National Volunteer Week: Why Good Volunteers Leave and What Community Organisations Can Do Better
Let’s Celebrate Our Volunteers This Year… And Every Year
Across Australia, more than 14.1 million people volunteer their time, contributing an extraordinary 3.2 billion hours of volunteer effort to communities, organisations and causes across the nation. Without these volunteers, many community groups, associations and not-for-profits simply would not exist. Essential services would disappear, events and programs would not run, and the strong sense of connection and belonging that holds communities together would be significantly diminished.
From major cities to regional, rural and remote communities, volunteers truly are the backbone of Australian society, which is why National Volunteer Week (18–24 May 2026) is such an important opportunity to recognise and celebrate the people who generously give their time to support clubs, charities, associations and community organisations across the country.
But while National Volunteer Week is an important time to celebrate volunteers, it should also encourage organisations to reflect on how they support, engage and retain the people who give their time so generously.
Some community organisations don’t have a volunteer shortage problem, they have a culture problem.
But there’s an uncomfortable conversation many community groups avoid: why do good volunteers leave?
In many cases, it’s not because people are too busy, but because they no longer feel valued, heard, included or able to contribute meaningfully. People genuinely want to help, give back to their communities, share their skills and make a difference, yet when new ideas are dismissed, communication breaks down, or committees become resistant to change, even the most motivated volunteers can eventually disengage.
If community organisations want to attract and retain great people, creating a positive and inclusive culture matters just as much as recruitment.
Volunteers want purpose, not just tasks
Most volunteers understand they are joining busy organisations with competing priorities and limited resources, and they are not expecting perfection. What they are looking for is purpose.
People want to know why their contribution matters, how they can help, what value they bring, and whether their time and skills are genuinely respected. This applies whether someone is volunteering at events, joining a committee, sitting on a board, helping with fundraising, or offering professional expertise.
One of the biggest mistakes organisations make is assuming volunteers should simply be grateful to be included, when in reality they are choosing to give up their time, energy and experience to support a cause they care about. That contribution deserves respect.
A pet peeve of mine is the phrase “we’re just volunteers”. While it is often said with good intentions, it should never become an excuse for poor communication, lack of accountability, or dysfunctional behaviour. Volunteer organisations still need healthy, respectful and collaborative teams, just like any workplace.
Poor communication, unclear expectations and ongoing tension can quickly turn volunteering from something rewarding into something emotionally draining.
First impressions matter more than you think
Volunteers often decide within the first few interactions whether they feel welcome and valued within an organisation.
Do they feel included in conversations? Are they given context about the club or association? Has anyone taken the time to genuinely understand why they joined and what they hope to contribute and gain from their volunteering experience?
Too often, new people walk into environments or communities where long-standing members already have established dynamics, assumptions and ways of doing things. Without even realising it, committees and boards can become closed circles.
A welcoming culture starts with curiosity and a genuine willingness to understand the people joining your organisation. Ask what motivated them to get involved, what skills and experience they bring, what areas they are interested in supporting, how they prefer to communicate, and what capacity they realistically have in terms of time and energy.
Some volunteers bring governance experience, while others bring expertise in marketing, technology, finance, operations, strategic planning, grants, or valuable community connections.
From my experience, organisations that fail to understand the value sitting around the table often miss significant opportunities, whether financially, strategically, or in their ability to strengthen community engagement and impact.
Strong committees operate like strong teams
High-performing volunteer committees and boards operate much like strong workplace teams. They communicate clearly, trust each other, respect boundaries, share responsibility, and work together towards a common purpose.
Being volunteers does not remove the need for professionalism. In many ways, when people are giving their time freely, communication and respect become even more important.
Healthy committees and boards:
* Have clear and documented roles and responsibilities
* Encourage transparency and accountability
*Provide people with adequate information and context
*Ask questions instead of making assumptions
*Respect differing opinions and perspectives
*Deal with conflict constructively
*Recognise people’s time, energy and capacity
*Communicate in a positive and respectful way
Just as importantly, people need to feel psychologically safe enough to contribute ideas without being dismissed or shut down. That doesn’t mean every idea needs to be adopted, but it does mean people should feel heard, respected and included in the conversation.
Resistance to change is driving volunteers away
One of the most common reasons volunteers become frustrated isn’t workload. It’s resistance to change and feeling as though their skills, ideas and experience are not genuinely welcomed.
Too often, capable new volunteers walk into organisations ready to contribute, only to be met with defensiveness, resistance, or a mindset of “this is how we’ve always done it”.
Community organisations need to be willing to leave ego at the door. New people joining a committee or board are not there to take over or undermine long-standing members. In most cases, they are there because they care deeply about the organisation and want to help it grow, improve and remain sustainable into the future.
Many volunteers bring fresh perspectives, professional expertise, community connections and innovative ideas that could create enormous opportunities for an organisation. But instead of embracing that contribution, some committees become protective of existing processes, resistant to feedback, or threatened by change.
