Retaining Your Volunteers

HOW TO RETAIN YOUR VOLUNTEERS

Have you ever struggled with finding enough volunteers to support your organization's mission? I work at a church of around 250 adults a Sunday. Each Summer we run a Vacation Bible School (VBS) with around 300 kids. Ensuring we have enough great volunteers is often a worry for me.

Last year we had 242 volunteers (youth and adult) help play a role in pulling off VBS! They weren’t paid, they came to serve, giving their time as a gift for free. While other organizations might have to worry about having enough money to pay staff, for organizations that rely on volunteers the question becomes, “Are we doing the right things to attract, retain, and make our volunteer experience meaningful?”

Are you ready to take your volunteer program to the next level and ensure a meaningful experience for everyone involved?

Volunteers are the cornerstone of many organizations, offering their time, skills, and passion without monetary compensation. To ensure their continued involvement and satisfaction, effective communication is paramount. Getting this right is critical to the mission of volunteer based organizations.

Here are five key tips to consider when communicating with volunteers:

1. Express Gratitude: A simple "thank you" can go a long way in acknowledging volunteers' contributions and making them feel valued. Grab some thank you note pads to keep this a regular part of your rhythm. 
2. Utilize Clear and Consistent Communication Channels: Choose communication methods that align with your volunteers' preferences and ensure everyone receives important information. Consider using group messaging apps for team-specific discussions. One of our volunteer teams recently started using the app Discord. We are able to pin important messages, like our annual calendar to the top of the page. Our volunteers on the team are able to each add to the discussion, asking questions or adding important information. If a volunteer ever misses a message, we make sure to catch them up to speed, completely guilt free!
3. Actively Listen and Encourage Feedback: Volunteers often have valuable insights. By listening to their feedback and implementing their suggestions, you demonstrate that their input is valued and can contribute to organizational improvement.
4. Be Flexible and Understanding: Things come up. Show understanding when volunteers need to change their schedules or miss shifts.
5. End with Gratitude and Recognition: Celebrate your volunteers' achievements and the unique skills they bring to your organization. A personalized thank-you note or public recognition can go a long way in boosting morale. One organization we work with does an award night for their volunteers. They serve dinner as a thank you, and each volunteer gets a golden award! It’s something from the dollar store that represents them as a unique individual, and it’s spray painted gold to become a trophy!! 

By following these guidelines, you can create a positive and supportive environment for your volunteers, fostering a sense of belonging and encouraging their continued involvement. Moving your mission forward.

By ensuring this is done correctly, you could potentially be providing volunteers with one of the most impactful and fulfilling experiences of their life journey, allowing them to truly live out their purpose.

By Derek Steinacher

Derek is the Director of Family Ministries at Horizons Community Church, a United Methodist congregation in Lincoln, NE.