Older volunteers' intention to remain in service in nonprofit organisations

The presence of older volunteers in third-sector organisations has increased in recent years. In this sense, it is important to know what institutions can do in order to retain these volunteers. The present study analyses organisational support to volunteers and their satisfaction with the tasks they perform as explanatory factors of satisfaction with organisational management and the relationship between the organisation and volunteers’ intention of remaining in service.

The sample was made up of 172 volunteers over 60, living in the Region of Murcia.

The analysis of structural equations revealed the relationship between degree of satisfaction with the management and the intention of remaining in service. The influence of organisational support and task satisfaction on the degree of satisfaction with management was also examined.

The degree of satisfaction with management has shown to be an important predictor of older volunteers’ intention of remaining in service. These findings have important implications on how organisations manage volunteerism and the relationship between paid staff and volunteers.