Volunteer Recruitment
and Retention
August 16, 2012
Volunteering…what’s the
big deal?
What are we talking about?
• Sept 2011 – 64.6 million people volunteered
through or for an organization
• Sept. 2007 to Sept. 2008 - 61.8 million people
volunteered through or for an organization
• In 2006, 61.2 million volunteers dedicated 8.1
billion hours of volunteer service
What is Volunteering?
• The service must not be provided
primarily for financial gain
• Must be done of one’s own free will.
• Must benefit a third party
First…Chapter Motivations
• Identify and clarify your chapter’s
motivations for engaging volunteers
• Ask key questions
– What do you as chapter leaders want from
your volunteers?
– Is there real work to be done?
– What are the chapter’s goals and how will
our volunteers help us reach them?
Volunteer Motivations
• What motivates you to volunteer for
your chapter?
• How does that relate to why others
might volunteer?
Professional Motivations
• Opportunities to learn new skills
• Meet other professionals
• Finding a job or making a career
change
• Help people
• Do something useful – give back to the
profession
Creating Volunteer
Opportunities
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Time commitment
Specific duties
Available resources
In person or remotely
Direct service vs. administrative
Ask!
• 71% of volunteers serve when asked
• Only 29% volunteer without being asked
• Only 50% of adults were asked to
volunteer
– If the other 50% were asked, as many as
71% may volunteer
Chapter Recruitment Efforts
Please tell us
how you recruit
new volunteers:
Matching Skills to Positions
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Volunteer motivation and interest
Your own knowledge of the volunteer
Time
Skills
Comfort level
Volunteer Retention
• Matching volunteers interests and skills
with the appropriate task
• Providing accurate training and
guidance
• Acknowledgement of contributions
Volunteer Evaluation
• Don’t wonder if volunteers enjoy what
they’re doing – ask!
• Offer feedback on ways to increase
involvement and prominence of
positions if desired
Volunteers – The Next
Generation
• Seek knowledge about the
organizations for which they volunteer
• Feel like they have an impact
• Career advancement and mentoring
• May be interested in new ways to
virtually volunteer
Association Volunteers
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•
•
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•
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Association members are highly engaged people
Values drive volunteer choices
The power of the direct ask
A meaningful experience keeps them coming back
Involving the younger generation
The professional benefits of volunteerism
Recognizing the ad hoc volunteer
Organizational strategies can support or discourage
volunteering
Resources
• Brudney, Jeffery L. (2005). Designing and Managing Volunteer
Programs. In Robert D. Herman & Associates (Eds.), The
Jossey-Bass Handbook of Nonprofit Leadership & Management.
California: Jossey-Bass.
• Corporation for National and Community Service, Office of
Research and Policy Development. (2007). Volunteering in
America: 2007 State Trends and Rankings in Civic Life,
Washington, DC
• Gazley, Beth and Dignam, Monica. The Decision to Volunteer.
ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership. 2008.
Washington, DC.
• Independent Sector and United Nations Volunteers. Measuring
Volunteering: A Practical Toolkit.
http://www.independentsector.org/programs/research/toolkit/IYVToolkit.PDF
Resources, cont’d
• Moore, Cassie. (2004). Volunteers Say Charity Work
Helps Then in Their Careers. Chronicle of Philanthropy.
Vol. 16 Issue 14, p29
• United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor
Statistics. Volunteering in the United States, 2011.
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/volun.nr0.htm
• Chapman, Gary and White, Paul. The 5 Languages of
Appreciation in the Workplace. Northfield Publishing.
2011. Chicago, Il.
Open Discussion
Contact Information
Michael Delzotti, CFRE, CSPG
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
MDDelzotti@mdanderson.org
Taryn Gold, MPA
Director, Chapter Administration, AFP
tgold@afpnet.org