Recruiting and Retaining Volunteers: How Organizations Can Overcome the Challenges of Working with Volunteers

Abstract

Volunteers provide organizations with numerous resources and can work to really make a positive difference in the community. Volunteer rates in the United States are declining making it very important for organizations that rely on volunteers to work more effectively and efficiently with their volunteers. The recruitment and retention of volunteers are some of the biggest issues volunteer organizations face. By understanding the challenges encountered when working with volunteers and using theory to identify ways these challenges can be overcome to create a positive experience, volunteer commitment is built and recruitment and retention rates increase. This paper results in eight strategies volunteer organizations can implement in order to more effectively recruit and retain volunteers.