Volunteer no-shows? Charities take steps such as screening to curb absenteeism, ensure applicants are good fit

SINGAPORE — As one charity here faces "paralysing" problems with volunteers who do not turn up, the Food Bank Singapore has found a way to give those donating their time an extra reason to honour their word.

The outfit, which aims to alleviate hunger by collecting surplus food and distributing it to those in need, has long published its warehouse schedule a month in advance to try to prevent last-minute cancellations and rescheduling by volunteers.

Even then, it still faced the occasional last-minute cancellations and rescheduling, averaging about twice a month.

To address this problem, the charity introduced a fundraising component to its programmes, requiring groups of volunteers to make a donation of S$100 for each session they book to take part in the organisation's work.

As a result, the number of rescheduled sessions has significantly fallen to about once every two months.

"The fee in part helped to ensure that there was 'skin-in-the-game' and to ensure greater involvement of the volunteers," Food Bank Singapore said, adding that the group also engages volunteers through timely reminders and discussion with them.

NO HELP WHEN NEEDED

Not all charities have the same procedures when it comes to managing volunteers.

In a recent TikTok post, soup kitchen charity Krsna's Free Meals, which serves free breakfast and lunch daily to the needy, voiced its frustration after a significant number of volunteers failed to turn up without notice and honour their volunteering commitments.

The charity stated in its post that many volunteers sign up as a group, but if one member decides not to attend, the entire group often fails to show up without prior notice.

"We are paralysed and unable to work properly when we don't have volunteers," the charity wrote in the comments, adding that it relies on volunteers for operations to run smoothly.

TODAY spoke to eight charity organisations and they reported varying experiences and strategies when handling no-shows.

IT PAYS OFF TO SCREEN VOLUNTEERS

Voluntary welfare organisation Lions Befrienders undertakes a rigorous volunteer screening process for those keen on signing up as regular volunteers, to ensure that they are a good fit.

The backgrounds of prospective volunteers as well as their motivations for wanting to volunteer are evaluated.

Lions Befrienders provides befriending services, outreach programmes, and active ageing initiatives for seniors.

Ms Karen Wee, executive director of Lions Befrienders, said that checks are done to ensure that the applicants do not have a criminal history and they are suitable and trustworthy individuals who can safely and effectively support the organisation's operations.

Even so, Ms Wee said it is Lions Befrienders' belief that those who do have a criminal record deserve to be given "second chances" to volunteer, but will be evaluated on their suitability to be placed in programmes such as befriending vulnerable beneficiaries.

The vetting process — done through phone calls or in-person interviews — is designed to assess that people are genuinely committed to the charity's cause and can reliably support its operations.

"We want to ensure the quality of the volunteers because we are putting these people directly in contact with the beneficiaries, so we have to screen them carefully to ensure integrity and honesty in them," Ms Wee added.

Lions Befrienders said that it had not experienced volunteers failing to show up for scheduled commitments, and instances of latecomers occur only in about two out of 10 volunteering sessions each month.

This is likely due to its measures such as stringent screening processes and comprehensive onboarding training for their prospective volunteers, Ms Wee said.

Sociologist Paulin Straughan from the Singapore Management University (SMU) said that Singaporeans may tend to use their busy lives as an excuse for reneging on commitments.

"The problem now is that people use busyness as a construct that is embedded in us. And we use it as an excuse to become a victim to this narrative."

MEASURES ADOPTED BY CHARITIES

To ensure volunteer commitment, charities are increasingly adopting proactive strategies to cope when volunteers fail to show up, so that their essential services continue uninterrupted.

Ms Aarthi Sankar, executive director of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), noted that absenteeism tended to be seasonal, influenced by factors such as during infection waves of Covid-19. Absences typically occur on an individual basis due to personal emergencies or scheduling conflicts, she added.

To minimise volunteer no-shows, SPCA conducts briefings so that volunteers are well-prepared for their roles. The organisation also sends timely reminders.

New volunteers are required to attend an orientation programme for training and commit for at least four months on a fortnightly or weekly basis.

