In addition to the research included in our analysis and recommendations, there is various research that includes expert's opinions and commentary on volunteer retention, incentives, job satisfaction, and marketing strategies. Below is a section that offers more data and information that correlates to the recommendations listed above for Back On My Feet.

 

The Importance of an Online Presence and Advertising

During a study in 2018, the effects of online advertisements were compared to the effects of print advertisements. After conducting a survey, it was noted that while respondents thought print advertisements were more pleasing to the eye and traditional, however, the youth who responded recall seeing online advertisement more and find that online ads influenced their purchases more. C.M Vinaya Kumar and S. Mehrotra, authors for Global Media Journal (2018), states, “Advertisers must focus their attention on popular media mix but also on the mediums which are preferred by youths. Through the credibility of the print, the medium has not declined, we cannot ignore the growing usage of online media for the day to day activities”.

 

In research in 2015, it was shown the importance of an online, social media presence for an organization or company. The research explained how when a company is more active on social media, the more likely it is for a customer to trust them in using their product or engaging with the company. Fabio Calefato, Filippo Lanubile, and Nicole Novielli, authors for Electronic Commerce Research (2015), states, “Being expressed to customer feedback and personalization requests gives information on the general attitude of the company towards the customers and on how much he is open, reachable, kind, available and committed to pursuing the customers’ satisfaction”. The openness and willingness of a company to engage in an online presence make it much more likely for people to give the company the time of day or see them as memorable.

 

Engagement and Motivation for Volunteers within Non-profit Organizations

The literature suggests that one way to enhance retention rates in volunteerism is to look at the motivation and satisfaction of volunteers in nonprofit organizations. An expert at the University of Maryland analyzed multiple studies over the motivation of volunteers within non-profit organizations. In one of the studies done by Jenson and Mckeage (2015), discovered, “that volunteers who were managed with an integrated approach of collaborate and control were more satisfied with the experience across several dimensions, satisfaction increased when organizations provided clear structures, policies, and procedures,”(White, 2016, pg.70). This quote is explaining that this author based on studies, believes a way to increase the retention rate and satisfaction from volunteers lies within the leadership of the organization.

 

Another expert argues that volunteerism and its retention rates are focused around self. “ The altruistic-egoistic duality for explaining the phenomenon of volunteering activity obtains its explicit recognition,” (Shye, 2010, pg.184). This quote is elaborating on the idea that two motivations of volunteers are altruism and egoism. This studied showed that people are motivated to volunteer because they want to help others or they want to help their career. While both arguments have supported research and study, it is still clear leadership is a significant factor in the retention rates of volunteers or if it is about the volunteer themselves.

 

Increasing Volunteer Retention: The Use of Volunteer Management 

The use of volunteer management in organizations increases retention among volunteers. Pete York a journalist from Urbana wrote a journal about how to have effective volunteer engagement. In York’s journal, he mentions that “nonprofits need to invest in specific management practices for the retention of volunteers” (2017, p. 34). Management of volunteers will ultimately help retention because of the structure and encouragement it sends to volunteers. Another journal found was by Kerstin Alfes, Amanda Shantz, and Catherine Bailey and agreed exactly with York. The journalists are from Baltimore who wrote a journal about enhancing volunteer engagement; In their journal, they stated that “volunteer management practices such as training were associated with higher levels of volunteer retention” (2016, p. 32). When volunteers are supported through management, they are more likely to volunteer again. When looking at both journals there is an obvious relation of volunteer management and retention increase so the use of volunteer management must help retention among volunteers. 

Volunteer management has shown through many different studies over different periods to correlate with the increase of volunteer retention. Michael D. White wrote a dissertation and thesis retention for the University of Maryland over volunteer management and the understanding of what motivates volunteers while also sharing strategies for helping the volunteer workforce. White includes many useful sources that back up the statement that volunteer management will increase among volunteers. One source by Waikayi, Fearon, Morris, and McLaughlin did a case study and found “that volunteer retention is related directly to the volunteer manager being proactive in creating a favorable experience for the volunteer” (2012). This source showed that volunteer management gives the volunteer a positive experience which makes them more likely to come back, and therefore retention would increase for the organization because of their use of volunteer management. Another source that White provided was a study done which directly agree with the Waikayi et al. The source was by Newton, Becker, and Bell and they did a study that surveyed volunteers from different nonprofit organizations; The results from the study was that “Retention is positively impacted by training and development opportunities” (2014). Training and development opportunities are included with volunteer management which means that the study proves that volunteer management affects retention. 

 

Another studied that agrees with both Waikayi et al. and Newton et al . is Beirne and Lambin’s study. Beirne and Lambin did a case study over the effect that management practices have on the retention rate of volunteers and their study concluded a direct correlation between management practices and retention existed” (2013).  Beirne and Lambin not only agree with the other studies mentioned but it agrees that retention can increase with effective volunteer management. White had a very extensive dissertation which included many sources to back up volunteer management affecting retention so not all sources are included, but overall his paper provides the underlying fact that volunteer management has been shown through many studies to has a relation with the increase of retention of volunteers.

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Increasing Retention through Job Satisfaction 

The retention of volunteers is linked to the individual volunteer’s internal motivation of feeling like they are a part of something important and are needed. Saba Senses-Ozyurt and Norma Villicana-Reyna from Alliant International University wrote a Journal about leadership characteristics concerning retention from nonprofit organizations. In Senses-Ozyurt and Villicana-Reyna’s journal, they did a study and proved that “the higher the leader’s inclusiveness characteristic, the higher the volunteer retention” (2016, p. 358). The study done showed that when volunteers are included in given leadership roles, they are more likely to return. 

