By examining how volunteers feel about certain issues, how happy they are within their roles and the things that drive them to stay, not-for-profit (NFP) organisations can work towards developing a mutually-beneficial relationship with their volunteers.

Two recent Australian surveys have independently found that volunteers are merely ‘OK’ or ‘somewhat satisfied’ with their volunteering. Where NFP organisations seem to be falling short is in communicating:

• The organisation’s culture and values
• How much the host organisation appreciates their volunteers’ contributions
• How organisations can help volunteers to develop.

Volunteering Australia reports that 23 per cent of volunteers had not received recognition from their organisations in the three months prior to undertaking the survey. Additionally, 43.2 per cent of volunteers reported that being accepted as a valuable team member was the most important form of recognition that organisations could give.

In a report prepared by the Queensland University of Technology and Windsor Recruitment, titled Survey of Volunteer Satisfaction and Performance Report of March 2012, Associate Professor Cameron Newton identifies four areas of discontent among volunteers that NFP organisations should consider developing:

• More recognition for volunteer work
• Increased opportunities for professional learning and development
• Additional involvement in workplace decision-making
• Better information regarding organisational change.

The report also shows that volunteers ‘identify most strongly with their program and profession, and to a far less extent with corporate organisation values’.

For most NFP organisations, the real value that this research brings is knowledge about what volunteers are thinking, which means NFPs can more confidently audit their cultural strength and operations to ensure that all volunteer relationships are as enduing and as mutually beneficial as possible.