"For effective volunteer management, we require all new volunteers to complete at least three volunteering sessions during the off-peak period before getting involved during peak periods such as the weekends. This keeps the workload manageable and reduces burnout," Ms Sankar added.

Regarding corporate volunteers, SPCA prioritises long-term commitments over ad-hoc sessions. Non-member corporate groups pay S$400 for half-day volunteer sessions or S$700 for a full day. This fee is waived for corporations that are SPCA members. 

Another charity, Food from the Heart, which distributes food to the needy, does not screen its volunteers.

Mr Robin Lee, its chief executive officer, said that the organisation ensures volunteer commitment through clear communication and selective partnership.

Volunteers receive a confirmation email outlining cancellation policies and reminders before the sessions. Food from the Heart also prefers to work with reliable group and corporate partners based on attendance records.

"At our Community Shop, where the responsibilities and commitment level are much heavier, we let potential volunteers try out before they decide," Mr Lee said.

Its Community Shop branches in a few locations around the island function as a mini-mart for beneficiaries and operates on a shop-for-free concept. 

"For Bread Run and large-scale events, there is a virtual onboarding and briefing session respectively, which volunteers have to attend prior to the event day," he added.

Bread Run is a programme of distributing safe-for-consumption bread that would otherwise have been thrown out by retailers.

"These measures are for us to give volunteers a better idea of what to expect and also share the impact of their contribution towards our charity work and the beneficiaries that we serve."

At Shine Children and Youth Services, which supports children and youth facing socio-economic challenges, the charity has seen higher dropout rates when groups sign up to volunteer together.

"They may choose not to turn up for a volunteering session if one or a few of them are unable to make it. This may also be more prevalent in once-off or ad-hoc volunteer roles," it said.

Given this, it anticipates attrition by recruiting extra volunteers and also screens all volunteers, adjusting the intensity based on the role's commitment and duration. 

"Shine Children and Youth Services clearly communicates the commitment and responsibilities to volunteers at the point of recruitment and selection, to ensure there is goodness of fit between the availability, aptitude and attributes of the volunteers and the programmes," it added.

HOW CAN PEOPLE BE ENCOURAGED TO COMMIT TO VOLUNTEERING?

Professor Straughan from SMU acknowledged that running a charity is a stressful task because many are tight on resources and do not have the bandwidth to woo volunteers.

"They have tasks to complete and people are waiting for them. And this scares people who should be able to step up as volunteers, because the commitment is so real and there is real backlash."

Associate Professor Alwyn Lim, a sociologist from SMU, said that volunteering today is also "seen as an activity that one can put on one’s resume", which encourages a mindset of treating it just as another activity that can be used instrumentally.

Associate Professor Tan Ern Ser, a sociologist at the National University of Singapore, said that charities should try to customise their expectations according to how much individual volunteers can commit to the duties, rather than impose a “one size fits all” policy.

Agreeing, Prof Straughan said that because of the need for efficiency, many organisations may be run like factories to meet the organisation's vision.

She suggested that charities invite volunteers to curate their own projects and bring on their own resources.

For corporations, Prof Straughan suggested that companies give their employees time off from work to volunteer to encourage corporate social responsibility.

Mr Tony Soh, chief executive officer of the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre, said that instances where volunteers fail to meet their commitments should not be regarded as indicative of broader behavioural trends. 

"Volunteers should take their commitments seriously, acknowledging the significant impact their presence or absence can have on the charity's operations and, more critically, on the beneficiaries.

"Conversely, charities, especially those that are heavily reliant on volunteers, should recognise that volunteers may be motivated by many different factors and these considerations should be taken into account when designing volunteer opportunities and recruiting volunteers," he said.

"Both charities and volunteers should work together for the greater good, recognising that each plays a vital role in supporting societal needs."

As for Krsna's Free Meals, its co-founder Latha Govindasamy said that the charity does not intend to conduct screening or introduce any forms of fundraising to ensure volunteer commitment because it believes that any form of pressure would "defeat the purpose (of volunteering)".

"We strongly believe volunteering must come from the heart and imposing any fee will defeat the intention of doing good," she said.