Why Community Organizations are Starving for Volunteers

Nearly half of nonprofit leaders say that recruiting volunteers is a big problem for their organization

But there is a silver lining.

But first, the paradox. Corporate volunteerism is going up, and more people are working from home, which means they should be available to volunteer. Even with these two factors, volunteers are still a scarce commodity for many nonprofits. And for what might be the straw that the camel couldn’t handle: the demand for services from nonprofits is increasing.

(For those who are NOT nonprofits: If you don’t run a nonprofit, but you care about your community or region, then you might be able to be part of the answer, so read on…)

Nonprofits are challenged by finding the right volunteer support and the capacity to sustain volunteer engagement. Almost half (46.8%) of CEOs say recruiting sufficient volunteers is a key problem for their organizations. (ref )

Why does that matter?

Volunteers fill two critical roles:

1. They multiply the paid services that nonprofits offer.
2. They become some of the best donors and champions for the organization.
3. They offer expertise that the nonprofit doesn’t have to pay for, such as accounting, IT, marketing, etc.

Without a steady flow of volunteers, many nonprofits cannot sustain services, and most cannot build financial support.

What gives? Why are nonprofits struggling to win and keep enough volunteers? We know that part of the answer is the terrible events of 2020. People nationwide “turtled up” and remained connected to a small group of people. Many of the large community events stopped entirely. Many of the ways people volunteered were shut down. People have remained socially nervous about crowds and social venues.

The impact of the Pandemic was dramatic, and the recovery has been slow. In terms of human resources, from 2019 to 2020, nonprofits lost an average of 7 percent of their part-time staff and 33 percent of their volunteers. (ref ). Catching up is going to take time and new strategies.

One big clue for nonprofits is found in the one area of volunteerism that didn’t change during the pandemic - most people (50%) continued to serve informally with those they knew well, their neighbors. More on this later.

Here’s the bright spot

The three big assets that nonprofits need to manage to continue building volunteer capacity in 2024 are:

1. Knowing what to do with corporate volunteers. This is becoming a more widespread policy among larger companies.
2. Knowing how to engage the remote/gig and independent workforce.
3. Increasing the social connection and trust with volunteers.

Here’s a principle: Volunteers upgrade their commitments to serve and give in direct proportion to the experiential nature of their involvement.

This is the “Missions Trip Principle” used by many overseas missions programs: When a volunteer is immersed in a service experience, it changes them.?

Principle #2: Challenging volunteerism follows relationships. If they feel connected like neighbors, they’ll take on riskier tasks.

Look for a follow-up article on this principle.

Do your entry-level volunteer experiences immerse people? Or are they essentially fund-raisers that encourage existing supporters and create a little awareness among those who are new?

The way that you interact with a large number of potential corporate volunteers, and all of the remote and gig workers determines whether you are going to see ongoing volunteerism or just people who are checking the box on a work day or looking for a social outlet.

Here’s the spectrum of experiential engagement with uncommitted volunteers.

The key to creating a transformational volunteer experience is to provide the highest level of human experience without overwhelming them. But many approaches to volunteer engagement are a big underwhelm.

Here are three of my experiences:

Underwhelm:?

I joined a fundraising walk for a mental health association and had some fun walking with friends. I didn’t learn anything about the organization, I didn’t meet anyone who had been helped by the organization, and I didn’t hear from them after the event.

Overwhelm:

I was invited to get some training for a coaching program and walked into a large metropolitan rescue mission conference room. Shortly after I entered, they brought in 17 people who were currently receiving services and we were informed that we were going to help them all find their future careers and get a job start in the next week or so. Overwhelm.

Just Right:

I was helping an Asian charity with grant writing and was asked to visit their operations in the Philippines. As I joined the group visiting the outreach locations across the Philippines I was exposed to environments that I had only seen on T.V. I walked through a fishing village with houses built with bamboo on sand floors, joined a meal in a small cluster of homes around an open fire, joined the team feeding malnourished children, and sat in a graduation with hundreds of children and families beaming with joy. The biggest challenge was being asked to lead an instructional time with a group of families about avoiding Malaria (they provided the script). The experience for me was warm, memorable, and challenging in just the right way. My support for this charity has not waned since.

If we aim too high, we blow people’s minds. If we aim too low, nothing happens except a small donation and a distant memory.

Given the fact that two of the biggest opportunities for fresh volunteers who might become future supporters come from dramatically different sources: corporate volunteer programs and gig/remote workers, we’ve got to think differently about how we can engage them at the right level.?

So much has changed in the world of work and social interaction, that pulling the same rabbit out of the event or fundraising plan hat, isn’t going to get you a growing body of volunteers.?

Often today, charities are thinking about engaging first on social media as a way to acquire supporters. What kind of experience is that? And how can you move people from that pseudo-distant experience to one that will actually engage them?

Here’s a starting point:

Review the ways that you engage volunteers and adjust based on their interests, level of awareness, and comfort in socially challenging situations.?