While recruitment remains the top concern among volunteer engagement professionals and nonprofit leaders, it’s only one piece of the puzzle. Research—and plain experience—show that keeping volunteers inspired and engaged requires attention to the entire volunteer journey. That means designing accessible and efficient training, fostering a welcoming culture, and ensuring ongoing support. In short: when we retain volunteers, we don’t have to work as hard to replace them.
Retention (and how we evalute it) isn’t just about keeping volunteers longer—it’s about creating an environment where they can stay connected to your mission without feeling drained or overwhelmed.
Caring for the mental health of volunteers is essential for both individual wellbeing and organizational sustainability. In recent years, awareness of mental health has grown, reminding us that preventing volunteer burnout isn’t just a “nice-to-have”—it’s an ethical responsibility.
What is burnout?
As Karen Knight explains in Engage Journal (January 2022), burnout stems from chronic overwork and stress. It might look like a dedicated volunteer who’s constantly filling in for others, rarely saying “no,” and gradually losing joy in their service. Compassion fatigue, a deeper form of burnout, can occur when empathetic volunteers—such as those in animal rescue or disaster response—are repeatedly exposed to distressing situations.
Stuart Garland’s article in Engage (October 2024) reminds us that protecting volunteers’ wellbeing isn’t just practical—it’s ethical. When volunteers burn out, it doesn’t only impact them; it ripples across teams, staff, and ultimately, mission delivery.
How to prevent and mitigate volunteer burnout
- Build in autonomy. Empower volunteers to make choices—whether in scheduling, task selection, or decision-making. Flexibility and trust go a long way toward sustaining motivation.
- Be honest and transparent. If you sense a volunteer is struggling, talk openly (and privately). Invite them to share frustrations and brainstorm solutions together.
- Create multiple pathways to serve. Offer breaks without guilt. Replace labels like “inactive” with options like “on pause” or “seasonal volunteer” to encourage return without pressure.
- Right-size the roles. Regularly review volunteer positions to ensure expectations match capacity. Adjust workloads and responsibilities before fatigue sets in.
- Equip volunteers for success. Provide comprehensive, accessible training that sets them up to feel capable and confident from the start.
- Support them along the way. Assign a clear point of contact for each volunteer, check in regularly, and offer a listening ear—not just when something’s wrong.
- Recognize impact meaningfully. Share the tangible outcomes of their work so volunteers can see—and feel—the difference they’re making.
- Prioritize mental health. Extend mental health supports to volunteers just as you do for staff. Even small gestures, like sharing self-care resources or normalizing rest, can make a lasting impact.
When we protect our volunteers from burnout, we protect our mission. A healthy, supported volunteer is a sustainable one—and when volunteers thrive, so does your organization.