How to LOSE Volunteers

10 wonderful ways to drive volunteers away 


1)  Make me feel unwelcome. This was an actual sign taped to the back of an office chair. "NO ONE may sit in this chair except the Director - even when she is not here." Huh?  What if there are no other free chairs? 

2)  Don't have anything for me to do when I show up.   I love waking up early on  a Saturday morning only to sit around with nothing to do, no one to talk to and no hot coffee.

If there is nothing for me to do, I'm not going to waste my time.

3) Be rude.  Once I attended a parent teacher organization meeting that felt made me feel like I was back in middle school. The PTO President felt entitled to yell at and berate every other adult in the room.

If you criticize me or insult me, I will leave.  It's not like quitting is going to impact my resume.

4) Give me the job no one else wants.  Trust me, if no one else wants the job I won't either. A twenty-year old may be willing to do grunt work to gain experience. A 40 year old probably won't.

Don't expect volunteers to "pay their dues" by doing the dirty work before they get to do what they came to do. Many of them paid their dues in other organizations and are offering you the value of their experience. Don't waste it on menial jobs. I once saw a great cartoon that said," Well... I could help with your filing and general office work or you could take advantage of my 25 years experience in corporate development..."

5) Rub it in that you get paid and I don't. Just because I am working for free doesn't mean that my work is worthless. It has as much value as anyone else working there.

One time I volunteered for an organization that presented their employees with bonuses at the annual party. Sort of sucked for the dozens of others who had dedicated hundreds of unpaid volunteer hours - and had paid to attend the party!

6)  Talk down to me.  Act as if you don't trust me with any responsibility. I was once told,  "If you catch on, maybe we'll teach you to laminate in a few weeks." Wow. I'm so glad that I went to graduate school..

7) Collect my resume and check my references  - then ignore my ideas.  There is nothing I like more than being told to stop making suggestions. Why ask for a resume if you have no intention of using my skills?

Being open to new ideas costs you nothing. It won't take away from your existing daily operations and it might result in some new publicity or an exciting opportunity. Just because no one in your organization has done something before, doesn't mean its not worth trying.

8) Use social media to post blanket criticism. It's so much easier to blame everyone than talk to the individual responsible. One institution regularly posted " housekeeping notes" on their Facebook page detailing all of the mistakes volunteers had made that week. A post chastising someone (even an unnamed someone) for a forgetting to lock a door or put away equipment makes everyone feel bad. And no, putting a smiley face emoji at the end doesn't soften the blow.

9) Play favorites.  Give t-shirts, coozies, birthday cakes, etc.  to your "key volunteers" but not anyone else. Really emphasize that some of us are outsiders. It worked so well for the pigs in Animal Farm, right?

Of course when it comes time to collect for a group gift, make sure that you ask me for money. I'd hate to be left out...

10) Assume that I am grateful to be there. Make sure that I know that if I don't do the crappy work you've assigned me I'll never get to do anything interesting. Act like you're doing me a favor by letting me help. Don't bother to say "thank you" or "good job" because the privilege of volunteering for your organization should be enough for me.



About Me: I have 5 hours each day when both girls are in school. I just need to shop, cook and clean. This doesn't take 25 hours a week. Okay, it might if I was a better cleaner or more interested in cooking, but as it is I have free time. I chose to use that free time to volunteer. I could play cards, go to the gym, get my hair or nails done, walk on the beach or pursue a hobby. However, as it is my choice to volunteer, I chose wisely. There are hundreds of organizations looking for free help. I only donate my time to those that value me. 

EVERY thing I mention above has really happened to me over the years. It has always fascinated me that some organizations don't understand basic psychology. While having  five key volunteers is great, having fifty with a variety and breadth of skills and experience is so much better. So many organizations become private clubs and as such miss out on potential volunteers, donations and grant opportunities. I guess that leaves more for the truly well-run, professional groups.



For more positive suggestions on keeping volunters, go to   http://nonprofit.about.com/od/volunteers/tp/whatvolunteerswant.htm