Reducing Volunteer Attrition

Hi Everyone,

I hope your fourth quarter donor touch work is going well.   What a great time of the year to share your care with those who care!  It is also a great way to engage volunteers.  Volunteers care about the people you serve.  However, it is easy to overlook our volunteers and the great asset they are because they often so willingly just jump in and help.

As we move through the fourth quarter, I want to remind everyone that as you are engaging volunteers that you are also nurturing them.  Research shows that the average volunteer attrition rate is about 67% per year--that means 67 of every 100 volunteers stop giving their time EACH YEAR.  And they stop for many of the same reasons donors stop giving.  They did not think anyone really cared about their shared relationship.

To prevent that attrition, we have to be careful to develop a culture in our organizations that values relationships and care through those relationships.  Our volunteers aren't a labor source--they are the people who are most committed to our cause and best prepared to help us achieve our mission.  If they are not yet advocates, we help them grow into that.  We nurture them by helping them connect their passion with our shared purpose.

We can also show them the value that their gift of time brings to our organizations.  In the U.S., the value of an hour of volunteer service is $24.14 per hour.  Calculate the amount of time volunteers donate to your organization, and show your constituencies how important volunteering is in your organization. 

Donors consistently tell us that knowing this figure matters to them.  Over and over again we hear from donors that:

“It increases the return on my dollar that I give”

“It shows me what it really takes for them to do what they do”

“It helps me to know I am part of a bigger community of people who care.”

 Showing volunteers the impact of their service helps engage them more deeply.

As we begin this season of new and continuing connections, plan to thank, nurture and grow your volunteers as well.

I hope you all have a great October!

Warmly,

Jamie