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Volunteer Loyalty
Using data collected from 288 volunteers working in 43 nonprofit agencies, Thunderbird professors Priscilla Wisner, Anne Stringfellow and William Youngdahl, along with Lenore Parker, found that satisfied volunteers are more likely to remain for longer periods of time with the same organization, are more likely to donate financially to the nonprofit, and are more likely to recommend the volunteer experience to others. The question is: How do you create and maintain that satisfaction?
Train to your Mission. Most volunteers are not working primarily to gain skills, but because they connect with the mission of the organization and they want to feel as though they are being helpful. The most effective orientation and training processes are those that give a sense of a "welcoming community." Many volunteer jobs (e.g., stuffing envelopes, pulling weeds, reading books) do not require much technical training. For these volunteers, the most effective orientation links their work to the fulfillment of the organization's mission.
Allow Reflection. Reflection enables volunteers to see the good they are doing and what they are accomplishing, and how their role is helping the organization meet its mission. This is important for two reasons. First, the volunteer's time may be sporadic or fragmented (they do not work every day), which means they do not see the end results of a process. Second, many volunteers work in potentially depressing circumstances - assisting people who are impoverished, abused, or even dying. Volunteers need to be able to step back and reflect on the good they are doing. Build opportunities for reflection into work processes. Alternatively, implement job rotation to allow volunteers whose task is somewhat removed from the organizations' clients to better understand the mission of the organization.
Provide Social Interaction. Volunteers are more satisfied when they interact among themselves and with paid staff (but not necessarily with clients of the nonprofit). Although most volunteers say they volunteer primarily for altruistic reasons (wanting to help others), there is also a strong social dimension to volunteering. Volunteers indicate they want to get out of the house, be with friends, keep busy, etc. Pair or team volunteers to provide the social interaction they seek.
Stay Flexible. Volunteers must feel as though they can work on their terms, giving as little or as much time to the organization as they desire. Recruit volunteers according to your task schedule. For instance, if your organization needs volunteers during the weekday, try recruiting from retirement communities, stay-at-home parents, or among people who work non-traditional hours.
Empower. Volunteers want to feel like they are a part of the organization, even though they are not official employees. Keep two-way communications open and encourage your volunteers to suggest improvements. A survey respondent who has volunteered for seven years with a symphony organization stated, "Volunteers have to be treated with respect and some modicum of appreciation. The volunteer effort should require some thinking and judgment, i.e., decision-making."
Sincerely Reward. Rewards and recognition can be either formal or informal, but they must be personal, sincere, and genuine. Informal rewards can be anything from a pat on the back and verbal thank you to a card on the volunteer's birthday. Formal rewards can include T-shirts, annual recognition events or coupons to local merchants. Rewards and recognition that are consistent with the volunteer's motivation for volunteering have the most impact. For example, if a volunteer is attempting to gain work experience, recognition may include a certificate that can be added to an employment application.
Although the authors stress the need for continued research into volunteer-based nonprofits, they emphasize that volunteer loyalty is critical to the sustainability of nonprofit service organizations. Satisfied volunteers continue to volunteer with the organization, are more likely to donate financially to the organization, and are more likely to recommend the organization to others for volunteer opportunities. Volunteers thereby provide essential resources of labor, knowledge, money, and recommendations to friends and family to join the volunteer corps - exponentially increasing the resource base available to the nonprofit.
The full research article, "The Service Volunteer-Loyalty Chain: An Exploratory Study of Charitable, Not-for-Profit Service Organizations," was published in the 2004 Journal of Operations Management, Vol. 22., No. 2, pp. 143-161.
Dr. Priscilla Wisner (wisnerp@t-bird.edu) is assistant professor of accounting at Thunderbird; her academic specialization includes implementation of strategy in organizations.
Dr. Anne Stringfellow (stringfa@t-bird.edu) is assistant professor of marketing at Thunderbird; her academic specialization includes customer relationship management.
Dr. William Youngdahl (youngdb@t-bird.edu), Thunderbird associate professor of operations management, specializes in project management and service management.
Lenore Parker is from the Volunteer Center of Maricopa County in Phoenix, Arizona.
RECOMMENDED WEBSITE FROM 
Idealist.org - Action Without Borders (www.idealist.org)
Search and browse 20,000 nonprofit and community organizations in 150 countries. Includes volunteer opportunities in your community and around the world. Includes tools to help nonprofits recruit and manage volunteers.
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