Enhancing the Volunteer Experience

For many organizations, recruiting and maintaining a core group of dedicated volunteers spells the difference between success and failure. But very little research has been done to find out what motivates people to volunteer, how to recruit volunteers, and how to nurture their dedication.

Enhancing the Volunteer Experience reveals, from the perspective of the volunteer, how management can foster – or impede – the growth of high-quality, long-lived volunteer programs, and how to ensure that volunteering remains a dynamic force that generates social change. Drawing on a four-year study of volunteers in a variety of fields and extensive interviews with 180 people, Ilsey provides nonprofit managers with the insights, skills, and strategies they need to recruit and retain committed volunteers, and to make the volunteer experience rich, rewarding, and productive.

Preface xi

The Author xix

1. Introduction Redefining Voluntary Action 1

Part One Understanding the Volunteers Point of View 13

2. Volunteers Motivation Myths and Realities 15

3. Understanding Volunteer Commitment 33

4. The Importance of Learning Through Voluntary Actions 47

Part Two: Factors That Shape the Quality of the Volunteer Experience 73

5. The Organizational and Social Context of the Volunteer Experience 75

6. How Common Management Practices Affect Volunteers: Recruitment, Screening, Training, Task Assignments and Supervision 90

Part Three: Using Volunteer Insights to Strengthen Voluntary Programs 113

7. Balancing Organizational, Staff, and Volunteer Needs 115

8. Building Programs that Include Volunteer Participation, Commitment, and Learning 127

Appendix A: Descriptions of the Organizations Included in the Study 141

Appendix B: Report on the Research Techniques 153

References 161

Index 166

Paul J. Ilsley is the author of Enhancing the Volunteer Experience: New Insights on Strengthening Volunteer Participation, Learning, and Commitment, published by Wiley.