The role of volunteer management practices in attracting and retaining volunteers in a South African NGO brand

Abstract

With volunteers being a backbone and vital resource for non-governmental organisations, understanding how best to attract and retain volunteers in an environment where volunteer numbers are steadily declining has become a key focus for managers of volunteer programmes. Without a proper understanding of volunteer motivations, NGOs are unable to design effective volunteer management practices, resulting in a decrease in volunteer numbers, paired with a poor brand image and reputation as a desired NGO to volunteer one’s time. To address the research problem, this study considered the seminal work on topics of volunteer motivation and volunteer management, in conjunction with the Multi-Paradigm Model of Volunteering and the ADKAR Model of Change Management. For this exploratory qualitative study, semi-structured interviews and a focus group were conducted with purposively sampled participants from a South African NGO. Data was analysed utilising a qualitative content analysis approach to produce the vital findings and outcomes of the study. The findings indicate an in-depth understanding of volunteer motivation by both volunteers and managers, however there was a lack of effective volunteer management practices in place, resulting in unsatisfied volunteers, limiting the number of volunteers attracted and retained at the NGO. As part of the analysis, volunteers were categorised by volunteer type as well as by the phase in which volunteers were in the Volunteer Lifecycle, which created the basic knowledge on the practices best suited to manage and motivate these types of volunteers. Using the Multi-Paradigm Model of Volunteering and the ADKAR Model of Change Management, this study recommends a new model for implementation by the NGO which proposes effective volunteer management practices. The new model creates a solid foundation to address the research problem and enhance the NGO’s knowledge and understanding required to improve their volunteer management and their brand image in the market.