Volunteer engagement, from the first ask to the committee.

02/ motivation and drop-out

Why members volunteer, and why they stop.

People start for the cause and stay for the group. They stop because life changes — and, increasingly, because it feels like a job.

NCVO’s Time Well Spent survey of 7,006 adults in Great Britain asks volunteers directly about their experience (NCVO, motivations). Motives differ by age: a quarter of 18 to 24 year olds volunteered to help their career or gain a qualification; 26% of people aged 55 and over started because someone asked.

Clary and colleagues’ Volunteer Functions Inventory names six motives: values, understanding, social, career, protective and enhancement. Appeals matched to a person’s motive persuaded better, and volunteers whose experience matched their motives were more satisfied and more likely to continue. Design the role for the motive.

Stopping is mostly practical, but experience still predicts who stays: 81% of satisfied volunteers expect to continue, against 26% of dissatisfied ones (NCVO, retention). Beth Gazley’s study of professional association members agrees: the volunteer experience outweighed volunteers’ backgrounds.

04/ volunteer recruitment

Recruiting volunteers: ask directly, ask specifically.

A call for volunteers in the newsletter is not an ask. A named person asking a named member to do a named task is.

The ASAE Foundation found approaching prospective volunteers with meaningful work recruited better than website postings (7 Drivers, US). In Britain 15% of non-volunteers say a direct ask would encourage them, and Wilson’s review supports theories that explain volunteering through social ties, not motives alone.

Specific beats general because it answers a busy member’s four questions — what, how long, by when, why me — and lets you match the ask to the motive.

Ask when members are already engaged: after an event, an exam, a renewal. Build the asks into the member communications plan, and ask each new volunteer who they would bring. Recruiting new members, rather than volunteers, is on new member acquisition.

08/ UK law and guidance

The rules: safeguarding, DBS, data, expenses, insurance.

All of it is cheaper to set up before the first volunteer starts. A summary, not legal advice.

Volunteer or worker. Volunteers may be paid expenses, but GOV.UK warns that any other payment, reward or benefit in kind — even a promise of paid work — can make someone a worker with minimum-wage rights. A free conference place as a thank-you deserves a second look.

Safeguarding and DBS. The Charity Commission expects every charity to protect the people it deals with, volunteers included, and check they suit their roles. Standard and Enhanced DBS checks are only for roles set in legislation and are free for volunteers.

Data and expenses. The ICO says data protection training should reach volunteers too. Trustees’ reasonable expenses need no Commission approval (Charity Commission), yet only 55% of volunteers say theirs would reimburse them — say so plainly. Mileage: 55p a mile for the first 10,000 (ITEPA s230).

Safety and insurance. With one employee, health and safety law covers volunteers; employers’ liability may not, so HSE advises asking the insurer.