Volunteer Recruitment
and Retention
April 16, 2009
Volunteering…what’s the
big deal?
What are we talking about?
• 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
• In 2001, 83.9 million American adults
volunteered, representing the equivalent of
over 9 million full-time employees at a value
of $239 billion
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
Chapter Structure
Chapter Board
Committee
Task Force
Ad Hoc Project
Committee
Task Force
Committee
Task Force
Ad Hoc Project
Creating Volunteer
Opportunities
•
•
•
•
•
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
• 58% of AFP leaders volunteered
because another board member asked
Chapter Recruitment Efforts
Please tell us
how you recruit
new volunteers:
Matching Skills to Positions
•
•
•
•
•
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
Tomorrow’s Volunteers
2008 Volunteer Activity
AFP volunteers are
more likely than
other association
members to
volunteer in both
face to face and
volunteer capacities
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
All Assoc. Mbrs
AFP Mbrs.
Anticipated Volunteer Activity
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
All Assoc.
Mbrs.
AFP Mbrs.
Association Volunteers
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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
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•
•
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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
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, 2008. http://www.bls.gov/news.release/volun.nr0.htm
Open Discussion
Contact Information
Alice Ferris, CFRE
Partner, GoalBusters
alice.ferris@goalbusters.net
Catherine Wemette, CAE
Director, Chapter Administration, AFP
cwemette@afpnet.org
Thank you for all you
do for AFP!