Volunteering is a great way to give back to your community, and many nonprofit organizations rely on their volunteers as a way to operate. It’s also a great way for retirees to do something meaningful after they’re grown tired of golf, fishing, and have completed their entire “Honey Do” list.

But it can also be a disappointing experience, both for the volunteer and for the organization, and high turnover is not uncommon. Sometimes, volunteers don’t keep their end of the bargain by overcommitting themselves and not delivering; other times the organizations lack a focused approach and volunteers — especially seniors who have had successful business careers — feel their time is being wasted due to inefficient management.

What does that mean to those willing to give the gift of time? A little homework before saying yes.

“Often times people sign up with the best of interests but drop out,” said Cristi Watson, the executive director for the Key Peninsula Community Services and Food Bank, which is run almost entirely by volunteers. “We would be lost without our volunteers,” she said.

Watson knows a lot about volunteers: In addition to working with about 30 active ones at her agency, she spends just about all her free time involved in other groups. Some of her volunteer commitments are due to her work, others are passions she believes in.

Watson suggests for retirees to consider the following things before making a commitment:

Evaluate your limits. Know what you can do and what you can’t, what kind of schedule you can offer, and let the club or organization know what those limits are. “If you’re a good volunteer, we’re going to call on you again and again,” Watson says. “You need to be able to say no.”

Do it for a cause you believe in. Learn as much as you can about the group first to make sure its philosophy, values and expectations don’t contradict yours. “Make sure it’s not something you think you should believe in but it’s something that your heart tells you,” Watson says.

Try to use your talent. There is nothing wrong to volunteer so you can learn a new skill, as long as you have the additional time it will take to do the task. But if you don’t know what you’re doing, and the group doesn’t have someone to show you, you will both be disappointed.

Volunteering is a good way to make new friends, stay active in retirement, fight stress, and feel good about yourself. But despite the fact that your time is free, if you put a little planning and thought into it, both you and your organization will enjoy the experience more. Don’t commit to something you know will be a burden on your time, and choose your battles wisely. Although great intentions do count, what counts even more is a checkmark on the list of things accomplished.