Come Join Me In Community!

Friday, December 5, 2025, 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., Virtual

Minnesota Alliance for Volunteer Advancement, www.mavanetwork.org

From Microaggressions to Meaningful Engagement: Retaining Diverse Volunteers

Organizations often ask, “How do we recruit more diverse volunteers?” The harder question is: “How do we keep them?” Too often, recruitment efforts bring in volunteers from underrepresented communities only for them to encounter microaggressions, coded bias, or exclusion from existing staff and volunteers. These daily slights erode trust, create feelings of tokenism, and ultimately drive volunteers away. This session will explore the direct connection between microaggressions and retention in diverse volunteer populations. Participants will examine real-life scenarios where inequities push volunteers out, practice language and strategies for interrupting harmful behaviors, and design practical approaches for building inclusive environments that foster long-term belonging.

In this workshop, you will:
• Recognize the link between microaggressions and volunteer attrition.
• Explore how current staff and volunteers may unintentionally undermine retention efforts.
• Practice interrupting exclusionary behaviors in real time.
• Apply culturally responsive recruitment and retention strategies that center dignity and belonging.

🔗 Register now: 2025 MAVA Winter Virtual Conference Registration​​