People can begin to feel threatened by new ideas or different ways of thinking. They worry about losing control, become territorial over roles or processes, and slowly stop listening to the people around them. Unfortunately, when organisations become too focused on protecting old ways of operating, they can miss valuable opportunities sitting right in front of them.
This can be incredibly discouraging for future-focused volunteers who genuinely want to help organisations grow, modernise and remain sustainable. Many long-serving volunteers have carried community organisations for years with limited support, and that commitment absolutely deserves recognition. It’s understandable that change can feel uncomfortable, particularly when people are already stretched thin and doing their best to keep things running.
However, sustainable organisations recognise that welcoming new people, fresh perspectives and different skill sets is not a threat, but an essential part of long-term success.
In many ways, volunteer management is a role in itself, requiring time, communication, leadership and relationship-building skills to ensure people feel supported, valued and motivated to stay involved.
When volunteers stop feeling valued, they leave
I’ve seen incredibly capable people walk away from organisations they genuinely cared about, not because they lost passion for the cause, but because they became emotionally exhausted from constantly trying to contribute and gain traction.
Maybe you’ve been one of them.
One colleague joined a board full of enthusiasm and a genuine desire to help. She brought valuable experience in marketing, website development and membership growth, and could clearly see opportunities to modernise the organisation and diversify its revenue streams. She wasn’t there to take over or criticise what had been done before, she simply wanted to help the organisation move forward.
But over time, her enthusiasm slowly faded.
Her ideas were dismissed. Conversations stalled. Decisions were continually deferred until “the next meeting”. Making progress became almost impossible despite her genuine efforts to contribute. Unfortunately, after more than a year of trying to create positive change, she eventually resigned.
Not because she didn’t care.
Because she was tired.
What started as excitement and optimism became frustrating, deflating and emotionally draining. What disappointed her most was knowing the organisation could have benefited significantly if they had simply been willing to listen and collaborate.
I’ve experienced similar situations myself. I’ve offered support to committees around grant opportunities and funding strategies, only to hear, “No, we can handle it ourselves.” Yet twelve months later, they still hadn’t submitted a single grant application.
A committee cannot continue to complain about limited funding, lack of volunteers or sustainability challenges while simultaneously refusing support, expertise or collaboration when it is offered.
Sometimes organisations become so focused on maintaining control, protecting old ways of operating, or avoiding outside input that they unintentionally reject the very support they need most.
How community organisations can retain good volunteers
Community organisations don’t need to be perfect, but they do need to be intentional about the culture they create. Volunteers are far more likely to stay involved when they feel respected, valued and genuinely able to contribute in meaningful ways.
This starts with the small things that often make the biggest difference. Being welcoming when someone new joins. Taking the time to listen properly. Communicating clearly and consistently instead of leaving people guessing.
It also means being transparent, providing context around decisions, respecting people’s time and boundaries, and creating an environment where ideas and different perspectives are encouraged rather than dismissed.
Strong committees and boards understand the importance of leaving ego at the door. They define roles clearly, work together as a team, and address tension or conflict early before it becomes damaging to the culture of the organisation.
Importantly, organisations also need to recognise when external support may help. If communication within a committee or board is consistently breaking down, or negativity and frustration are becoming normalised, bringing in governance training, facilitation or strategic support can make a significant difference.
Sometimes organisations become so close to their own challenges that they struggle to see them clearly, and an outside perspective can help reset communication, rebuild trust and create healthier ways of working together.
What strong volunteer cultures have in common
The strongest volunteer-led organisations are rarely the ones with the biggest budgets or the most resources. More often, they are the organisations that create positive, welcoming and collaborative cultures.
Strong volunteer cultures:
Welcome new people and new ideas
Communicate openly and respectfully
Encourage collaboration
Value people’s skills and lived experience
Respect time and boundaries
Provide clarity and transparency
Support shared leadership and responsibility
Address conflict constructively
Remain open to change and growth
When volunteers feel heard, respected and connected to purpose, they are far more likely to remain engaged long term.
National Volunteer Week is about more than saying Thank You
Appreciation matters, and recognition absolutely matters, but if organisations truly want volunteers to stay, grow and contribute long term, culture matters just as much.
Good people genuinely want to help. Communities need skilled volunteers, and organisations need fresh thinking if they are going to remain sustainable into the future.
Volunteers should never walk away feeling unheard, dismissed or defeated simply because they tried to contribute their ideas, skills or experience.
The strongest community organisations are not the ones that avoid change or protect outdated ways of operating. They are the ones willing to listen, adapt, communicate better, and work together with respect and openness.
As community organisations across Australia celebrate National Volunteer Week, perhaps the most important question is not whether we appreciate our volunteers, but whether we are creating environments where they genuinely feel welcome, respected and able to contribute.
Because at the end of the day, volunteers don’t just strengthen organisations, they help shape their future.
Need help?
If your organisation is struggling to retain volunteers, navigate change, improve communication or strengthen committee culture, we’d love to help.
The Grants Club supports community organisations with governance support, strategic planning, grant readiness and practical solutions that help volunteer-led organisations become stronger, more sustainable and better connected.
Get in touch with Liz to start the conversation.