If you lead volunteers, you have probably had this experience. You are wrapping up programming for the week, and one of your most dedicated, faithful volunteers comes to you and drops the big one.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not going to be able to volunteer here anymore.”

Outwardly you act sympathetic and assure the volunteer you understand, but inwardly you are perplexed. It’s only one hour a week. The kids in their small group are adorable. You feed them donuts. You smile and hug them goodbye as your brain screams things like “But I nnnneeedddd you!” and “How will I ever find someone to do that job next week!?”

You invest time and energy into your volunteers. And then they leave. So you pour even more time and energy into recruiting new volunteers. You quickly find yourself in a vicious circle of recruitment, orientation, and departure, followed by, you guessed it… more recruitment. It’s true – there comes a time when all volunteers must move on from their roles. They accept a job with conflicting work hours. Their family moves away. A family member falls ill.

But what if your volunteers love the part they play in your organization so much that when it is time for them to leave, they have already invited and trained a friend to take their place. What if your volunteers are so excited about what they do that it makes others jealous. What if your ministry develops a reputation for treating volunteers so well that people are drawn to you.

What if you never have to beg another volunteer to join your ministry again. Through the Volunteer Project, we want to provide practical resources in four elements of volunteer satisfaction: significance, support, community, and empowerment. Come on this journey with us. Stop drowning in the recruitment cycle, and start retaining.