Motivating Volunteers
Keep your volunteers energized, engaged, and coming back for more.
For: Volunteers leading other volunteers
What you’ll learn
- Identify what truly motivates each volunteer on your team
- Use the six Volunteer Functions to match roles to motivations
- Recognize contributions in ways that actually drive engagement
- Spot and prevent the early signs of volunteer burnout
Screen your volunteers for $5
VolunteerBadge runs FCRA-compliant background checks for just $5 — with identity verification built in. No monthly fees, no contracts.
Create a free account →Course outline
- 1
Why volunteers are different
4 min
- 2
Intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation
5 min
- 3
The three needs that fuel drive
5 min
- 4
The six reasons people volunteer
6 min
- 5
Matching roles to motivations
5 min
- 6
Recognition that actually works
5 min
- 7
Spotting and preventing burnout
5 min
Sources & further reading
- Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (Clary et al., 1998) — Understanding and assessing the motivations of volunteers: a functional approach
- selfdeterminationtheory.org (Ryan & Deci, 2000) — Self-Determination Theory and the Facilitation of Intrinsic Motivation
- Simply Psychology — Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory of Motivation-Hygiene
- AmeriCorps — Engaging Volunteers: A Comprehensive Literature Review
- Journal of Organizational Behavior (Forner et al., 2024) — Predictors of turnover amongst volunteers: a systematic review and meta-analysis
- VolunteerHub — Why Volunteers Quit: How to Retain Them
This course is educational and provides general information about the Fair Credit Reporting Act and volunteer-screening best practices. It is not legal advice. Laws vary by state and change over time — consult a qualified attorney about your organization’s specific obligations.