Retention of Millennials in the Voluntary Sector: How Can Organizations Not Only Engage but Also Retain This Emerging Generation?

Abstract

Why do emerging generations stay active in a voluntary organization? The number of volunteers is increasing in Hungary, one reason is the obligatory community service in secondary schools. There is an emerging generation who has experience in volunteering, however there is a little knowledge about why they sustain voluntary work. Although previous studies elaborate on the retention of volunteers from a general perspective, further research is needed in this specific area. This study aims to examine younger generations’ (Millennials, GenY) retention in nonprofit voluntary organizations by conducting a single case study at Amigos for Children Foundation, in Hungary. Adopting a grounded theory approach, the study aims to build theory on the topic by combining two streams of literature with primary data: sustained volunteerism and expectations of younger generations towards their workplace. Based on prior literature review and qualitative research, findings suggest that organizations should focus on two main areas to keep younger generations motivated. (1) Organizational factors in which volunteering happens are flexible framework for daily operations, flat organization, involvement in decision making and opportunity for shaping the organization. (2) What the volunteer gets in exchange for the prosocial activity: positive feedback, recognition, strong community, opportunity for social and professional development, autonomy, responsibility, mutual trust. An important finding of the study is that younger generations are conscious about the values and the organization itself they work or volunteer at. Further, one of the most important factors for them is the community they do prosocial activity with. Overall, the current study develops propositions on organizational factors to retain younger generations in voluntary organizations.