Programme and school predictors of mentoring relationship quality and the role of mentors' satisfaction in volunteer retention

The quality of the mentor–mentee relationship is considered the key mechanism of change in mentoring programmes, and volunteer mentor retention is crucial to improving delivery and outcomes. Combining theoretical frameworks on mentoring programmes and volunteerism, this study aimed to examine: (a) programme and school predictors of mentoring relationship closeness and (b) the relations between mentor-reported relationship closeness, satisfaction with the relationship as a measure of subjective evaluations of their work and expressed intention to continue mentoring in the future. Volunteer mentors (N = 103, mean age = 65 years, 75% female) from a school-based mentoring programme in Italy completed a survey. Results of path analyses revealed that relationship closeness was associated in a positive manner with perceptions of the adequacy of the mentoring session setting, and programme support, but not teacher support. In addition, mentors' satisfaction partially mediated the connection between relationship closeness and intention to remain in the programme. Implications for practice are discussed. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.