Volunteer Retention: How to Recruit and Keep Great Volunteers

Volunteer retention was never on my radar when I was managing a hotel or running a department at a hardware store. Everyone on my team got a paycheck. If someone didn’t show up, we had a conversation about it.

Then I moved into roles where a lot of the work got done by people who weren’t paid a dime. Campus events. Community projects. And, since 2017, just about everything that happens at our church. I learned fast that volunteers play by different rules. They can walk away any time they want…and they don’t owe you an exit interview.

Here’s what I’ve noticed. Most nonprofits and churches pour their energy into recruiting. The sign-up table. The big ask from the stage. The email blast. Then we wonder why so many of those new faces disappear a few months later.

Sound familiar?

I believe that recruiting volunteers and keeping them are really the same skill. The way you invite people shapes whether they stay. Here are 6 ways to do both well.

6 Ways to Recruit and Keep Great Volunteers

1. Ask people personally. A bulletin announcement or a mass email rarely gets anyone off the couch. A personal ask does. When you look someone in the eye and say, “I’ve noticed how great you are with people, and I think you’d be amazing on our welcome team,” you’re telling them they were SEEN. People say yes to people far more often than they say yes to programs. Make a short list of people you’d love to have on your team and invite them one at a time.
2. Connect the task to the mission. Nobody gets excited about stuffing envelopes. But, they will get excited about helping a family get the food they need this winter. Every volunteer role, no matter how small, connects to something bigger. Your job as the leader is to draw that line for them…again and again. When people lose sight of the why, the what starts to feel like a chore.
3. Make the first day easy. Think about the first time a new volunteer walks in your door. Do they know where to park? Who to look for? What they’re supposed to do? If the answer is “they’ll figure it out,” you might be losing people before they ever come back for day two. Pair every new volunteer with a friendly veteran and give them a simple job they can win at. First impressions mattered in the hotel lobby, and they matter just as much in a food pantry or a church hallway.
4. Check in, one on one. Volunteers need the same thing your best employees need – someone who knows their name and asks how they’re doing. It doesn’t have to be formal. A short coffee every few months goes a long way. Ask what they enjoy, what frustrates them and what they’d love to try next. I shared a simple framework in my post on how to structure one-on-one meetings, and most of those questions work just as well with volunteers.
5. Say thank you specifically. “Thanks, everyone!” from the front of the room is nice. It also fades by lunchtime. Specific gratitude sticks. “The way you calmed down that upset family today was AMAZING” will be remembered for weeks. A handwritten note, a quick text on Monday morning or a shout-out in front of their friends doesn’t cost much. Appreciation is cheap. Neglect is expensive.
6. Let them grow…and let them rest. Your best volunteers will want more responsibility. Give it to them! Invite them to lead a small team, train new people or help plan the next event. At the same time, watch for the ones who say yes to everything. A worn-out volunteer usually doesn’t tell you. They just stop showing up. Build in seasons off, rotate roles and make it OK to step back for a while. (Leaders need this too. Here are 7 warning signs of nonprofit burnout.)

Why Volunteers Leave (And What It Tells You)

In my experience, volunteers usually leave for one of three reasons. They feel unnoticed. They feel unprepared. Or they feel overloaded.

Look back at that list of 6 and you’ll see every point speaks to at least one of those. That’s good news! It means volunteer retention is something you can work on this week. It takes a little more intention, and it doesn’t take a bigger budget.

I think about how Jesus spent so much of his time with a small group of followers. He invested in them, walked with them, trusted them with real responsibility and then sent them out. That’s still a pretty good model for building a team.

And if you’re leading a volunteer team and feel stuck yourself, my free Next Level Self-Assessment takes about 3 minutes and can help you see where to focus next. And for a look at 8 areas of leadership, try my free LeaderScore™, which takes about 10 minutes.

Volunteer Retention: Quick Answers

Why do volunteers quit? Most often because they feel unappreciated, unclear about their role or overcommitted. A regular personal check-in can catch all three early.

How do I recruit more volunteers? Start with personal invitations instead of general announcements. Ask specific people for a specific role, and tell them why you thought of them.

How often should I thank volunteers? More often than you think. A quick, specific thank-you after a shift plus a bigger moment of appreciation a few times a year helps people feel seen.

Ok, your turn. What’s one thing that has kept YOU volunteering somewhere for the long haul? And which of these 6 does your team need most right now? Let me know in the comments!

Volunteers stay where they feel seen, prepared and part of something bigger.