October 10, 2024 | By David M. Wagner

Are your volunteers reliable?

Many nonprofit leaders have told me that they can’t rely on their volunteers – including board members!

I’ve heard about boards failing to follow through on their strategic commitments. I’ve heard “you can’t hold volunteers accountable.”

As a result, many nonprofit leaders take tasks upon themselves or their staff that would be better suited for volunteers or board members.

Before you add yet another task to your overflowing plate, take these four steps.

1. Figure out the cause

Just like with underperforming employees, the first step is to understand why reliability with volunteers is an issue.

Could it be because—

• They did not understand the assignment,

• Their responsibilities were ambiguous,

• They’ve lost their motivation,

• They’re ill-equipped to perform the task,

• They’re burned out from being asked to do so much,

• They’re dealing with circumstances unrelated to their volunteer role, or

• They’re habitually unreliable?

You can do something about each of these (and other) possible causes – if you know what’s going on.

2. Lower communication and motivation barriers

Make it easy for volunteers to sincerely say “yes” to asks.

Start by understanding what motivates them to offer their time – what’s in it for them? Reliability increases when your needs align with their skills and passions.

Involve volunteers in planning to foster a sense of ownership. Clearly communicate who is responsible for what. Provide explicit instruction and training when appropriate.

And – perhaps most importantly – demonstrate the connection between your mission and what you ask of volunteers. They’ll be more motivated when they understand the impact their work will have on the cause they care about.

3. Look for alternative paths to success

Part of making it easy for someone to say “yes” is making it equally easy for them to say “no” – or better yet, to say “yes” to something else.

You may find that there are other tasks that better suit a volunteer’s skills, availability, and circumstances.

Get creative! Years ago, a member of my team was struggling to complete an assignment. We overcame his roadblocks by pairing him up with a teammate. Together they knocked out the task with flying colors.

4. Create systems of accountability

Accountability systems – like a shared spreadsheet to track tasks – make it easy to confirm commitments, monitor progress, and step in when tasks fall behind.

Most volunteers will be motivated not to drop the ball in front of the team.

And when none of the steps above work – when someone finally proves to be habitually unreliable – you have a record of the missed commitments to hold them accountable.

And yes, that applies to volunteers! Consider revoking their privileges or responsibilities. In the worse cases, you can “fire” them all together – and focus on finding the reliable volunteers your mission demands.

If your volunteer or board engagement could use a boost, schedule a free meeting with me to discuss how I can help through coaching or consulting.