The valued volunteer: a communication campaign aimed at increasing volunteer retention rates by equipping Social Service Agencies (SSAs) with ways to enhance the volunteering experience

Abstract

The Valued Volunteer is a non-profit communication campaign that aims to increase the volunteer retention rates in Social Service Agencies (SSAs) by reaching out to SSA staff with resources and ideas to enhance their volunteers’ experiences. The campaign aims to (1) improve their attitudes towards enhancing their volunteers’ experience by empowering them with the confidence that they can make a difference in their volunteers’ experience, and (2) encourage them to incorporate our proposed ideas and commit to taking active steps to improve their volunteers’ experience. To do so, The Valued Volunteer launched 101 Ideas to Enhance Your Volunteers' Experience, an original publication handed out to 200 SSAs, and hosted three events to engage and promote conversations among SSAs, experts and volunteers. These tactics were supported by a combination of online and offline engagements and outreach efforts that were backed by primary research on volunteers and SSAs, and secondary research on the volunteering scene in Singapore. All original and adapted resources used in this campaign were hosted on a website we created for ease of access. With the support of the National Council of Social Service (NCSS), The Valued Volunteer bridged the gap between volunteers and SSA staff, condensing resources and promoting new ways to enhance a volunteer’s experience. A post-campaign evaluation of impact and output objectives showed that the campaign improved their confidence levels in enhancing their volunteering experience, and high willingness to implement ideas promoted in this campaign. This report concludes with the campaign’s innovations, strengths, and limitations along with future recommendations and the sustainability of the campaign. Learnings from this campaign can also be used to guide future communication practice.