 

Frances Learment a worker for United Way agrees with Senses-Ozyurt and Villicana-Reyna’s journal in his article by stating the “biggest volunteer retention effort is ‘getting to know them...and we try to make sure they know they are a part of our life and are important’” (2017). According to Learment, when clients know their work is meaningful and they are needed then, they are more likely to volunteer again at the same organization. The retention of volunteers is clearly shown to be associated with internal motivations by Saba Senses-Ozyurt, Norma Villicana-Reyna, and Frances Learment since they all agree that the feeling of worth is highly connected to the retention of volunteers.

 

Online Marketing Strategies for Nonprofits- Social Media (The Homeless Perspective)

Utilizing social media to share stories from the homeless' perspective is an important technique for non-profits.  According to the National Coalition for the Homeless which fights to end hunger and homelessness, "Urge media to publish/run/air educational information as well as stories from homeless people and social service agencies " (2013). This brings to light the idea to use the media to share stories that will show what being homeless is really like. 

 

Mark Horvath, Founder of Invisible People American which is a non-profit organization that produces documentary films interviewing homeless people. Horvath agrees by stating, "put a face to the homeless by sharing their stories on social media platforms such as Vimeo, YouTube, and Facebook as well as starting and participating in conversations on Twitter" (2016). Horvath shows the importance of using Vimeo, YouTube, and Facebook to share homeless people's stories and even uses Twitter to participate in discussions. Both the National Coalition for the Homeless and Horvath express the importance of utilizing social media to show what homeless people go through to engage people in the non-profit's vision.

 

Online Marketing Strategies for Nonprofits- Emailing

Limiting the number of emails sent to clients will prove to keep them engaged in the emails being sent. According to Michele Abramowitz, a writer for the East Bay Coalition for the Homeless, "Don’t make email contacts too frequent. keep email contacts interesting and compelling – provide useful/helpful information" (2013). Abramowitz shows the importance of being intentional with the emails being sent.  

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Associate Professor of Mykolas Romeris University, Kiskis Mindaugas, agrees.  Mindaugas states that “direct electronic marketing is an impediment to usual activity, particularly in the cases when a consumer does not wish to receive any advertisements, is unable or unwilling  to make use of it.” (2019). This exemplifies the importance of not over-emailing clients because clients will not read the emails or will even put it in their spam folder because they are so used to receiving many emails daily. Both Abramowitz and Mindaugas agree that limiting the emails sent to clients will keep the clients engaged in the non-profit's purpose.

 

Engage the Audience by Shifting Focus and Usability Towards Audience 

Engaging the audience to a site, whether that be in the form of a website or a  social media account, requires shifting the focus towards the audience’s wants, needs, and point of view. Dr. Vrontis (2006), a certified marketer and business consultant, states that “a website can deliver the most value when it provides answers to questions prospective customers might have, and when it allows them to take the action they desire quickly, enjoyably, securely, and easily” (p. 128).The audiences’ needs and usability should be prioritized in order to have an effective engagement strategy. 

 

This ties in with research done by Cordelia Anderson, a  Director of Marketing and Communication, which revealed that helping the audience on their journey being “a part of getting them where they need to go ... tell their story” (p. 90) will guide a promotional strategy into an engagement strategy. One should let the audience be the main character of the story or purpose and relating the purpose in ways that can be easily understood and associated with the audience’s interest and perspective. This shows that when a promotional site shifts its focus to the audience’s perspective, the audience will not only grow in numbers but will also make them engage with the organization’s purpose. Both Vrontis and Anderson agree that prioritizing the audience is the key to a successful and engaging promotional site.

 

Effectively Gaining Volunteering by Focusing on Volunteer’s Benefit 

Volunteering among college students can be influenced by many factors, however, Dr. Erin W. Moore (2014), a professor in the Department of Psychology at Old Dominion University, states that the more effective method of reaching out to student volunteers is “to highlight the selflessness of volunteering as an experience, as well as the new experiences that would be gained from working with an organization” (p.394). How the organization’s purpose and mission will help the student in their self-interest or career path will be an immense influence on their decision to volunteer. 

 

Feng Yi (2017), a professor at Huazhong University of Science and Technology also agrees with this solution as he expressed that “perception of the benefits of giving is an effective motivation in the formation of consumers’ attitudes toward the charitable cause and in their giving behavior” (p. 1777). The targeted audience’s gains and benefits from working with the organization should be emphasized. Therefore, as stated by both Moore and Yi, in order to effectively reach out to student volunteers into dedicating their time and services to an organization, the self or career benefits and gains they will acquire from the organization should be emphasized.

 

Volunteerism and Volunteer Retention as Psychological Contract 

 The literature recommends that a way to look at volunteer retention rates is to examine the psychological contract between volunteers and what they are volunteering for. In a Southern Business Review, Mark and Laura Phillips study altruism and egoism as a way to reward volunteers and encourage volunteers to return. Phillips argued that “Individual motivation as it lies along the dichotomy between egoism, which motivates behavior for the purposes of self-enhancement or self-enrichment, and altruism, which is conceptualized as a generally selfless motivator,” (Phillips & Phillips, 2011). This quote elaborates on the idea that egoism is about the feeling it gives the volunteer when they volunteer while altruism is why the person does these actions. 

 

Another article about Egoism and Commitment offers a similar perspective of volunteerism. Hartenian and Lilly stated, “ various egoism reasons for volunteering have been offered, including to improve one’s own welfare…., to relieve the discomfort one might feel.. to gain job experience, to meet new people with similar interests,” (Hartenian & Lilly, 2009). This article agrees with the first article because, like the one above, they believe egoism is about “self-enhancement,” as the main purpose of volunteering and why they might return. Reviewing the two articles acknowledges that egoism is significant to the role of volunteerism.