Case Study: Gateway Pet Guardians boosts volunteer engagement with VolunteerHub’s points‑based rewards program

Gateway Pet Guardians Create a Unique Points-Based Reward Program Using VolunteerHub’s Gamification Module

Gateway Pet Guardians is an East St. Louis nonprofit that runs a pet resource center offering a low‑cost clinic, affordable supplies, spay/neuter services and other supports in a community that previously lacked animal care resources. The organization depends on roughly 200 volunteers a year (a program that offsets more than $200,000 in costs) but needed a better way to track, communicate with, recognize and retain both in‑person and virtual volunteers—a challenge made more urgent by COVID‑19 and the group’s recent Service Enterprise certification goals.

They implemented VolunteerHub and its gamification module, assigning points (1 point/hour; 3 points = $1) to volunteer shifts that can be redeemed for clinic, store or grooming services or donated to neighbors in need via a pay‑it‑forward feature. The platform streamlined management and reporting while boosting engagement and retention—especially for home‑based volunteers—and gave Gateway a measurable, incentivized way to reward and mobilize volunteers to sustain services for the community.

Gateway Pet Guardians

Alisha Vianello

Program Director