203. Preventing Volunteer Burnout - New Research with Paul Clarke Artwork

Volunteer Nation

Nonprofit leadership author, coach, and expert Tobi Johnson shares weekly tips to help charities build, grow, and scale exceptional volunteer teams. Discover how your nonprofit can effectively coordinate volunteers who are reliable, equipped, and ready to help you bring about BIG change for the better. Rather than continuing to “do more with less,” achieve abundance for your organization by engaging community talent that helps you do more with more. Society is evolving and so, too, is volunteerism. With over 25 years of experience working in nonprofits, public sector agencies, and grassroots campaigns Tobi is known for her modern “big hat” thinking and straight talk about what it takes to achieve success in today’s world. You will learn how to coordinate volunteers, improve the volunteer experience, recruit volunteers, appreciate volunteers, and do it all more efficiently with the right volunteer management software and digital tools. It’s a mix of interviews and solo shows you’re not going to want to miss. So, if you’re ready to ditch the stress and harness the power of people to fuel your good work, you’re in exactly the right place. Hit subscribe and let’s DO this!

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Volunteer Nation

203. Preventing Volunteer Burnout - New Research with Paul Clarke

February 26, 2026 • Tobi Johnson, MA, CVA

0:00 | 1:03:36

Volunteer burnout is not always caused by time, workload, or lack of commitment. In many cases, it happens when leaders begin to feel less effective in their roles. As confidence and enjoyment decline, even experienced volunteers may start to disengage or step away.

In this episode, Tobi Johnson sits down with leadership performance coach Paul Clarke to discuss new research on why volunteer leaders struggle under pressure and what organizations can do to better support them. They explore the gap between knowing what to do and being able to apply those skills in real-world situations, along with the emotional and organizational challenges that impact long-term retention.

If you lead volunteers or are building a leadership pipeline, this conversation will help you rethink development, communication, and support. You will gain practical insights to strengthen resilience, improve retention, and create an environment where volunteer leaders feel confident, connected, and motivated to continue making an impact.

Full show notes: 203. Preventing Volunteer Burnout - New Research with Paul Clarke

Volunteer Burnout - Episode Highlights

[00:49] - Why Leaders Burn Out
[04:30] - Paul’s Coaching Journey
[10:15] - GAA and Grassroots Sports
[19:27] - Methodology and Surprises
[24:32] - Early Warning Signs
[30:15] - Five Competencies Overview
[31:26] - Authenticity Under Pressure
[33:12] - Emotional Intelligence Under Stress
[36:06] - Governance Managing Up
[37:09] - Managing Upward Conflicts
[40:26] - Beyond Performance Connection
[43:11] - Data Versus Belonging
[48:56]- Peer Learning Mentorship
[55:39] - Relational Culture Fix
[59:47] - AI Curiosity Future

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Thanks for listening to this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast. If you enjoyed it, please be sure to subscribe, rate, and review so we can reach more people like you who want to improve the impact of their good cause.

For more tips and notes from the show, check us out at TobiJohnson.com. For any comments or questions, email us at WeCare@VolPro.net.

Tobi Johnson, MA, CVA

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