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15 posts tagged with "Retention"

Strategies for retaining volunteers

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The Burnout Crisis: Protecting Your Volunteer Coordinators (and Yourself)

· 7 min read
Operations & Account Manager

I need to talk about something that doesn't get discussed enough in our field: burnout. Not volunteer burnout—though that's real too—but the burnout epidemic affecting the very people who manage volunteer programs. If you're reading this while eating lunch at your desk, answering emails at 9 PM, or wondering when you last took a real vacation, this one's for you.

TL;DR
  • 95% of nonprofit leaders cite burnout as a concern; 75% say it impacts their mission achievement
  • Volunteer coordinators are especially vulnerable: emotional labor, manual administrative burden, and the "do more with less" trap
  • Technology reduces burnout by automating tedious tasks (hour tracking, reminders, reporting) and enabling delegation
  • Structural solutions matter: appropriate staffing, clear boundaries, measuring coordinator wellbeing, and investing in professional development
  • Your wellbeing matters—not just instrumentally, but intrinsically. A burned-out coordinator helps no one

Revolutionizing Volunteer Registration Management

· 4 min read
Operations & Account Manager

The volunteer landscape continues to evolve rapidly in 2025, with registration management taking center stage as organizations compete for committed helpers in an increasingly digital world. With new technologies and shifting volunteer expectations, staying ahead of these trends isn't just nice-to-have, it's essential for organizational success.

THE GIVERS MODEL

· 4 min read

THE GIVERS MODEL: VOLUNTEER MANAGER MUST READ

Updated: Feb 26, 2020

Recently I stumbled across a new volunteer management study for growing and retaining event volunteers that stuck with me. The study by Fujiwara, Lawton and Watt has a rather long name, “Using behavioral science to recruit and retain volunteers more effectively” or it is better known as the GIVERS study in the UK where it was commissioned. The study isn’t quite a book but at 140 pages in length you need a little time to invest in reading the entire study.

RECRUITING VOLUNTEERS Time for Transformation

· 9 min read

RECRUITING VOLUNTEERS: TIME FOR TRANSFORMATION

Updated: Feb 26, 2020

Preface

Hello. I'm Florence May. I own a software company that helps organizations manage their volunteers. The company was founded in the early 2000s to support large events – the 500 Festival, NCAA Final Four, the Super Bowl, National League of Cities, American Association of Museums, National FFA and Special Olympics.

Recruiting Volunteers Are you taking the easy way

· 5 min read

Recruiting Volunteers: Are you taking the Easy Way?

Updated: Feb 26, 2020

Over the past few months, there were some interesting conversations with clients who challenged me on the core best practices of volunteer management. These are intelligent managers who looking for efficient and effective approaches to recruit "enough" volunteers.