6 Strategies to Improve Volunteer Recruitment & Retention

Former President Bill Clinton once described volunteering as “an act of heroism on a grand scale,” something that goes beyond helping people beat the odds and overcome individual struggles. It empowers them to change the odds and make lasting change for entire communities.

Whether your organization helps people find safe housing, champions arts education, or works to preserve your natural ecosystem, your volunteers help make your efforts possible. However, many nonprofits still struggle to find enough help.

The competition for people's time and attention is greater than ever. Fortunately, you can adjust your volunteer recruitment and retention strategies to meet supporters where they are now and encourage them to stick around. In this guide, we’ll explore ways to attract and keep amazing volunteers.

We’ll cover:

• Today’s Volunteer Recruitment Landscape
• What Volunteers Want to See
• 6 Ways to Strengthen Volunteer Recruitment and Retention
• Improving Recruitment Through Retention
• Volunteer Recruitment FAQs

Today’s Volunteer Recruitment Landscape

Volunteer recruitment always requires effort, but the past few years have been uniquely complicated. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, formal volunteerism in the United States fell sharply between 2019 and 2021, with only 23% of Americans formally volunteering through organizations in 2021.

However, this doesn’t mean people aren’t still willing to help. 2021 saw 51% of Americans informally serving their communities by helping neighbors in whatever ways they could, and in 2023, formal volunteering numbers saw their largest increase in Americorps’ two decades of researching volunteering and civic life in America—over 75 million Americans gave their time, raising the formal volunteering rate to 28.3%.

The interest in volunteering is there, but time is still tight, and expectations are in flux. In analyzing the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey Civic Engagement and Volunteering Supplement (CEV), Americorps found that the average hours served per volunteer dropped from 96.5 in 2017 to 70 in 2024. These days, volunteers are more selective about how they give their time, so the way you invite volunteers needs a fresh approach.

What Volunteers Want to See

People still want to help, but how they want to help has changed. Expectations for volunteer experiences are higher, and a healthy organizational culture can play a major role in overcoming recruitment challenges for staff and volunteers.

Today’s volunteers are also seeking out new ways to get involved. Virtual volunteering is on the rise and can even entice supporters to spend more time serving others! Americorps’ 2023 study on volunteering and civic life found that the average formal volunteer who participated in person only contributed 64 hours of service, compared to 95 hours for the average virtual or hybrid volunteer. Offering both in-person and virtual opportunities can help your volunteer program make the most of this shift.

The volunteers you're hoping for are out there, and they want to help. They're just waiting for the right invitation. You don't need a big, splashy campaign to catch their attention. You just need to make it easier for them to find a place where they can belong.

To learn more practical ways to get more volunteers on board, watch the tutorial below.

 

How to get Volunteers

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6 Ways to Strengthen Volunteer Recruitment and Retention

1. Make It Easy to Say Yes

Busy schedules demand flexibility. Offering flexible volunteering options respects individuals' time constraints and promotes a healthier work-life balance. Use these strategies to make volunteering easier:

• Offer micro-volunteering opportunities. 1–2 hour shifts or one-time events can feel more manageable than an ongoing commitment. A positive experience during a short, low-pressure volunteer shift might even help a supporter ease into a larger commitment with your organization. For example, you might entice prospective volunteers by saying, "Spend 30 minutes a week calling seniors—we provide the script and contact list."
• Create virtual roles. Tasks like research, social media, and tech support can be done from home. Allowing volunteers to participate remotely can bring in talented, passionate people who may not live in your organization’s area, but who care deeply about your mission.
• Simplify your sign-up process. To make it easier for supporters to get involved as volunteers, use mobile-friendly forms and avoid jargon.
• Set clear expectations. A short "what to expect" video or handout helps build confidence and ensures new volunteers understand their responsibilities before their first shift.

2. Match People's Skills

When supporters’ professional strengths don’t obviously align with your nonprofit’s work, they may struggle to see how their skills apply to your organization’s volunteer efforts.

Show them how they can help your organization by:

• Listing needs that align with professional skill sets, such as IT support, graphic design, or data entry.
• Recruiting for specific roles to help volunteers see a fit. For instance, someone who's great with tech might never picture themselves volunteering at an animal shelter until you show them how a database manager could help track vaccinations and adoptions.
• Sharing real volunteer stories that showcase how your supporters make an impact in unexpected ways.

3. Be Approachable

Meet prospective volunteers where they already are, and invite them in with familiar language. Provide space for two-way conversations by allowing supporters to reach your team with questions about how they can help.

Take the following steps to make your organization’s volunteer opportunities more approachable:

• Post opportunities on social media platforms, such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Different platforms might attract different audiences, so be sure to tailor your messaging to each one.
• Use clear, inclusive language. Avoid acronyms and other jargon related to your cause area to make new volunteers feel welcome.
• Make your messaging visual and relatable. Include real photos and stories from your volunteer program to help supporters picture themselves serving with your organization.
• Provide a point of contact. Prospective volunteers may have questions about how to get involved. Allow them to get in touch by including a way to contact your team when you post new opportunities. For instance, you may create a digital flyer that says, "Volunteer this Saturday. You bring the time; we bring the snacks. Message us to sign up! [Phone number, email address]."

