The rate at which a nonprofit keeps its volunteers engaged and returning over time.
Volunteer retention measures how well an organization keeps volunteers coming back rather than losing them after a single shift or season. Just as with donors, retaining an existing volunteer is far more efficient than recruiting and training a new one.
Strong retention comes from a positive volunteer experience: meaningful roles, clear communication, easy scheduling, genuine appreciation, and visible impact. Volunteers who feel valued and connected to outcomes are more likely to return and to deepen their involvement.
Engaged volunteers also tend to become donors and advocates, so improving retention pays dividends across the whole organization. Tracking participation and recognizing milestones, ideally in the same system used for volunteer management, makes consistent stewardship practical.
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The coordination of recruiting, scheduling, tracking, and engaging an organization's volunteers.
The ongoing, responsible care of supporters and resources so trust and relationships endure.
The percentage of donors from one period who give again in the next, a core measure of fundraising health.
A central system that manages a nonprofit's relationships with donors, volunteers, members, and other constituents.
Manage donors, volunteers, members, and events together in one nonprofit platform, for one predictable subscription with no cut taken from donations.
