One of the main goals of our research was to create recommendations for coordinating volunteers who are members of our target population in order to maximize their effectiveness and satisfaction levels. 

All members of our target population fit three criteria:

1) Each had volunteered within the last three years.

2) Each was age 35 or above.

3) Each had a bachelor's degree or higher educational attainment.  

Recommendations for Coordinating and Managing Volunteers: 

• The volunteer position must fit the interests of the volunteer.  Otherwise, the volunteer will not stay.  Do not assume volunteers are happy in their roles; ask.  A participant of one of our focus groups commented, "I have still landed largely in board, advisory, teaching, training kinds of situations and have good skills in those areas but am frustrated because I want to work directly with people." 
   

• Parameters of volunteer positions should be well defined: "There’s nothing worse than stepping up to a job and all of a sudden finding out that it’s way more than you thought it would be."  You don't want to frustrate volunteers by giving them more than they thought they'd be doing or restrict them when they thought they'd have more authority, access, or time. 
   

• Respondents'  top motivations to continue volunteering in a position long-term were “I am helping people” (44%), “I am supporting an organization that is important to me” (40%), “I am supporting a specific issue or population” (37%), “I have the time to continue volunteering” (35%), and “I am supporting my community” (33%).  [See Question 17] 
   

• Integrating volunteers into your organization fully and making them feel like part of the organization is possibly the most positive action a volunteer manager can take to improve volunteer longevity.  Unlike the other top four motivations to volunteer, support for "I am supporting an organization that is important to me" as a motivation to stay in a volunteer position did not differ between age groups and other demographic sub-groupings.  It was consistently one of the most important factors that determined whether a respondent stayed in a volunteer position.  [See Question 17]  A focus group participant supported this motivation: "Volunteer opportunities ought to assimilate people. Senior Services [the agency supporting the study] does this real well. I think that’s why people come here and stay."  Another shared that, "I think the volunteer likes the sense of knowing what’s going on around them."  They want the big picture, even if it means that they prefer volunteering for another volunteer program more.  "I think there is sometimes fear that you don’t want to do something over there [i.e., with another program] because they [i.e., the volunteer] might want to work over there instead. But if everybody does it then you increase the pool for all," added another participant.  Programs should shed their fears of losing volunteers to other volunteer programs in order to create volunteers who are more integrated into the organization as a whole and who feel connected to its mission, its staff, and its other volunteers.  In addition, staff must support the volunteers, and it must be an organization-wide effort.  Volunteers must feel supported by all staff, not just the volunteer coordinator, in order to feel integrated into the organization.  This point was a strong theme among the focus group participants.    
   

• Volunteers also want to feel they have efficacy.  Most respondents said they continue volunteering because they are “helping people” (44%), "supporting a specific issue or population” (37%), or “supporting my community” (33%).  [See Question 17]  Though expressed in different ways, these are efficacy responses.  Volunteers want to know they are making a difference.  "You’re not actually looking for the governor to recognize you...volunteers want to make a difference; make something better," said one focus group participant.  Another added, "volunteer opportunities have to be definable; there has to be progress. Whatever you’re doing you need to see some kind of progression; the goals need to be obtainable. It’s one thing to say we’re going to save the world. It’s another to find something more realistic."  In order to satisfy volunteers' interests in knowing their work is effective, volunteer coordinators should share performance information with volunteers, especially those who are not engaged in direct service roles.
   

• Very few respondents said they continue volunteering because "I am recognized for my service" (9%) or "I am rewarded for volunteering a certain length of time or number of hours" (1%).  [See Question 17]  And reactions to rewards given for volunteer service varied significantly among focus group participants.  Some clearly wanted a tangible reward: "I want a reward – even if it’s a lunch. [For example] I spent more money on parking [to attend the focus group] than I would have paid on lunch [which was provided to participants]. I want some kind of immediate reward."  Others feel that taking time to produce and distribute volunteer rewards is wasteful: "Don’t waste time on a certificate if you are so busy you need volunteers."  Others acknowledged that recognition is important, but they preferred frequent expressions of appreciation from staff or clients to awards.  Still others said they do not want "thank yous."  How do you make everyone happy?  A busy volunteer coordinator usually does not have the resources to give each volunteer the exact reward (or lack thereof) that will satisfy him/her the most.  Therefore, many coordinators need to find a middle ground.  Show appreciation, but not too much, and don't spend too much money on it (to display fiscal responsibility; volunteers are often donors), but enough to show the volunteers are important.  If you have the time and resources, you can customize your rewards to each volunteer's taste. 
   

• There is a correlation between the retirement status, age, sex, and educational attainment of respondents and the likelihood they will engage in certain types of volunteer work.  For example, non-retirees are twice as likely to participate in governance volunteering than are retirees, and retirees are much more likely to be engaged in administrative service than non-retirees.  The lesson here is not that older adults should not be asked to sit on Boards of Directors.  Rather, it should not be assumed that persons of any age group would want or not want to fill a certain type of volunteer position because of attributes they are assumed to have because of demographic groups they fit within.  For example, the age group with the second highest likelihood of engaging in Direct Service was 75-84 year olds.  [See Question 5]   
   

• A large majority of respondents (75%) said, “I am more likely to volunteer in a position that uses skills and knowledge I already have.”  Responses were consistent across demographic subgroups of age, sex, income, and educational attainment.  [See Question 15]  Volunteers will accept positions that require them to learn.  However, the learning must help meet some clearly defined goal.  Some volunteers, of course, prefer positions that require learning, but the learning still must be tied to some other goal, as exemplified by a comment made by a focus group participant: "for me, I have to learn something. I’m a lifelong learner; I need to learn something and it has to be challenging; there has to be a learning process that I can adapt to situations."
   

