The document discusses challenges in volunteer retention and the results of a study on volunteer motivation and communication. The study found that volunteers are motivated primarily by supporting a cause rather than social factors as coordinators believed. While motivations change, volunteers remain dedicated. Effective communication is key to retention but there is a disconnect between how volunteers prefer to receive information and coordinators' perceptions. Adopting community management practices and recognizing volunteers' professionalism can help organizations better support and empower volunteers to improve retention.

2. KATE BAUCHEREL
@KateBaucherel
DAVID J NEFF
@daveiam
VICTORIA TAYLOR
@happysquid
#RetainAtSXS

3. THE CHALLENGES OF VOLUNTEER
RETENTION
1. People get involved in volunteering for many reasons, and their
motives can change over time. How can you meet their needs and
retain their skills?
2. How do you measure the impact of volunteers? Developing clear
community goals, and activity and behavioral targets, can deliver
measurable ROI.
3. Can volunteers see the bigger picture? How do you keep individuals
engaged & motivated to move towards greater goals?
@katebaucherel @daveiam @happysquid

4. ORIGINAL RESEARCH
• Dr Jennifer Hagan ‘Sustainable Volunteering in Cultural Heritage
Attractions’
• Established a disconnect between volunteers, the organisation, and
eachother
• Communication and culture failures led to volunteer disillusionment
• Change of motivations rarely recognised, managed, or exploited
• Came to the attention of the Ambix online community team. Could the
application of Community Management disciplines reduce volunteer
turnover? @katebaucherel @daveiam @happysquid

5. LATEST RESEARCH
• Asked questions of 2 samples of volunteers and
volunteer co-ordinators (Jan-Feb 2017)
• Global reach: responses concentrated primarily in the
UK with input from the USA, Australia, Ireland and
France.
• Disseminated online via Twitter and LinkedIn
(snowball sampling), so actual distribution numbers
are unknown.
• 64 complete responses – 70% volunteers, 30% co-
ordinators
• Very positive feedback from professionals and
academics who have participated in interviews and
shared their own research on the topic to add to our@katebaucherel @daveiam @happysquid
Location of All
Respondents
UK USA Ireland Australia France
Volunteers Co-
Ordinators

6. RANGE OF RESPONDING ORGANISATIONS
Volunteer co-ordinators represented organisations of all sizes, from <20 to 10,000+, and
teams of up to a thousand individual volunteers.
@katebaucherel @daveiam @happysquid
Number of volunteers in the
organisation
Direct responsibility for how many
volunteers?
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%
<20
20-50
50-100
100-500
500-1000
1000-2000
2000-5000
5000-10000
Over 10000
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%
<20
20-50
50-100
100-500
500-1000
1000-2000
2000-5000
5000-10000
Over 10000

7. KEY FINDINGS
• Motivations for volunteering do change over time, but
even at the outset these are not always in line with the
expectations of the organisation.
• Co-ordinators can be hard on themselves! They
perceive more problems than volunteers do with
support, management and investment.
• Not everyone plans for, or measures, the impact of
volunteers and the return on investment in the volunteer
cohort.
• There are challenges with communication – a
scattergun approach which does not help to cascade
organisational culture or deliver consistent support.
@katebaucherel @daveiam @happysquid

8. EXPLORING VOLUNTEER MOTIVATION – KATE
BAUCHEREL
• Volunteering starts at a young age, so there is an element of ‘career
development’ throughout the volunteer journey.
• Volunteer motivations change, but throughout there is a strong desire
to support the cause: volunteers take their roles seriously.
• Volunteers have the potential to play a significant role in the
organisation – they deserve support on a par with staff.
@katebaucherel @daveiam @happysquid

9. VOLUNTEERS START YOUNG
59% of respondents were under the age of 25 when they began volunteering.
Most chose to volunteer to support a specific cause (54%), expand a
pastime (43%), or gain experience (33%); our favourite reason, though, was
‘my mother made me’!
@katebaucherel @daveiam @happysquid
Age of first volunteering Age at time of survey
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Under 18
18 to 24
25 to 34
35 to 44
45 to 54
55 to 64
65 to 74
75+
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%
Under 18
18 to 24
25 to 34
35 to 44
45 to 54
55 to 64
65 to 74
75+

