I just don’t believe that there’s a declining volunteerism problem.
We have a devaluation of volunteers problem, which is not the same thing.
You wouldn’t fire your fundraising department and then act baffled when donations dry up. Yet, many organizations treat volunteer management as an afterthought and fail to provide the strategic support that keeps volunteers engaged.
Fundraising is recognized as a profession in a way that managing volunteers isn’t, and yet I’d argue that the donation of time and allyship is just as mission critical as the donation of funds.
The nonprofit sector has largely failed to grasp an important truth—that effectively managing volunteers demands the same level of expertise and support as managing paid staff.
Ever since COVID, I’ve seen organizations remove or demote their manager of volunteers—and even that might be a best-case scenario. Many more organizations don’t have a system for managing volunteers at all, as if volunteers should be appearing out of thin air and organizing themselves.
It’s no secret that the nonprofit sector is in crisis. But just because funds are drying up, doesn’t mean relationships have to as well. In fact, it makes cultivating a strong volunteer base a critical opportunity.
An organization that knows how to support volunteers will:
• Attract more volunteers
• Attract the right volunteers
• Retain volunteers
• Convert those same volunteers into donors, and/or enthusiastic goodwill ambassadors for the cause
The world is everywhere on fire, which means people are hungrier than ever for community, purpose, and connection. There’s no reason why organizations should find themselves short on people power if they know how to meet these needs.
An organization that provides an exceptional volunteer experience will never find themselves lacking.
Alex Tse is a seasoned people and operations manager. This article originally appeared on her Linkin page. She is also a self-employed recording artist at Alex See Music. Follow Pancouver on Bluesky @pancouver.bsky.social.
