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Volunteer recruitment calls are a vital part of advancing your nonprofit’s mission. Volunteers are the lifeblood of nonprofits, driving missions forward and amplifying impact. So, why volunteers don’t answer calls anymore?
If you’ve noticed a decline in answered calls, you’re not alone. Nonprofit organizations across the country are struggling to reach volunteers. But what’s causing this shift?
Here are some of the reasons why volunteers don’t answer calls and strategies on how to improve volunteer recruitment calls.
How can you improve volunteer recruitment call answer rates?
Are there measures you can take to boost pick-up rates? We have a few suggestions based on the most common reasons why volunteers aren’t answering calls.
1. Your calls are getting flagged as spam
If your calls aren’t getting through, it’s likely because they’re being mislabeled as spam. This mislabeling prevents volunteers from seeing who’s calling, leading to unanswered calls and missed connections.
Let’s break it down further and explore what’s really happening behind the scenes.
- Aggressive filtering: Phone carriers mistakenly label your legitimate calls as “Spam Risk” or “Spam Likely.”
- Silent blocking: AI-powered spam filters are sending your calls straight to voicemail.
The result? Your passionate outreach never even reaches potential volunteers. And neither you nor the volunteers know why.
The solution: CallHub’s spam label shield
Think of Spam Label Shield as your VIP pass-through spam filter. Here’s how it transforms your outreach:
- Proactive protection: detects and removes spam labels before they hurt your recruitment efforts.
- Trust building: ensures your organization’s name displays correctly on caller IDs
- Automatic management: handles all technical aspects of maintaining your calling reputation.
- Continuous monitoring: guards your numbers against false flags while you focus on what matters- connecting with volunteers.
Want to check if your number is flagged? Try Spam Label Shield today!
2. Volunteers don’t recognize your number
Many ignore calls from unknown numbers, assuming they’re spam or telemarketing. A study by Hiya found that 94% of unknown calls go unanswered, and many are considered robocalls or scams.
The solution: Send a warm-up text or email before calling
A simple message like this can increase pickup rates:
| “Hey [Name], it’s [Your Name] from [Organization]. We’d love to have you volunteer! I’ll give you a quick call soon.” |
Personalization makes a huge difference, too, so mention their past involvement or specific opportunities that align with their interests.
3. Your timing is off
Bad timing can kill your volunteer recruitment efforts before they begin. While spam filters might be your biggest obstacle, calling at the wrong time guarantees you’ll miss potential volunteers – even if your calls get through.
Calling during work hours or late at night often results in missed calls. Volunteers have busy schedules, and catching them at the wrong time means they won’t pick up.
Solution: Optimize your call timings
Test different times. Evenings and weekends tend to work best. Analyze past data to see when previous volunteers were most responsive. If a call goes unanswered, try sending a follow-up text or scheduling a callback at a more convenient time.
CallHub has identified specific periods when individuals are more likely to answer calls:
- Evenings: The answer rate remains steady throughout the day, starting at 9 am and dips at 7 pm. The 6 – 7 pm bracket accounted for the best answer rate at 23.38%
- Weekends: Calls made on weekends, mainly Saturdays, have accounted for 15.58% of the total calls. This means prospects are more likely to answer calls on weekends than on weekdays.
4. Volunteers are burned out
Many people feel overwhelmed with personal and professional commitments. Volunteer burnout is a significant concern that can adversely affect both the well-being of volunteers and the effectiveness of organizations. Understanding the causes, recognizing the signs, and implementing strategies to prevent burnout are essential steps in maintaining a motivated and healthy volunteer workforce.
Solution: Make it low-pressure and flexible
It’s important to recognize that potential volunteers might be feeling overwhelmed with existing commitments. To address this:
- Offer flexible volunteering schedules
- Clearly communicate time expectations
- Provide micro-volunteering opportunities
- Allow volunteers to set their own boundaries
- Emphasize the impact of even small time commitments
- Create a supportive environment that prevents burnout
5. Your call sounds too scripted
Imagine receiving calls where every sentence is pre-recorded or read verbatim – it leaves little room for real conversation. Instead of feeling like they’re a part of a critical mission, volunteers might think, “This is just another sales pitch.” This disconnect can lead to lower response rates and diminished enthusiasm for the cause.
The solution: Make it conversational
Ditch the robotic script. Instead, make your outreach feel like a real conversation.
Here’s how:
- Personalize it – Start with their name and mention their past involvement.
- Ask, don’t just tell – Instead of launching into a pitch, ask how they’ve been or what inspired them to volunteer in the first place.
- Be flexible – Use a call guide, not a rigid script. Adapt based on their responses.
- Show appreciation. A simple “We appreciate what you’ve done” goes a long way toward keeping them engaged.
- Use branching scripts: Guide your agents to the right questions using branching scripts.
Read more on how branching scripts are one of the most requested features to boost engagement.
When calls feel natural, volunteers are more likely to stay on the line, listen, and even say yes to helping again. Keep it accurate—because nobody wants to talk to a robot.
6. They prefer other communication channels.
Remember the days when phone calls were the only way to reach volunteers? Today’s landscape has shifted drastically. Research shows that eight in ten Americans ignore calls from unknown numbers. Many now prefer texts, emails, or social media messages because they feel less intrusive and allow for flexible responses.
The solution: Use a multi-channel approach
Don’t just rely on phone calls. Studies suggest that millennial and Gen-Z populations prefer other methods of communication, while older folks love phone calls. Reach out via:
- Text message: Quick and easy, with a higher response rate.
- Emails: great for providing details and links, but ensure they’re engaging.
- Social media: Many volunteers follow organizations on platforms like Instagram, Whatsapp, or Facebook – direct outreach here can be more effective than cold calls.
- In-app notifications: if your organization has a volunteer app, push notifications can be a non-intrusive way to share opportunities.
Provide options for volunteers to choose their preferred method of communication. If your calls aren’t getting through, it may be time to meet volunteers where they are – on their preferred channels.
Read more to understand the most effective method to recruit volunteers.
7. Your outreach list is outdated.
When phone numbers go silent, and emails bounce back, it’s not just a minor inconvenience – it’s a sign that you’re losing touch with your volunteer community. Even worse, some of your messages might be reaching people who are no longer interested or relevant to your cause, meaning lower response rates.
The solution: Regular updates and segmentation of lists
The solution is to treat your volunteer database like a living house plant that needs regular care and attention. Ensure your outreach lists are accurate, up-to-date, and well-segmented. Remove inactive numbers and verify contact details before launching recruitment campaigns.
Fix Spam Labels and boost volunteer recruitment.
The biggest challenge isn’t the volunteers’ interest but getting through to them. Recruitment calls can be effective if you address the issues mentioned above and reach the right people at the right time, using the right appr prettyetty much like finding a soulmate.
Ready for your volunteer recruitment? Start with checking whether your numbers are being flagged as spam. Try Spam Label Shield to ensure your calls reach the people who want to answer them.
