Investing in Volunteer Belonging Over Rewards

Person sitting curled up on a windowsill, silhouetted against the light from a window. They appear tired from sacrificing their time and energy.

Recently, the founder of a virtual platform that allows volunteers to earn “Deed Dollars” for their contributions to shop for donated goods responded thoughtfully to a video I made on “The Problem with Prize-Based Volunteering”.

They describe their work as a way for charities and nonprofits to address “volunteer burnout, low retention, and lack of commitment”. Their approach is to “reward volunteers and donors in a way that makes it easier for people, especially those short on time or money, to get involved without feeling they have to sacrifice”.

I value this kind of dialogue because to modernize the profession of volunteer engagement, we must be open to public disagreements and see more than one way to do things. I appreciate the founder’s passion to make a difference and their desire to widen the circle of who can participate in formal volunteering. While I find the approach somewhat misguided, I see it as an opportunity to reflect together on how we design volunteer engagement that truly lasts.

Volunteering indeed takes privilege. The privilege of time, money, and mental capacity is real. Not everyone has equal access to those resources, and that inequity affects who is able to show up in community. Where I differ is in the solution. Rather than building transactional platforms, nonprofits should invest money in lowering barriers. That might mean hiring more staff to support volunteer work, paying for transportation, or providing high-quality onsite childcare.

The word sacrifice is one that gives me pause. In my years of leading volunteers across social service, education, and healthcare nonprofits, I have noticed a troubling pattern of martyrdom from volunteers who frame their contributions as sacrifice. These are the folks who hold their hours or efforts over others, consciously or not. Instead of community-building, it creates hierarchy and comparisons of “who gave more”, “who gave harder”, and “who sacrificed most”. That is not what belonging looks like. Volunteering, at its best, is not loss. It is meaning, connection, and fulfillment.

Models like time banking offer a glimpse of what reciprocity in community looks like. One hour of your time is exchanged for one hour of someone else’s. It is not about a price tag, it is about community. Reward-based models for volunteering, however, lean more toward transaction. A chance to win a cruise after you complete 50 hours. A hand towel for your afternoon park cleanup.

While this lowers barriers for some, it risks flattening volunteerism into just another marketplace exchange. It lacks the authenticity and shared purpose that make volunteerism meaningful.

I’m currently reading “Captivate: The Science of Succeeding with People” by Vanessa Van Edwards. This book touches on Resource Theory, a way of looking at interpersonal relationships as different kinds of currencies (namely: love, information, status, money, goods, and services). A rewards-based model is a strong fit for volunteers who favour goods as their motivator.

The limitation is that it assumes volunteers are more similar than different. It does not invite leaders of volunteers to explore volunteer motivations, design roles, support service, and recognize contributions in ways that truly resonate. Instead, it risks a one-size-fits-all approach.

I honestly believe that the best volunteer recognition is not something folks can shop for on an app. It’s a great experience. That means a role that is meaningful, clear, and tied to the mission. It means access to new people, places, and ideas. Most of all, it means a sense of belonging. These are the kinds of returns that last far longer than prize raffles and items in an online marketplace.

If we want to tackle burnout, retention, and commitment, the solution is not transactional. It is transformational. Instead of a shopping app, nonprofits should invest in professional development for leaders of volunteers, in technology that makes it easier for volunteers to access information and build deeper connections, and in mission-tied opportunities that align a volunteer’s growth with organizational impact.

Ideas like rewards platforms come from a real desire to do good. The opportunity is to channel this desire into building belonging.

When volunteerism is designed this way, people do not feel like they are sacrificing. They feel supported and fulfilled. And that is what will keep them engaged.

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