific skills or from a specific area.
Non-Targeted – General skills for general
tasks.
Recruitment Techniques
• Mass media -- print and broadcast
• Public speaking
• Outreach to membership/professional organizations
• Slide shows
• Videotapes
• Direct mail
• Articles in local newspapers and newsletters
• Referrals from people associated with you
• Volunteer fairs
• Internet web-sites
• Volunteer Center referrals
Recruitment Materials
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Flyers
Brochures
Media Kits
News Releases
Ad slicks for community newspapers
Public Service Announcement Copy
Calendar Listings
Newsletters
Prepared remarks for speaking engagements
Variable To Consider: Your Location
According to the 2007 Volunteering
in America study it was found that
people are more likely to volunteer in
rural and suburban areas than in large
cities. Between 2004-2006 nearly
30% of the population of both
suburban and metro areas volunteered
while only 24% of residents urban
areas did the same.
The study found four themes that seemed to
influence volunteering in metro areas –
- Residents’ attachment to their community
- Commuting times
- Socio-economic characteristics such as
education levels
- The capacity of a community’s non-profit
organizations
The study also found that homeowners were more
apt to volunteer than residents in large
apartment complexes
What recruitment
problems have
any of you been
experiencing ?
What strategies have
any of you found
to work best for
your area ?
Volunteer
Retention
While as organizations we tend to focus
on recruitment to satisfy our programs’
needs, it is much more efficient to
keep those we have than to keep
recruiting new ones. In the 2007 CNS
study the volunteer retention rate
of programs surveyed was 66%. A rate
to strive for is 80%.
Does anyone know
what their agency’s
volunteer retention
rate is ?
Volunteer Retention Rates
similar to
Volunteer Rates
increase with age.
The higher a volunteer’s
level of education,
the more likely
the volunteer will
continue to volunteer
Retention Rates
College Graduates – 72.4%
HS Education – 60.2%
Sans HS Diploma – 50.5%
Volunteers who devote
more time have highest
retention rates –
- 50 hours or more: 40% more likely to
serve one year to the next
- 1 to 14 hours a year
71.4% versus 50.6%
Retention is related to type of
organization and activities performed –
70% who volunteer through or with a
religious organization compared to 60%
who volunteer with a hospital or health
organization
Retention Rate by Activity
-
Professional or Management – 73.5%
Music, performance or other – 66.6%
Usher, greeter, minister – 64%
Coach, tutor, teach, mentor – 63.8%
Fundraise, Sell Items – 56.3%
Collect, make, distribute clothes – 53.9%
General labor – 53.3%
Retention
Activities
Orientation
Make sure your new volunteers
know your organization and
understand the tasks
you are asking
What are
some ways that
volunteers can be
oriented ?
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Group Orientation
One-to-One Orientations
Site Tours
Agency Brochures and other Info
Volunteer Handbook
Online Materials
Training
Make sure they know how to
do what you are asking
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Tutor Training
“Shadowing”
In-service Training
Drop-in Sessions
Tutor or Volunteer Exchanges
Verizon Thinkfinity
Communication
Use multiple strategies to keep them
“in the know”
Be receptive to new ideas and ways of
doing things. You don't have to
implement them, but you should at
least be willing to listen to them.
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“Members Only” on website
Newsletters
Monthly Mailings
E-Mails
Phone calls
Social Media
Recognition
Thank them in formal and
informal ways
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Luncheons and Dinners
Certificates of Appreciation
“Tutor of the Month”
Newsletter Features
Web site Pictures and Features
Books or small gifts
Volunteer Outings or Trips
Thank You Notes
As volunteers
prove their capabilities,
give them added
responsibility.
• Become part of the orientation or
training team
• Conduct student assessments
• Be part of a speaker’s bureau
• Join a program advisory board or
committee or an agency committee
or board of directors
Are there additional
retention strategies
used in your
programs ?