Why People Volunteer
People volunteer in clubs for different reasons. Knowing what motivates them and how they would like to be recognised for volunteering, how their experience affects their longevity in a position and why some leave their roles will help your club develop strategies to retain your valued volunteers.
Asking people about their volunteering experience will help a club know:
- the type of experience the volunteer hopes to have
- how to give them this experience
- how to improve their experience
- how they wish to be recognised and rewarded for their efforts.
- People may volunteer because they:
- have children involved and need some flexibility
- have a desire to help people
- simply love the sport
- wish to keep their involvement in their sport ‘alive’
- wish to give something back to the sport
- need to fill in time
- want to share their skills
- want to increase their skills
- wish to gain experience for job opportunities
- like the recognition
- want to feel needed
- want to have an influence on individuals or the club.
- Volunteers may leave their roles because:
- they don’t feel valued
- the value of their time is not recognised
- little or no support is provided
- it takes up too much time
- it is harder than they thought it would be
- they may have personality clashes
- club politics have become ‘too much’
- other commitments
- their children no longer play.