Sports events are important fundraisers for many nonprofit organizations, with the 10 largest events in the U.S. having generated more than $1.2 billion in 2011. The success of these events in part depends on volunteer participation and retention as they involve a large number of volunteers. In particular, returned volunteers can assist first-time volunteers and even participate in training of new volunteers, helping ease the staff’s workload. Nevertheless, the existing literature does not provide a theoretical framework through which event volunteers’ retention motivations could be understood. This study tests if the theory of planned behavior (TPB) can explain event volunteers’ retention, using a sample of volunteers in an annual sports event. The findings from the structural equation model suggest that the TPB is a useful tool for understanding event volunteers’ retention and that event volunteering is a type of leisure activity. The analysis also indicates that the perceived behavioral control is the strongest predictor of event volunteers’ intention to return.
