HOW TO AVOID EMPLOYEE TURNOVER AS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION

By Jordan Lappin

It seems like everyone is having difficulty finding people who want to work these days. And it doesn’t matter which industry you are in - the labor shortage is affecting everyone. Nonprofits in particular seem to be having trouble finding volunteers (that is why Triangle Cares exists!), but more importantly, retaining these volunteers. Oftentimes, people will volunteer once or twice, and then the organization will never hear from them again. Here’s how you can avoid volunteer turnover as a nonprofit organization:

Everyone in the nonprofit sector knows that good volunteers are the backbone behind any successful organization. At Triangle Cares, we believe in a twofold strategy for limiting volunteer turnover. First, we place a heavy emphasis on recruiting the right volunteers. If you prioritize recruiting the right people to serve your mission, you’re more likely to develop a relationship with these individuals and keep them around for a while. And secondarily, we believe that each nonprofit organization needs to prioritize engagement with their volunteers in order to build these relationships. So here’s where you should start…

Step One: Recruit the Right People to Serve as Volunteers. Like any other industry, the ultimate goal of your recruitment strategy should be to find the most qualified people for the job. And don’t forget this or sell yourself short just because volunteers are not paid employees! Here are a few tools to implement into your recruiting strategy:

1. Find individuals who share the same values as you and your organization! 
2. Understand your volunteer - what motivates them? What value do they receive from giving their time to your organization? 
3. Spend time getting to know your volunteers authentically! 
4. Keep on recruiting! You never know when you will meet the perfect volunteer for your organization! Opportunities are everywhere! 

 
Step Two: Increase Volunteer Engagement! After you’ve recruited the right people, the next step is to let these people know that you value their time and effort! Here are a few things you can do to increase engagement with your volunteers:

1. Invest time into teaching and training your volunteers.
2. Get to know your volunteers on a personal level - What drives them? What are their values? 
3. Be accessible to help your volunteers at all times - they should never be chasing you down for help!
4. Respect their time!