This guide to volunteering includes a Volunteer Policy checklist, volunteer handbooks, recruiting, how to retain, motivate and engage volunteers, what volunteer motivations, and benefits are and what the main barriers to volunteering are.

Volunteer Policy Template

A volunteer handbook is a guide that provides essential information to help volunteers understand their roles, responsibilities, and the charity’s expectations. It ensures a smooth onboarding process and helps volunteers feel supported.

Key elements to include:

• Introduction & Charity Mission – Explain the charity’s purpose and how volunteers contribute.
• Volunteer Roles & Expectations – Outline responsibilities, time commitments, and conduct guidelines.
• Policies & Procedures – Cover safeguarding, health and safety, data protection, and confidentiality.
• Support & Training – Detail available training, supervision, and points of contact.
• Recognition & Benefits – Highlight how volunteers are appreciated and any perks like expenses reimbursement.
• Problem-Solving & Complaints – Provide guidance on raising concerns and resolving issues.
• Social Media & Public Representation – Set rules for discussing the charity online.
• Ending the Volunteer Role – Explain how volunteers can step down and return any charity property.

Recruitment - How To Find Charity Volunteers

Finding and recruiting volunteers is a bit like staff recruitment.  We need to be clear on how many people we need, what skills and experience they might need, what we can offer that will make them want to volunteer, minimise any barriers that may make that less likely and then get that message to them.

Larger charities may have volunteer job descriptions, but even for the smaller ones, it can be useful to have a list of volunteer roles, any useful skills/experience and the time/flexibility required.  That’s more admin, but you can download a template from Charity Excellence that has this, with a range of example roles and requirements already included.

Think about what it is you offer and do that will appeal to potential volunteers and what barriers they think may be preventing them from volunteering.   Turn that into simple messages that you can use.   You can also use these in wider communications, such as social media posts, or your newsletter, to encourage people to come forward.  Seven in 10 volunteers say they have already or would recommend their volunteering to a friend or family member.  Among those who have never volunteered, one of the most frequently cited reasons for not volunteering is that they have never thought about it.

Then think about who your volunteers might be, where to find them and how to reach them.  About 80% of people volunteer in their local areas, with about 10% volunteering through employer supported schemes. Formal volunteers are more likely to be older, well-educated and from higher socio-economic groups.  Having flexibility and being asked directly are most likely to encourage those who have not volunteered recently.

For example, people who volunteer for roles such as:

1. Helping out at events or at a day club for an hour or 2 are most likely to come from the local community. Posters in local shops etc or posts in local social media groups might work well.
2. Whereas someone drafting funding bids or social media volunteers, may be home based and could be drawn from a wide geographical area. You could use social media platforms or groups they may be members of, or one of the volunteer recruitment websites.

For social media, think about which platforms they might use.  There are no absolutes, but business and professional people may be more likely to use LinkedIn, whereas teenagers are more likely to be on Instagram/Snap Chat.

For those hard to fill roles, using your trustees and business supporters to access corporates and business networks can be very useful.  Charity Excellence Help Finder has a Volunteer search category that enables you to find a whole range of organisations, both local and national, who can help you find volunteers, including for specialist roles.

How to Retain, Motivate and Engage Volunteers

More than one in 5 people volunteer at least once a month for a group, club or organisation, but only 7% are both consistently and heavily involved.  This suggests that keeping volunteers engaged and retaining them is a real opportunity.

Make sure that volunteers are welcomed into your charity and given some form of induction and, if necessary, training to make them feel welcome and to enable them to give and get the most from being a volunteer.

And make sure that you continue to engage and support them, on an ongoing basis.  It doesn't have to be a formal system and it doesn't have to be a lot of work, but it does have to be done well, to work well. Here are some ideas of the kinds of ways in which you could do that:

1. A letter of welcome signed by the chair/CEO.
2. Volunteer thank you events, thanks in the Board minutes (as long as they get told, obviously), or a card at Christmas and badges can work well.
3. Good news stories can be posted on social media or in newsletters, or even as a press release, and help generate useful PR as well.
4. There are national and often local volunteer awards, or you could create your own.
5. Long service recognition can work well – for example a gold, platinum badge, or a hand written thank you from the Chair/CEO.

And don’t overlook the power of simply saying thank you when you meet people who give their unpaid time to your charity.

UK Volunteer Benefits, Claiming Expenses & Payments

Benefits. Individuals may volunteer as many hours as they want to each week and their benefits won’t be affected.

Pay.  Volunteering is unpaid work for someone other than a close relative, such as a charity. If you’re a volunteer, you’ll have no contract of employment. This means you decide how many hours you want to volunteer each week.  You won’t be paid for your work.

Expenses.  You can be paid reasonable out of pocket expenses. This includes money spent on food, travel or childcare costs whilst volunteering. You should always keep receipts for expenses - your benefit provider might ask for these as proof. Source - Citizens Advice.  You may need to pay tax on your driving expenses if you get back more than you spent.  Your charity should have a written agreement setting out what is classed as an expense, plus how to claim and approve expenses.

Gifts.  The Charity Commission encourages charities to show appreciation to volunteers but recommends ensuring that any gifts or vouchers do not create expectations of a reward system.  Personally, I've used the HMRC Trivial Benefits guidance for employees, on the basis it seems reasonable to treat volunteers similarly in this context. For a benefit to be considered trivial, it must cost £50 or less, not be cash or a cash voucher, not be a reward for work or performance, and not be in the terms of the volunteer's contract.

What are the Main Motivations for Volunteering?

There are many reasons why people volunteer their time and skills, and each person has her of his own reasons, but here are some of the most common ones.

1. Enjoy helping people
2. Believe the cause is worthwhile.
3. Have time to spare.
4. Want to make friends.
5. Want to use skills.
6. Would like to learn new skills

What are the Barriers to Volunteering?

Here are some of the main barriers to volunteering.

1. Lack of time.
2. Put off by bureaucracy.
3. Worry about risk/liability.
4. The way things are organised (or not).

What are the Benefits of Volunteering?

Benefits reported by volunteers:

1. Satisfaction from seeing results.
2. Personal achievement.
3. Opportunity to do something they are good at.
4. Broaden horizons.
5. Meet people.

Charity Commission Volunteer Policy