Katherine Sugars

Recruiting and retaining volunteers, especially a diverse representation of volunteers, is an ongoing and problematic task for P&C committee members.

The challenge of finding volunteers and increasing the diversity of volunteers is not unique to the P&C setting nor to Australia.

Volunteering—as we know it—is in decline, with COVID-19 causing further disruption to volunteering initiatives and community building in general. Volunteering, and the decline in volunteering, are well researched but not in a P&C context, which has some unique features compared to other nonprofit and volunteer-led organisations. The most obvious disadvantage is that parents tend to move on from the P&C when their children leave the school, so length of service is limited, but a large advantage is that parents are highly motivated to be involved in their children’s lives.

We were retained by WACSSO to research the perennial question of how to maintain a diverse team of volunteers to organise, support, and engage in P&C initiatives. We have drawn on collective experience and knowledge to identify a practical and versatile framework for building a base of volunteers. We identified areas where knowledge can be shared, as well as where expertise is more sparsely distributed and knowledge-building is warranted.

Analysis of data from 238 surveys and 14 in-depth interviews using mixed methods approach, in conjunction with knowledge from literature, suggests the following:

P&Cs operate in a wide range of schools throughout Western Australia, with complex, situational challenges requiring flexible approaches.

Approaches to increasing volunteer numbers and diversity are inseparable from approaches to developing any aspect of P&C functioning and community building.

P&C situational analysis, ideation, planning, activities, and operations can be improved using a four-dimensional model developed from emerging research themes.

The model, or framework, is based on four findings:

P&Cs that embed foundational principles of nonprofit and volunteer-led organising—identified in this research as volunteering, community, purpose, objectives, culture, process, and leadership—more readily attract and retain volunteers.

Positive change occurs when individuals and groups in the community reflect on and make sense of their current situation, create options, find agency, resources and support, and act.

Initiatives by planners, doers, and relaters can all be successful, as can teamwork combining different styles.

People are drawn to and stay in P&Cs where they feel belonging, purpose, and enjoyment.