How to Engage and Retain Volunteers: Five Steps to Build Connection, Motivation, and Belonging
- Nonprofit Learning Lab
- Dec 10, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 15
Think about the volunteers who make your work possible. What inspires your volunteers to give their time and keep coming back? Volunteers give their time, skills, and energy to move missions forward. The key to sustaining that energy is not only recruitment, but strong volunteer engagement and volunteer retention. When volunteers feel connected to your mission, supported in their roles, and recognized for their impact, they return ready to do more.
Effective volunteer management is about creating systems that make volunteers feel seen, valued, and empowered. Whether you lead a large organization or a small nonprofit volunteer program, the following steps outline how to engage and retain volunteers in nonprofits through connection, motivation, and belonging.
Step 1: Understand What Motivates Volunteers
Goal: Align volunteer motivation with meaningful roles.
Actions:
Ask every new volunteer why they chose your organization and what work feels meaningful.
Capture interests, skills, availability, and goals in your CRM or intake form.
Match people to roles that align with program needs and their motivations.
Revisit motivations during check-ins to keep alignment fresh.
Outcome: Roles feel purposeful, satisfaction rises, and volunteers stay longer.
Step 2: Build Relationships, Not Just Roles
Goal: Create belonging, connection, and community.
Actions:
Start shifts with quick introductions or reflection prompts.
Pair new volunteers with buddies or small teams to foster connection.
Host low-lift appreciation touchpoints—coffee chats, post-shift huddles, group photos.
Encourage team communication in a shared channel or group text.
Outcome: Stronger volunteer relationships lead to higher volunteer engagement and loyalty.
Step 3: Offer Opportunities for Growth
Goal: Increase commitment with development and leadership.
Actions:
Provide short trainings, micro-lessons, or skills workshops.
Create leadership roles (shift lead, trainer, event captain, mentor).
Offer cross-training so volunteers can explore new programs.
Invite volunteers to propose improvements or pilot micro-projects.
Outcome: Clear growth paths strengthen volunteer retention and deepen ownership.
Step 4: Recognize Authentically and Frequently
Goal: Make appreciation personal, specific, and regular.
Actions:
Thank volunteers by name and cite concrete impact after each shift.
Celebrate milestones (first month, 25 hours, 1 year) in email and social.
Share impact stories and photos in newsletters and on your website.
Send birthday notes, handwritten thank-you cards, or shout-outs in meetings.
Outcome: Thoughtful volunteer recognition energizes motivation and keeps people coming back.
Step 5: Ask for Feedback and Act on It
Goal: Improve the experience through continuous listening.
Actions:
Run brief surveys after events and quarterly check-ins for active volunteers.
Track themes in your CRM: onboarding, training, scheduling, communication.
Close the loop: “You asked for clearer shift instructions and we updated the guide.”
Share a public “What we changed based on volunteer feedback” note every quarter.
Outcome: Volunteers feel respected which helps retain volunteers.
Strong volunteer engagement and volunteer retention come from connection, communication, and care. When volunteers feel known, appreciated, and part of something bigger, they stay committed. Investing time in your volunteer management systems is one of the most powerful ways to create meaningful volunteer experiences and ensure the ongoing success of your mission.
Quick-Start Checklist to Improve Volunteer Engagement
To make these strategies actionable, it helps to build simple systems that make volunteer engagement part of your daily operations. The checklist below outlines key elements to include in volunteer management procedures.
1. Volunteer Intake & Onboarding
Each new volunteer completes an intake form capturing motivation, skills, and scheduling preferences.
2. Peer Support for New Volunteers
Implement a buddy system pairing each new volunteer with an experienced volunteer for their first few weeks.
3. Volunteer Recognition Calendar
Maintain a year-round recognition plan that includes weekly
shout-outs (via email or social media) and milestone badges for hours served or anniversaries.
4. Volunteer Feedback & Continuous Improvement
Conduct a quarterly volunteer satisfaction survey and track recurring themes. Publish a “You Asked & We Changed” summary to show how volunteer feedback informed program updates, building trust and transparency.
More Volunteer Resources
Volunteer Opportunity Board
Browse volunteer job boards and get involved in your local community or in national volunteer leadership opportunities.
This 2-part training covers key aspects of volunteer management, including recruitment strategies, effective volunteer training methods, and best practices for volunteer retention. Participants will learn how to build a leadership pipeline, handle challenging volunteer situations, and update volunteer protocols using practical samples and templates for a volunteer program.
Compilation of resources relating to volunteer & board management along with highlighting some of our favorite external resources.