Vectors of volunteerism: Correlates of volunteer retention, recruitment, and job satisfaction

Volunteers are a rapidly growing segment of the workforce population, contributing both time and resources to the success of many organizations. Utilizing quantitative data from a survey, this study first develops a theoretical model of nonprofit volunteer participation and satisfaction and tests this model through structural equation modeling. The data derive from over 250 volunteers of a nonprofit organization located in a large southwestern urban area. Specifically, this study investigates the relationship of volunteer motivation, organizational communication, and structural barriers with job satisfaction, intent to remain with the organization, and intent to engage in volunteer‐initiated recruitment. A slightly modified model derived from the theorized model received support. Motivation predicted satisfaction with organizational communication, which in turn predicted perceived barriers, job satisfaction, commitment, and intentions to recruit others. Implications are examined both for the theory of organizational communication and the recruitment of volunteers for nonprofit organizations.