• Most respondents did not feel that the volunteer work they enjoy doing the most requires a person with their level of education.  [See Question 16]  Do not assume that a person with a high educational attainment will want to fill a position that requires their level of expertise.  They may want to fill a position that they perceive could be done well by someone with less formal education.  It is, of course, fine to make the ask.  A focus group participant said that being asked to fill a high skill or leadership position was "like an ego stroke."  At the same time, that participant expressed clearly that he did not want to do fill any leadership roles. 
   

• Nonprofits frequently recruit from their existing volunteer pools to fill open leadership-level volunteer positions.  In order to recruit the most highly qualified volunteers and to keep them engaged and satisfied, organizations must equip them with the tools they need to succeed.  In order to properly coordinate leadership-level volunteers, organizations must follow a few basic rules.  1) Some tasks are best done by staff.  Organizations need to identify those tasks and allocate the appropriate staff resources.  More than one focus group participant mentioned that staff should be available to coordinate volunteer programs.  2) Leadership-level volunteers need "clearly defined parameters – time, start and end date. [They need the] freedom to do what feels right, and the support to carry it out."  "I want details of the opportunity to prove that it has been thought out thoroughly.  Are the benefits worthwhile?  I want the outcomes to be spelled out."  3) They need "to have the decision-making authority to do the things that are necessary" and support from staff.  If a volunteer is asked to do a job they are not given the authority to carry out, the volunteer will become frustrated, and a great human resource will be lost.  And as one focus group participant said, "bad mouth advertising is the worst kind of advertising. Know specifically what you want and be upfront with [volunteers]. Know what you do want and not want from someone."  4) Finally, leadership-level volunteers want to know they're the right person for the job.  One focus group participant explained, "Its not too different from sitting in an office, knowing the boss is coming with an 'opportunity.'  First, I want to know why me.  Am I the first he's asked? Was I targeted for my skills and knowledge?  Not the 5th in a line of others who declined."
   

• Retired and older volunteers are more likely to volunteer more hours than non-retired and younger volunteers.  [See Question 7]  That does not mean, however, that volunteer coordinators should assume retired and older volunteers want to spend all their time volunteering. 
   

• 82% of all respondents described their "volunteer activities as occurring on a regular, scheduled basis."  97% of retirees and 70% of non-retirees said the same.  Some retired focus group participants, however, expressed an aversion to volunteering for programs with set schedules.  Others, of course, enjoy the regular schedules.  Therefore, it may be wise to allow most volunteers to volunteer on a regular, scheduled basis, while also creating room, when possible, for those who enjoy a more sporadic schedule.  Obviously, some types of volunteering lend themselves to this model better than others.  [See Question 6]
   

• 100% of retirees and 71% of non-retirees prefer volunteering on weekdays over weekends.  [See Question 11]  The response to question 11 should be cross-referenced with the answer to question 12.
   

• The hours of day respondents preferred to volunteer was greatly affected by their age and retirement status.  In order to attract certain groups of volunteers, schedules should be adjusted accordingly.  [See Question 12]
   

Donations

Volunteers are very frequently donors to the same organizations for which they volunteer.  We asked focus group participants: "How would an organization you care about be most successful at asking for donations from you?"  They identified a few perceptions that the volunteer must have about the organization soliciting donations and suggested specific methods that organizations could successfully use to appeal for donations.

Perceptions

• The volunteer must believe funds are used efficiently by the organization asking for donations.
   

• The volunteer experience must be positive in order for donations to follow.
   

• The volunteer must see a need that is being met by the donation.

Methods of Soliciting for Donations

• Make the ask: "if you are asking them for a donation, say it was a charity auction, and people know that the donation – a large percentage – will go to that goal, and you ask them to participate. They may or may not but you give them the opportunity. You’d be surprised how many of them do. I said that word, ask. Put that in caps! ASK!! This is what we fail to do most of the time, is ask. You’d be surprised how may people, salesman, can get all the way up to the closing and forget to ask for the sale! You’ve got to ask and close the sale. You’ve got to ask the person to help or participate."
   

• Coach volunteers to make the ask: "when you volunteer and are talking one on one, a lot of people will say, I think it’s wonderful what you are doing. Yes, I’ve got an envelope right here if you want to send in some money to help the organization."
   

• Find a way to match the donations of volunteers: "A small number of people commit to matching X number of dollars if their community raises it. We do that at the elementary school. We pool our resources and said that the first $10,000 would be matched. I think it did make people contribute more than they would have."  "I think wealthy people like that approach, too. They feel that is making a bigger difference than if they are just donating the same amount of money."
   

• Set a goal to be reached: "When I get that thing in the mail it’s real tempting to help them reach the goal. They have a goal of reaching $X and can you help us get there and the funds will be matched."  "It also gives you that re-hook. Say you have $7,000 toward $10,000. If they haven’t given yet or they gave $25 dollars they can give another $25. It gives you a sense, OK, it’s working. As opposed to just making $7,000."
   

• Develop planned giving: "planned giving is kind of an underutilized tool. It’s actually a no-brainer. For most people it’s a bit on the painless side. They don’t part with anything until they’re departed. I don’t think enough organizations use it enough, pitch it."
   

• Involve more volunteers in leadership roles: "Many people recognize that the more you are involved in an organization and the more of a leadership role you are taking, that you are, well not obligated because you can always say no, but the expectation is that you will help financially to the extent you can to that organization or others."
   

• The donation should be tied to the work being performed by the volunteer, so they can see their money at work.
   

• Make giving habitual.
   

• Be succinct, respect the time of volunteers and donors.
   

• Give donors the option of discontinuing donation solicitations.