4. Train Volunteers Like You Train Your Staff

Training builds confidence and loyalty. A simple, welcoming onboarding process can make all the difference in helping new volunteers feel ready and excited to get started. To improve your training, you might:

• Provide a 10–15 minute welcome training. Help your volunteers get their bearings by offering an overview of your nonprofit’s work before getting into more detail about organizational policies and volunteers’ responsibilities.
• Use training to minimize risk. Make sure volunteers feel comfortable with their duties before their service begins. If your volunteers work with children or operate machinery, include a safety walkthrough in your training to protect both your volunteers and those they serve.
• Make volunteer training available online. Many volunteers balance their duties alongside their careers and busy schedules, which can make it difficult to attend in-person sessions. Consider investing in a nonprofit LMS to keep your training organized and give volunteers the flexibility to learn on their own time.
• Include critical topics like trauma-informed care and inclusion. If your volunteers handle sensitive issues, ensure their training prepares them to address challenges with care.

5. Build Belonging From Day One

Connection fuels retention. Help your volunteers feel like valued members of your team by building small, consistent moments of engagement and appreciation into your existing volunteer management practices.

Foster a sense of belonging by:

• Sending personalized thank-yous after new volunteers’ first shifts. For instance, you might tell them, "We loved having you with us today. Your calm energy made a real difference."
• Celebrating volunteer milestones. Show your volunteers how much you value their efforts by recognizing important points in their service with your organization. For example, you may send a handwritten note or a certificate to commemorate a volunteer’s hundredth hour served or first year of service.
• Pairing new volunteers with a buddy. Help new volunteers get acquainted with your organization by pairing them with more experienced volunteers who can answer questions and make them feel welcome.
• Asking for feedback (and acting on it). Show volunteers that their input matters. Send out regular surveys that request their feedback, and make adjustments where possible to continually improve the volunteer experience.

6. Reach the Next Generation of Volunteers

Younger volunteers tend to value flexibility, purpose, and digital connection. Consider these factors and keep the door open for students and young professionals to get involved by treating recruitment less like a one-time appeal and more like an open invitation.

To reach younger volunteers, your nonprofit can:

• Offer short-term and virtual opportunities. Many younger prospective volunteers are still in school or just entering the workforce, so you should consider flexibility in both scheduling and format as you plan upcoming volunteer opportunities. For instance, it may be more feasible for a full-time student to commit to a single afternoon than to an open-ended commitment.
• Connect roles to real-world issues and skill-building. For a young professional, volunteering can be an excellent opportunity to develop additional skills outside of work. Offer certificates, badges, and tangible resume builders to help volunteers demonstrate what they’ve learned from serving with your organization.
• Make sign-ups and training mobile-friendly. Younger generations grew up with smartphones and are accustomed to using technology on the go. Meet these prospective volunteers where they are by making it easy for them to sign up for shifts and access training materials from their mobile devices.

Improving Recruitment Through Retention

When volunteers feel welcomed, valued, and prepared, they'll naturally spread the word and bring others along. Instead of starting from scratch, build deeper roots by continuing to appreciate your current volunteers.

To build an experience that encourages existing volunteers to stay and prospective ones to join, start small by choosing one area of your volunteer program to improve. Maybe it's simplifying your onboarding. Perhaps it’s time to refresh your volunteer messaging. It could be asking your current volunteers what makes them stay and really listening.

Volunteer Recruitment & Retention FAQs

What is volunteer recruitment?

Volunteer recruitment is the process of seeking out volunteers whose skills align with your organization’s needs and asking them to give their time through thoughtful outreach. To recruit volunteers, your nonprofit might post opportunities, screen candidates, and follow up with interested prospects to move them forward in working with your organization.

How can a nonprofit improve volunteer recruitment?

Nonprofits can improve their volunteer recruitment efforts by collecting stories and testimonials from current volunteers, encouraging them to spread the word about opportunities, simplifying sign-up and application forms, and being specific about the responsibilities and time commitment of each volunteer role.

How can our nonprofit encourage volunteer retention?

Your nonprofit can encourage volunteer retention by focusing on training and recognition for volunteers of all experience levels. For new volunteers, clearly outline key processes and duties before they begin their service, and be sure to show appreciation after their first shifts. For more seasoned volunteers, celebrate their milestones and encourage them to continue growing with your organization by offering continuous learning resources.

Get Started With Niche Academy

Every small step you take to make volunteering feel welcoming, purposeful, and manageable adds up. And the best part is, you don't have to do it alone.

Niche Academy can help your nonprofit train new volunteers and encourage continuous learning for seasoned supporters. With mobile-friendly, role-specific volunteer onboarding and training tools, you can build confidence and connection from day one without tech headaches. You can even track volunteers’ progress to refine your efforts over time and encourage retention.