Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to provide a deeper understanding of how volunteer units work, in order to
find out ways of how to successfully recruit and retain volunteers for a longer period. Guided by practice
theory, the study explains the sense-making of coordinators and volunteers. By answering the research
question about how the members of volunteer units make sense of recruiting and retaining volunteers,
the analysis has resulted in a comprehensive picture of the volunteer units within two environmental
NGOs. The study shows that it is difficult for volunteer groups to retain their members if they do not
have a strong core group. It can also be challenging to recruit new volunteers for groups that consist of
people who know each other well and do not prioritise attracting new people. For future research, it
would be interesting to take a closer look at the importance of building core groups to retain volunteers.
It could also be valuable to explore what possibilities there are for volunteer units to collaborate.