You Don’t Have a Volunteer Problem

Most nonprofits aren’t struggling to find people — they’re struggling to keep them

Most nonprofits say the same thing:

“We need more volunteers.”

But after speaking with Karen Knight, it’s clear: that’s usually not true.

You don’t have a recruitment problem.

You have a retention problem.
Or a systems problem.
Or a volunteer experience problem.

Here’s what’s actually happening:

People are showing up.

They apply.
They respond.
They’re interested.

And then…

• No one replies to their email

• They arrive and no one knows who they are

• They’re given meaningless tasks

• They don’t understand how their work connects to the mission

So they leave.

And the organization concludes: “We need more volunteers.” And the cycle continues.

The real issue isn’t supply. It’s design.

Karen shared a simple but powerful shift:

Stop designing roles for what you need.
Start designing experiences for how people actually give today.

That means:

• Not everyone will commit to 10 hours a week

• Some people can give 15 minutes — and that still matters

• Flexibility isn’t optional — it’s expected

One example:

A volunteer who gives just 15 minutes a day calling donors to say thank you.

That’s it.

No onboarding marathon.
No committee.
No weekly shift.

And over time?

That role has helped generate significant dollars in support.

A better starting point

Before launching your next recruitment push, do this:

Talk to one volunteer.

Ask:
“What has your experience really been like?”

Not the polite version.
The real one.

Because if you don’t understand what it feels like to volunteer in your organization, then you’re building systems in the dark

This isn’t about adding more volunteers.

It’s about honoring the ones who already showed up.

And building something worth coming back to.