10. VOLUNTEERS ARE DEDICATED
We asked both groups about motivations for starting and continuing volunteering. The
importance of social interaction, building experience, and comfort zones were
overestimated by co-ordinators – support for a specific cause was the primary
motivator in both cases by a clear margin.
@katebaucherel @daveiam @happysquid
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
To support a specific cause
To expand a personal interest or
hobby
To gain experience for personal
development or career…
To meet people with common
interests
As an alternative to work (eg due
to retirement)
Co-ordinators Volunteers
Reasons for starting to volunteer
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
To support a specific cause
To expand a personal interest or
hobby
To gain experience for personal
development or career progression
To meet people with common
interests
As an alternative to work (eg due to
retirement)
In a comfortable routine
Social reasons - a good relationship
with fellow volunteers
Co-ordinators Volunteers
Reasons for continuing to volunteer

11. VOLUNTEERS ARE RELIABLE
We asked volunteer co-ordinators about the length of time their volunteers spend with them.
In this sample, 69% retained their volunteers for more than two years. Of the sample, only
12% of respondents used volunteers in short-term projects. Volunteering is not a stop-gap:
it’s a key element of business. But are volunteers well supported?
@katebaucherel @daveiam @happysquid
“We find it hard to retain volunteers long-
term”
“The organisation supports and
manages the volunteer community
well.”
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
Strongly
disagree
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly
Agree
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
Strongly
disagree
disagree Neutral Agree Strongly
agree

12. VOLUNTEERS ARE PROFESSIONAL
We asked volunteers the following questions:
• I am satisfied that I have the opportunities to apply my talents and expertise : 90%
Agreed
• I am satisfied with the role-related training my organisation offers: 75% Agreed
• I am inspired to meet my goals in my volunteer role: 74% Agreed
• Volunteers treat each-other with respect: 92% Agreed
• I am able to make decisions regarding my work: 82% Agreed
Our sample of volunteers is generally professional, empowered and supported.
@katebaucherel @daveiam @happysquid

13. MEETING CHANGING NEEDS – DAVID J.
NEFF
• Professional world – focus on staff retention because of acquisition cost
• Volunteer world – acquisition cost not always quantified , are volunteers
treated the same as staff & needs met?
• Similar retention models are needed in the nonprofit world. What’s the
process?
• Churn of employees
• Onboarding and continuous training
• Culture changes
• Part time vs Full time vs Contractors
• Firing volunteers
@katebaucherel @daveiam @happysquid

14. COMMUNICATION, COMMUNITY AND
CULTURE – VICTORIA TAYLOR
@katebaucherel @daveiam @happysquid
We asked volunteers and co-ordinators to reveal the perceptions and
reality of how volunteers source information from the organisation,
and built a weighted average based on frequency of use.
There are a lot of options available and in use - and a difference
between the organisation’s perception of the most effective channels,
and those which volunteers report as their best sources.
Could an online community management approach enable nonprofits
to do fewer thing better?

15. EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION?
@katebaucherel @daveiam @happysquid
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5
Face to face, one to one with staff
Face to face in the course of volunteer work
Face to face, group meetings
Newsletters - printed
Newsletters - circulated online
Email with staff
Email with other volunteers
Telephone with staff
Telephone with other volunteers
Facebook or other social media group - unofficial
Facebook or other social media group - official
Organisation's private online community
Co-ordinators Volunteers

16. SUMMARY
MOTIVATION AND
RETENTION
Communicating effectively
with volunteers must be the
first step in retention.
Close the gap between
perceived and actual
motivation.
PROFESSIONALISM
AND
MEASUREMENT
Empower your volunteer
community.
Recognise and support
professionalism.
COMMUNICATION,
COMMUNITY &
CULTURE
Do fewer thing better.
Good volunteer management
and community management
practices
@katebaucherel @daveiam @happysquid

17. YOUR QUESTIONS AND FEEDBACK…?
Download the research paper ‘Retaining Volunteer Talent in Your Community’ from
www.katebaucherel.com using code RetainAtSXSW for your free copy.
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