An Exploration of Nonprofit Human Service Volunteer Training and Retention

This study was an exploration of nonprofit human service volunteer training as related to the retention of volunteers. In their pursuit to fulfill client needs, human service nonprofit organizations often rely heavily on volunteers, which emphasizes the need for a better understanding of the means through which organizations may affect positively the retention rates of volunteers. Training long has been thought to be an effective tool for decreasing attrition and engaging volunteers. By investigating the training experiences of volunteers with a focus on retention, this study hoped to further develop the research community’s understanding of how training helps or hinders volunteer retention and may serve as the basis for further research on the link between training design and retention.