Why Volunteer Recruitment Breaks Down — and What Nonprofit Leaders Can Do

Volunteers are a tremendous resource for nonprofits. Without this vital support, many organizations could not provide programs, deliver services, raise funds, or carry out governance through board service. Effective volunteer recruitment; however, requires more than goodwill — it depends on leadership, capacity, and intentional program design.

The Impact of a Volunteer

Recent AmeriCorps and U.S. Census Bureau data shows that  between September 2022 and September 2023, 28.3% — or more than 75.7 million — of Americans reported volunteering through an organization. While this reflects a rebound from pandemic lows, participation remains below pre-pandemic levels. Notably, as participation has increased, the average number of hours served per volunteer has declined, underscoring the shift toward flexible and episodic volunteering that many nonprofit leaders now confront. 

One example of this reliance on volunteer services is The Salvation Army Indiana Division. One annual program alone, Coats for Kids, involves acquiring and distributing thousands of coats, hats, scarves, and gloves to children in need — an effort requiring hundreds of volunteers. 

The Salvation Army, like many nonprofits nationwide, cannot afford to pay for these services. Yet volunteers are not free. While they are unpaid, they require real investment in staff time, coordination, and management to be effective. In fact, the current estimated value of each volunteer hour is $34.79. The goal is to recruit volunteers well and retain them each year. Nonprofits need volunteers to survive.

Why Volunteer Programs Struggle

Recent NonProfit PRO research reinforces what many nonprofit leaders already experience firsthand. The most significant challenge in volunteer programs is not motivation — it is capacity. Forty percent of nonprofit leaders report that their greatest obstacle is simply having the staff resources needed to manage volunteers effectively. Volunteers require oversight for role design, recruiting, training, scheduling, supervision, and appreciation. More volunteers are not the solution if organizations lack the infrastructure to support them.

Aside from staff management, the second top struggle is recruitment, with 38% of survey respondents struggling to find and retain motivated volunteers passionate about their nonprofits’ causes. That strain is particularly acute among smaller nonprofits. Meanwhile, 36% find establishing volunteer opportunities challenging — a difficulty common among larger organizations. 

These findings make clear that effective volunteer recruitment must be intentional and designed with an organization’s actual capacity to support volunteers.

Recruit Your Volunteers Well

Nonprofits must place a premium on volunteer recruitment — and volunteer management — as a core operational strategy. When done well, it helps reduce costs, expand program reach, strengthen fundraising, increase community visibility, and add staffing flexibility, according to Volunteer Hub. For nonprofit leaders, this means volunteer recruitment must be treated as a core management function — not an add-on or afterthought.

Based on my decades of experience recruiting volunteers, it is imperative that volunteers clearly understand their roles, responsibilities, and time commitments. Open-ended obligations create uncertainty and frustration, and many quality volunteers are lost as a result. Volunteers want clarity.

Getting Attention recommends beginning this process by evaluating your current volunteer program: Is your program engaging? Does it emphasize impact and recognize volunteers? Without a clear plan for engagement and retention, recruitment efforts can falter.

Recruitment should focus less on volume and more on designing volunteer roles that offer purpose, clarity, and measurable impact. Volunteers are commonly recruited through email outreach, in-person events, and social media. Effective recruitment increasingly reflects today’s time constraints, including flexible short-term roles, virtual volunteering opportunities, and messaging that clearly communicates expectations and outcomes.

Recruiting volunteers well means recruiting individuals who understand and support your organizational mission. Volunteers should agree to roles and responsibilities that are meaningful to them and realistic for the organization to manage over time. When recruitment aligns with staff capacity and intentional program design, volunteers are more likely to remain engaged and deepen their relationship with the mission.

For nonprofit leaders, serving as a volunteer elsewhere offers valuable insight into why volunteer programs succeed or struggle. I strongly encourage nonprofit managers to volunteer themselves. By serving in a volunteer role, you experience firsthand what effective onboarding, communication, and recognition feels like — and where gaps exist.

Well-Managed Volunteer Programs Create Lasting Impact

Well-managed volunteer programs create positive, repeatable experiences for volunteers. Nonprofit leaders must treat volunteer programs as a strategic priority — investing appropriate staff time, resources, and oversight. When roles are clear, expectations are realistic, and support is in place, volunteers enjoy what they do — and they come back.Great volunteers often become excellent donors, advocates, and board members.

I recently participated in the annual Radiothon for The Salvation Army Indiana Division. We trained volunteers to answer phone calls during the event, ring bells at Red Kettle stations, and, in some cases, recruit children to sing Christmas carols onstage. One volunteer shared with me how much she looks forward to participating each year because she is doing exactly what she enjoys. She happily said she would be back next year — a clear sign of a well-managed volunteer experience.

Make 2026 the year your nonprofit invests in volunteer management by recruiting, orienting, training, cultivating, and supporting volunteers with intention.

The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with NonProfit PRO. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of NonProfit PRO.