The work doesn’t stop after volunteer recruitment. Quite the opposite! Few things are more valuable to an organization than a dedicated, passionate base of volunteers. Use these 25 ideas to improve non-profit volunteer retention at your organization:

A good First Impression

  1. Provide detailed task descriptions
  2. Make sure every new volunteer feels welcome
  3. Provide good background on your organization
  4. Make sure every volunteer knows how he or she is making a difference
  5. Give every volunteer a tour of the facility
  6. Make sure every volunteer knows who to go to for help or questions
  7. Treat your new volunteers like customers

Treat them Well

  1. Tailor volunteer opportunities to match individuals’ needs
  2. Stay “in the moment” when talking to your volunteers; make them feel special and needed
  3. Make sure there is enough volunteer work to go around, and have some extra tasks set aside in case your volunteers get their work done early
  4. Ask for feedback and suggestions

Be Flexible

  1. Respect your volunteers’ other commitments. Don’t insist they stay longer or perform tasks outside their scope
  2. Provide more short-term volunteer opportunities
  3. Provide a wide variety of volunteer opportunities
  4. Organize fun family volunteer events

Go Above and Beyond

  1. Fuel their passions. Don’t lose sight of why your volunteers picked your cause; inspire them
  2. Share thank you notes and success stories with your volunteers
  3. Many people volunteer to boost their career. Offer personal references and other ways to help them
  4. Provide refreshments whenever possible
  5. Go to volunteer leadership seminars and training to stay as relevant and engaging as possible

Show Appreciation

[bctt tweet=”Volunteers are paid in gratitude; pay them often! #volunteermaui #volunteerretention” username=”HandsOn_Maui_”]

  1. Volunteers are paid in gratitude; pay them often
  2. Take part in Volunteer Appreciation Day
  3. Hold volunteer “thank you” events at the completion of big projects
  4. Send out birthday cards and holiday greetings to your volunteers, letting them know what a difference they made that year

Never Stop Learning

  1. Don’t get complacent; keep on learning and trying new things to improve non-profit volunteer retention