How to motivate volunteers season after season

Researchers have identified six key motivations for volunteering:

· Values – express philanthropic ideals; Example: A person who loves gardening and is concerned about the beautification of the city can volunteer for a tree planting organization.

· Comprehension – learn or practice skills; Example: A person who wants to learn more about the hearing impaired community may volunteer her time to tutor children with cochlear implants. The volunteer will gain an understanding of the challenges and triumphs of children in this community experience.

· Social – engage in volunteer work to be with friends; Example: volunteering to deliver water together at a charity run. The main objective is to be with friends while working for the cause.

· race – encourage professional opportunities; Example: An event planner volunteering to plan a charity auction will be meeting with key business contacts and vendors in the event planning process.

· Protection – counter adverse feelings or sadness; Example: A mother who lost a child in a drunk driving accident may volunteer her time to Mothers’ Against Drunk Driving.

· Upgrade – increase the self-image or growth of the person; Example: A person who feels better about himself as a result of her volunteer work.

Research varies on which motivations are best practice, however many people cite a combination of several factors in their reasons for volunteering.

Volunteering and Serious Leisure

A variety of volunteer opportunities are available to people in their spare time. Often one chooses a particular volunteer activity based on their personal interests or the interests of a family member. What may start as a couple of hours helping with the registration table at a kids’ hockey tournament can turn into organizing registration for 30 hockey teams the following year. Volunteer activities can become so complicated that they consume a person’s free time. This type of experience is known as serious leisure, that is, the organized and lasting search for an activity or set of skills in which the participant is completely absorbed. Serious volunteers may describe their volunteer activities as work. For example, the person who volunteers at a community gift shop or feeds the animals at the shelter might call this activity her job.

In serious leisure activities, volunteers share similar values ​​that form a collective identity among the group. The volunteers are not only enthusiastic about the activity, but also united by their interests and feel a sense of belonging within the social circle. Retirees who meet every Tuesday to play bridge at the community center can volunteer to teach the youth group how to play the game in their spare time. They share enthusiasm for the activity, keep track of their scores and master grade points, and are motivated to share their knowledge with others.

Volunteer Recruitment

Most managers look for volunteers internally, including parents and participants, as these people are knowledgeable about the sport and trustworthy, based on personal relationships. For example, older soccer teams can help younger soccer teams through a youth training program. The teens will not only gain experience in coaching and mentoring skills, they will also provide much-needed free labor for the program. A junior coaching program is beneficial for managers and students. However, managers should consider training requirements, keeping in mind that national organizations may require training staff to have credentials, insurance, and a background check. Also, parents of younger children may be concerned if their children are not being taught by a professional trainer. For this reason, youth coaches should work alongside professional staff, not as replacements.

Another option for recruiting volunteers is to look beyond the traditional framework of an organization by building a bridge to the surrounding community. For example, a baseball team looking to build a new member website might ask a chartered computer department or a local web design company to create the website. Volunteers might see this as an opportunity to build skills and help the community, and the commissioner of baseball sees the bridge as a way to complete a necessary task. One of the problems that could arise from the transition is a lack of trust. Volunteers who do not have a personal relationship or investment in the activity may be seen as outsiders with questionable motives.

Creating a student internship program is also a great way to recruit new volunteers. Not only can a manager provide vocational training to students, but they can also receive much-needed assistance that doesn’t break the budget. Student volunteers can help with filing, answering phones, organizing the office, and staffing registration tables. Learning how to use office equipment such as copier, fax machine, scanner, and laminator is not usually covered in class, but is essential in the daily office environment. Internships are a great way for students to learn how to use this equipment, as well as develop programming and customer service expertise.

A word of caution: recreation leaders must be careful about the behavior of volunteers, especially those who work with children. A screening process that includes background checks and fingerprinting must be in place before volunteers interact with children.

Volunteer retention and motivation

Volunteers should feel welcome when they join a new group. To ease the familiarization process, managers can host an informal coffee meet-and-greet, a team building meeting, or host a family picnic. Volunteer groups can function like a cabal, where new members are seen as outsiders trying to take over leadership of the organization. Returning group members may feel that they are a small number of people who bear the brunt of the work. Many times, they don’t recognize their unwelcoming behavior. When this happens, new volunteers feel rejected and don’t come back to help in the future. Part of the manager’s goal is to bridge the gap between returning and new volunteers.

Staff must provide accurate information about the organizational structure and roles of volunteers. The outline of duties and expectations will give volunteers a clear picture of their role in the organization. This will help people choose wisely if they have time to volunteer and if the position will meet their needs. When a win-win situation is reached, the volunteer will feel empowered in their volunteer effort and will keep coming back for more hours.

When working with volunteers, managers must keep the communication channel open. Interactions may include listening to volunteers’ concerns and questions and providing positive feedback on a regular basis. Verbal expressions of appreciation for a job well done can accompany formal rewards and recognition. Rewards can be plaques, certificates, a volunteer appreciation breakfast, free program registration, a thank you gift, or a special printed recognition. Extrinsic rewards can influence volunteer attendance and effort.

Managers must strive to keep the experience enjoyable for volunteers. The enjoyment of the activity is a great motivator to return and even take on additional responsibilities. When hiring new staff, a manager can focus on choosing people who are committed to promoting volunteerism. If possible, new staff should have experience working effectively with volunteers and have a positive attitude towards having volunteers in the center.

Conversely, a manager who has little experience or doesn’t know how to communicate effectively with their volunteers may face a low retention rate. A volunteer left alone for too long on a task without feedback will feel unappreciated and may stop showing up altogether. Research shows that poor compliance leads volunteers to quit smoking. If one does not feel that he is getting a level of satisfaction from the experience equal to the time he is investing, he often leaves the group. The very opportunity for volunteers to express their dissatisfaction is linked to positive results. Once volunteers feel pride and respect for their experience, they will continue to volunteer. Managers can retain and motivate volunteers season after season by asking for feedback through end-of-year surveys and informal debriefings.

After volunteers have been in their positions for several seasons, they may resist further training or try things in a different way. If the budget allows, sending a volunteer to a professional conference can inspire them and reinforce their value to the organization. Volunteers will be able to network and will return rejuvenated and full of new ideas. In the case of figure skating, a volunteer could attend a US Figure Skating seminar on the judging system and then lead a seminar at their home rink for coaches and parents.

conclusion

Volunteers are needed to help keep youth sports activities running smoothly. Managers need strategies to positively work with and motivate volunteers to increase retention. An examination of an event where paid staff and volunteers work together is a useful conclusion to this article.

In this scenario, the recreation leader would like to host a car wash to raise money for new uniforms for a youth sports team. The role of the manager is to train the volunteers to organize and run the car wash with their guide. Encouraging parents and students to form a volunteer committee is one method of delegating responsibilities at events. Hosting a committee meeting with simple refreshments for attendees will help them feel valued in the car wash planning process. Dividing duties among the volunteer team ensures that everyone involved has a job and creates a sense of teamwork. Duties may include: calling the venue, purchasing supplies, making signs, sending mass marketing emails, scheduling volunteers, providing refreshments. Each volunteer has a specific task; once that task is complete, volunteers can enjoy the event as they see fit. Managers must actively involve children in fundraising. The athletes are high-energy and eager to pitch in to raise funds for their uniforms.

Throughout the event, staff should communicate with volunteers through friendly small talk or words of encouragement, letting them know they are valued. After the event, thank you notes with a short survey to collect feedback can help keep volunteers motivated and positive about their contribution. Parents and players want to know that they are appreciated and make a difference in the organization. Fostering feelings of inclusion and helpfulness will help retain volunteers for the upcoming season.