{"id":398,"date":"2024-06-19T19:28:58","date_gmt":"2024-06-19T19:28:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/golden2.wpenginepowered.com\/six-effective-steps-to-prevent-volunteer-burnout\/"},"modified":"2025-08-19T13:18:03","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T13:18:03","slug":"six-effective-steps-to-prevent-volunteer-burnout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/goldenvolunteer.com\/blog\/six-effective-steps-to-prevent-volunteer-burnout\/","title":{"rendered":"Six Effective Steps to Prevent Volunteer Burnout"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Burnout is when cumulative stress and irritation reach a peak, causing physical and emotional exhaustion. It\u2019s not solely the result of overwork, although this is a big factor. It\u2019s a risk for any worker, no matter their role, and employers have a responsibility to try and prevent it among volunteers as surely as they do salaried staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

In fall 2022, Future Forum\u2019s quarterly Pulse report<\/a> found global burnout had risen by 40% (up 8% from May that year). Volunteers work in a huge variety of different roles in all kinds of sectors, and failing to take a wage is not a magic shield protecting them from the effects of this phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reality is that volunteers in any sector can be affected. Though management solutions for multinational NGOs<\/a>, for example, will need to cater to different needs than those of small, locally-based nonprofits, organizations of all sizes must support their people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, how can you ward off volunteer burnout and protect your unpaid staff?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Be willing to talk about volunteer burnout<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A lot of burnout discourse centers on paid employees, especially in famously busy sectors and industries like legal. That said, you can bet there are several overwhelmed volunteers for every burned out lawyer<\/a> in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But rather than being members of prestigious firms, many volunteers work in more modest areas of society. This unfortunately makes it easy for their burnout experiences to get swept under the rug.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What you can do<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You can start by raising awareness about volunteer burnout. A great way to do this is to set up a webpage that functions as a virtual knowledge resource.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To begin, pick a suitable moniker during domain name registration<\/a>. Then, include some basic guides explaining the symptoms of burnout and how to spot them. Provide links to both self-help materials and therapy services so volunteers know where to turn if they ever feel like they need additional support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Be                                                                                              <\/span>Free-to-use image sourced from Pixabay<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aside from this, it\u2019s a matter of giving your volunteers a voice. Your best bet is to provide a virtual communication channel where they can raise any concerns. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways you can go about doing this. For example, tools like Slack allow you to create channels to suit any need. Alternatively, you could establish the volunteer equivalent of an employee check-in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are plenty of services online that can help fulfill this need, but if you\u2019d prefer an in-house option, you can host this in the same place as your knowledge resource. After all, there\u2019s no sense in managing multiple websites<\/a> if you don\u2019t have to\u2014it\u2019s inefficient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of efficiency\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Set realistic goals<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are all kinds of reasons people volunteer: the sense of fulfillment, maybe opportunities to meet new people and do something worthwhile with their days. Some even volunteer as a way of improving their mental health. But everyone has their limits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, it\u2019s important to set goals that are attainable and realistic. Whether you\u2019re managing volunteers or employees, unrealistic workloads are a huge driver of burnout and turnover. Plus, you can\u2019t necessarily make the same demands of a volunteer workforce as you can a paid one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Problems begin when the demands of voluntary work become similar to those of a paid role. According to AmeriCorps analysis of US Census Bureau data, the rates of formal volunteer work declined by 7% from 2019 (30%) to 2021 (23%). On the other hand, rates of informal volunteering have remained consistent over the past few years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What you can do<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Voluntary workforces have a lot to contribute, but getting the most out of your people without causing volunteer burnout can be a fine line to walk. It\u2019s imperative to set reasonable expectations since they lack extrinsic motivators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The right volunteer management software<\/a> can make all the difference. A lot of smaller nonprofits work on an ad-hoc basis, but having a properly established management system is still vital. No matter how minor someone\u2019s role is, having them in your system helps ensure they\u2019re being treated fairly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You also need to enable volunteers to collaborate with each other. People can accomplish more together than they can individually. Their ability to do this (especially in virtual or remote roles) hinges on the tools at their disposal. Virtual work-boards like Trello or Asana can be really useful here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Set                                                                                                                 <\/span>Image sourced from americorps.gov<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Monitor the signs of volunteer burnout<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Volunteer burnout doesn\u2019t happen overnight. It\u2019s the result of long-term stress and poor well-being. That\u2019s why you\u2019ve got to pay attention to how your people are doing. Signs of burnout include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n