retaining volunteers, the problem is sometimes not a shortage of people who want to

volunteer it is the attrition rate of people who are in the early stages of tenure in the

organization (Penner, 2002). Why do individuals volunteer for organizations? Clary et

al. (1998) state simply that:

 Volunteers (a) often actively seek out opportunities to help others; (b) may
 deliberate for considerable amounts of time about whether to volunteer, the extent
 of their involvement, and the degree to which particular activities fit with their
 own personal needs; and (c) may make a commitment to an ongoing helping
 relationships that may extend over a considerable period of time and that may
 entail considerable personal costs of time, energy, and opportunity. (p. 1517)

 Martinez and McMullin (2004) state "volunteer roles may appeal to people with

 certain lifestyles based on (a) ones' position in a job; (b) whether one is employed full-

 time, part-time is retired, or is a home maker, (c) age and (d) the expectations and

 associated responsibilities of the role(s) one would fill" (p. 114). The success of the

 volunteer experience is largely determined by whether the volunteer experience meets the

 person's expectations. The more that is known about those expectations, the more effort

 can be made to ensure the volunteer remains motivated (Eisinger, 2002).

 Individuals are more attracted to organizations that have a good reputation for

management that effectively used the talents of the volunteers. Poor management of

volunteers is frequently the reason that people discontinue their volunteer service. In

addition to effective volunteer management, organizations who utilize volunteers should

have individuals volunteering who represent the membership that they are working for.

There is increasing pressure for organizations to reflect a broader cross-section of the

societies which they represent (Safrit & Merrill, 2002).