Enhancing Volunteer Retention: The Role of Experienced Volunteers

Abstract

Volunteers play a pivotal role in the daily operations of nonprofit organizations (NPOs), yet retaining volunteers remains a critical challenge for NPOs. This study explores a cost-effective approach to improving volunteer retention by leveraging the potential of the existing pool of experienced volunteers. We examine how interactions between experienced and new volunteers impact the latter's retention behavior. Using data of 45,315 volunteers at a food bank over a four-year period, we explore interaction patterns among the volunteers. Our findings indicate that the presence of experienced volunteers in a volunteering shift increases new volunteer retention by 14.6%, with a stronger 71% increase for group volunteers. However, we find that increased familiarity among experienced volunteers negates this positive effect. This negative effect is dependent on the uncertainty inherent in the tasks undertaken by the volunteers. Our study contributes to the volunteer management literature by highlighting the importance of social interactions for volunteer retention and how NPOs can utilize their existing experienced volunteers to enhance new volunteer retention.

Keywords: nonprofit operations, volunteer management, retention, experience, familiarity