Volunteer Retention Encouraging Volunteers to Stay Jeri Bush

Volunteer Retention Encouraging Volunteers to Stay Jeri Bush, Director 606 -1970 Bushj@leoncountyfl. gov Covenant Partner Conference

Objectives • • • Identify the volunteer retention principles and benefits of volunteer retention Increase understanding of the importance of volunteers to perform their service effectively and enjoyably Develop plans for improving volunteer retention

Plugging the “Leaky Bucket” According to the “Volunteering in America”, 1 in 3 American volunteers dropped out in 2010. This is a huge loss of valuable human capital – about $30 billion a year. Essentially, many nonprofit leaders are holding a leaky bucket of vital volunteer resources.

Volunteer Retention refers to the volunteer's adherence to the initial contract agreement. If a volunteer is asked to commit 4 hours a week for a six month period, and the volunteer leaves after 6 months, it can be said that the retention was successful.

3 Reasons Volunteers Drop Out • Volunteer opportunities aren’t challenging or meaningful enough. • Volunteer management is inadequate. Most nonprofits don’t have volunteer managers or follow best practices. Volunteers aren’t free; it takes an investment and infrastructure to get the most out of volunteers. • Volunteering is too rigid and needs to be more flexible to meet the demands of today’s volunteers. New models need to be weekends, nights, virtual, family, and employee-supported volunteerism.

Everything that volunteer managers do is either… …invitation to for the volunteer to stay OR …invitation to leave

Volunteer Retention begins BEFORE you begin Recruitment Volunteer Retention is the culmination of all prior planning and is only successful of all other elements of a fully functional volunteer program are in place. Key components in a volunteer program that enhance retention: Placement Orientation Training Supervision Evaluation Recogntion

What’s Your Organization's Volunteer Climate? • What does a new volunteer encounter when they enter your organization? • Physically, is it an orderly, cheerful space? • Who greets new volunteers? Are they greeted as if guests and new team members are welcome? • How does the staff feel about having volunteers? • Is there space and equipment for volunteers?

Creating a Welcoming Environment Survey staff about their feelings and attitudes regarding volunteers in their organization. • Provide time for discussion to ensure that staff see relevance of volunteers' contribution to the organization's mission and to staff's own work. • Create staff "buy-in" about the importance of volunteers to the organization. • Adopt agency policy that supports volunteers. Share the policy with volunteers and staff during orientation. • Implement a communication plan that includes volunteers. • Provide tools and training for staff to monitor and manages volunteers effectively.

Volunteer Retention Principles Principle: Volunteers stay if their tasks and procedures are clear. • How do you train volunteers? • What materials do they receive to clarify their tasks and procedures? • What areas of confusion exist? How do you know? Principle: Volunteers stay if they feel welcome and appreciated. • What do you do to ensure that staff and sites welcome volunteers? • What do you do to recognize and reward them? Principle: Volunteers stay if they bond to someone within the organization. • What opportunities to get to know staff and other volunteers do your assignments offer? • Do you use teams or buddy systems to accomplish goals? • How can you ensure that volunteers feel connected to others?

Volunteer Retention Principles Principle: Volunteers stay if they have a voice in the organization. • Are you open to suggestions and feedback from your volunteers? • What opportunities do you create to receive feedback? • How do you involve volunteers in planning new initiatives? • How do you know they are invested? Principle: Volunteers stay if they receive feedback that connects their job to program success • How do staff monitor and help develop volunteer competencies? Principle: Volunteers are motivated by opportunities to learn new skills. • What are the skills volunteers can learn from your assignments? • How can you identify the skills your volunteers want to learn and continually allow them these opportunities?

Outcome of Applied Principles When volunteers return to a program, the volunteer program manager has more time to be creative in carrying out the mission of the program. Trained, experienced volunteers are able to provide better services to clients.

Mc. Clelland’s Social Motivators Achievement Volunteer prefers personal interaction, likes to get involved with group projects, and prefers to be perceived as a “good” person Affiliation This volunteer prefers specific goals to work toward, seeks responsibility, sticks to tasks until completed, and sees problems as challenges; Influence Power motivated volunteer prefers to impact and influence others, and can work alone or in a groups

Achievement-Oriented Volunteers • In working with the high achiever: Ask for their help in setting the work pace and methods. Give them challenging tasks that require efficiency. Rotate tasks to avoid routine. Allow them to learn new skills or gain new knowledge. Give them clear feedback on their performance. Feedback helps them measure their success. • • • Good jobs for achievement-motivated volunteers include: Fund-raising activities Organizing events Membership campaigns Filling leadership roles • • •

Affiliation – Oriented Volunteers • • • For success with affiliation-oriented volunteers: Let them work with clientele or other volunteers. Find tasks that require cooperation. Give them off-task time to interact with their coworkers. Allow plenty of relationship-building time and activities. • • • Tasks that are appropriate for this group of volunteers are: Greeters, receptionist Table hosts at dinners and banquets Docents at museums, parks, or educational exhibits Social work such as youth organizations and senior centers Work on social/hospitality committees

Influence- Oriented Volunteers To direct influence -motivated volunteers: • Give them opportunities to direct other volunteers. • Include them on the planning of events; ask their opinions. • Allow them to plan their own work or implement changes in their • volunteer job. • Provide them with opportunities to interact with paid staff and • supervisors. Jobs that are good for power-motivated volunteers include: • Representing the organization before the public and other groups. • Chairing committees, especially those that bring publicity to the • organization. • Serving on the board of directors or advisory board.

Don’t let volunteering be a thankless job. The number one method for retaining volunteers is to make sure they know that they are appreciated. Recognition and appreciation should come from different people in different ways. Everyone in the organization should be doing there part in thanking volunteers.

Retention Goes Hand in Hand Recognition • Recogntion is an essential part of attracting and keeping volunteers • Praise that is frequent and well deserved enhances the volunteer’s work experience • Recogntion is more effective when given publicly and in a peer group • Methods of recognition should match the volunteer’s needs and motivational style

• Make it a priority. • Do it often. • Do it in different ways. • Be sincere. • Recognize the person, not the work. • Make it appropriate to the achievement. • Be consistent. • Be timely. • Make it unique.

Do it Daily • Daily means of providing recognition: • Saying "Thank you. " • Telling them they did a good job. • Suggesting they join you for coffee. • Asking for their opinions. • Greeting them when they come in the morning. • Showing interest in their personal interests. • Smiling when you see them. • Jotting small thank you notes to them. • Saying something positive about their personal qualities.

QUESTIONS

Thank You Complete an Evaluation.