Hi {{first_name|there}},
Most of us ask our happiest volunteers for feedback, but the people with the most useful feedback are the ones who stopped coming. They know exactly what got in the way, and most of them will tell you if you ask kindly and keep it quick.
Who to ask
Anyone who volunteered at least once in the past year but hasn't been back in the last three to six months.
The email
Subject: Can I ask you three quick questions?
Hi [First name],
Thank you again for helping with [Organization] last [season or month]. We're trying to make volunteering here better, and your honest answer would really help us.
Would you answer three quick questions? It takes about a minute: [link]
Whatever your answers are, thank you for the time you gave us.
[Your name]
The three questions
1. What's the main reason you haven't volunteered with us recently?
My schedule changed
The available times don't work for me
I wasn't sure what was needed or how to sign up
The experience wasn't what I hoped
I'm volunteering somewhere else now
Other: ________
2. What's one thing that would make it easier to come back? (Open answer)
3. Would you like to hear about future opportunities?
Yes, keep me posted
Maybe later, check back in a few months
No thanks
Any free form tool works for this. Stick to these three questions, because every extra one cuts down the number of people who finish.
How to read the answers
"My schedule changed" is just life. There's not much to fix, but keep them on the list.
"The times don't work" is a signal. If several people say it, try adding one new time slot, like an evening, a weekend or a remote role.
"I wasn't sure what was needed" is a communication problem, so look at how often you send out opportunities and how clear your listings are.
"The experience wasn't what I hoped" is the most important answer you'll get. Read every open response from these people twice, because it usually points straight at the first shift.
"I'm volunteering somewhere else" is completely fine. They're still out there serving, so thank them warmly and let them go.
Close the loop
A month later, email everyone who answered: "You told us [most common issue], and here's what we changed: [change]." Some people will come back just because you actually listened.
Let AI do it
Reading through a pile of open-ended answers is the part that never gets done. Export your responses and paste this into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini:
Here are survey responses from past volunteers explaining why they stopped coming: [paste responses]. Count how many people picked each reason. Then read the open answers and group them into the three to five most common themes, with a short quote for each (no names). Finally, suggest the one change that would help the most people come back, and draft a short "here's what we changed" email I could send to everyone who answered.
⭐ AI Superstar: an always-on exit survey
Instead of running this once a year, you can have it run in the background. If your sign-ins live in a spreadsheet and your AI assistant can connect to it, your email and your survey responses on a schedule, it can find people as they drift away, draft the survey email for each one, and send you a short summary of what they're saying every quarter.
Here's what you'd tell it:
On the 1st of every month at 8am, open the [sign-in sheet name] spreadsheet and find anyone whose last shift was between three and four months ago and who isn't already on the "Surveyed" tab. Save a draft of this email to each of them: [paste the email]. Add them to the "Surveyed" tab with today's date. On the 1st of January, April, July and October, also read the [survey responses spreadsheet], count the reasons, group the open answers into the top themes with a short anonymous quote for each, and email me a summary with the one change you'd suggest. Don't send the survey emails.
Try it this week
Pull your list of past volunteers and build the three-question form, then send it next week and give it ten days before you look at the results.
One question for you
Why do you think volunteers stop coming to your organization? Reply with your guess, and if you run the survey, tell me whether you were right. I'd love to compare notes.
Thanks for the work you do.
Jacob
Founder, ServeWith
P.S. Know another nonprofit leader who's short-staffed? Forward this to them, or send them to shortstaffed.servewith.org to sign up.