Recruitment and training of new volunteers is necessary to grow a Master Gardener organization, but retention of current individuals has advantages. Aligning reasons for volunteering with recruitment and continuing education topics with the interests of volunteers is essential in a successful recruitment and retention plan. The objectives of this study were to determine the motivations for volunteering in the Iowa Master Gardener program and to identify popular continuing education topics, preferred delivery methods, and social media usage among this audience. Learning about gardening and horticulture was the most important reason Iowa Master Gardeners volunteer with the program. In addition, altruism is important to these volunteers, but they do not recognize the full impact their projects have on their local community. They have a strong interest in learning about native plants and sustainable horticultural practices. The most preferred delivery methods were live presentations and workshops. Video presentations and webinars were generally less preferred. Respondents used certain social media sites, such as Facebook and Pinterest, some or a lot. Although this study was limited to Iowa Master Gardeners, results regarding motivation factors align closely with previous studies. We speculate that the results for advanced training topics, delivery methods, and social media usage would similarly align for Master Gardener programs across the country.
Retention of participants in volunteer organizations has been shown to be not only a challenge, but also a great benefit to the organization. Rising costs of training and continuing education make each interaction valuable from both perspectives. Volunteer opportunities are abundant but must be meaningful and engaging for the participants in order to keep them involved. Using electronic survey software, Iowa Master Gardeners were asked to respond to a series of questions investigating 1) the current demographics of the population, 2) reasons volunteers associate with the Master Gardener program, and 3) the continuing education topics and delivery methods most preferred by Iowa Master Gardeners.
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