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Purpose: The insurmountable tensions and turmoil caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in welfare systems worldwide demand governmental as well as non-governmental support, especially from the volunteer sector, which can be a powerful resource for mitigating the pandemic’s impacts. To identify ways of mobilising the enormous human resources of the baby boomer generation in particular, whose members are currently on the brink of entering retirement, the factors that have enabled and restricted volunteer management during the pandemic in Tyrol, Austria are examined. Design/method/approach: Following a qualitative approach, the authors performed 27 problem-centred interviews with representative senior citizens, retirees and individuals about to retire and companies in Tyrol. The authors evaluated the data in qualitative content analysis. Findings: Self-determination, time flexibility, acceptance of volunteer work in one’s social network and previous personal experience with volunteering are key determinants of sustainable volunteer work amongst retirees. Companies and a well-established acquisition management strategy also play a significant role in promoting volunteer work. Practical implications and originality/value: The study involves a holistic analysis of volunteer work at the individual and organisational levels. By capturing the potential of e-volunteering and how it improves the capacities of classic face-to-face volunteer work, it can support the development of more resilient infrastructures for supporting volunteer work. Research limitations/future research: The interpretation of visual and non-verbal signals was difficult due to the use of phone and online interviews, and the results should not be generalised. Even so, our findings pave the way for future studies on mechanisms determining virtual volunteering and volunteer management. Paper type: Empirical