Keeping your volunteers engaged all year round
02/24/2025
Volunteering plays a vital role in our communities, but recent data shows that volunteering rates in England are still not back to pre-pandemic levels.
According to the Government’s latest Community Life Survey , only 16% of adults reported volunteering regularly (every month) in 2023-34, which highlights the need for organisations to focus on keeping volunteers engaged throughout the year.
Volunteers often prefer certain times of the year for different reasons. Many like to volunteer during the nice weather in spring and summer when outdoor activities are more fun. School holidays also matter; families have more free time to volunteer together. But for some parents, school holidays mean they need to stop volunteering to take care of their children. This makes it hard to keep a steady number of volunteers all year round.
If you notice that volunteers are not returning or are inconsistent in when they lend a hand, it’s important to find out why. One effective way is to ask them directly through a survey. Understanding their reasons for leaving can help you improve volunteer retention in the future.
A study on volunteer retention found that volunteers often stop due to various reasons that may not be related to the organisation itself. The most common reasons include:
- Moving away (26.3%)
- Too many school or work commitments (21.3%)
- Being too busy (16.3%)
- Unknown reasons (10%)
- Personal or family issues (6.3%)
- Problems with the volunteer program (5%)
- Volunteering with a different organisation (3.8%)
Often, volunteers leave for personal reasons or changes in their lives that are out of your control. However, there are several steps you can take to make volunteering easier and more enjoyable.
Ideas for keeping volunteers engaged year round
1. Family Volunteer Days: Organise special days during school holidays where parents, grandparents, and guardians can take part in volunteer activities with their children. This encourages family bonding, instils a volunteering spirit in kids and helps tackle the issue of ‘what to do with the kids during the holidays?’.2. Volunteer Awards: Celebrate volunteers who are consistently present. Awards can motivate them and show appreciation for their dedication.
3. Indoor Options for Bad Weather: When outdoor activities are cancelled because of bad weather, offer indoor activities or tasks that volunteers can do from home. This flexibility helps keep them engaged.
4. Virtual Volunteering: Create themed volunteer weeks where volunteers can complete tasks at their convenience. This approach accommodates those with busy schedules.
5. Stay in Touch: Even if you only need seasonal volunteers, keep in regular contact throughout the year. Remind them of upcoming events and express gratitude for their help.
6. Better Communication: Use automated messages to remind volunteers about shifts and thank them for their involvement. Analyse data to send more personalised messages to different volunteer groups.
7. Show Impact: Share reports that highlight how volunteers' work has supported your programs. During training, showcase past projects and current efforts to demonstrate the difference they make.
8. Track Volunteer Hours: Use tools to track volunteer hours, which helps both your organisation and those needing to meet specific hour requirements. Celebrate milestones when volunteers reach certain hour thresholds, similar to how organisations like 'Blood UK' recognise returning donors with gold and platinum cards.
9. Buddy System: Pairing volunteers with a volunteering buddy, encourages a friendly environment, helps build confidence, and encourages both groups to take part again.
By adopting strategies like these and fostering a culture of appreciation, organisations can not only keep volunteers but also inspire them to become lifelong and yearlong supporters of their missions.
When a Volunteer Decides to Leave
Sometimes, a volunteer's life changes, and they may not be able to continue their role with you. It's important to handle this positively and to thank them for their valuable time and effort.
Try to have a final chat or exit interview. This is a great chance to get feedback about their experience. This gives you an opportunity to address any issues they've been hesitant to discuss previously. Over time, well conducted exit interviews can start to any trends or patterns in the reasons that your volunteers are moving on.
Remember, it’s crucial not to burn bridges. While they may not be able to volunteer now, their circumstances might change in the future. If they've had a positive experience, they may recommend volunteering with you to their friends and family.
Village Halls Week 2025
Additionally, #VillageHallsWeek 2025 theme is ‘celebrating and supporting volunteers’. This campaign is scheduled for March 17 – 23, 2025, offering an excellent opportunity to recognise your volunteer efforts.
See what else you could do for your volunteers in the rest of the Celebrating Volunteers mini series:
