The 2010 volunteering statistics for the US were released this week. Accompanying them came glowing press releases celebrating the estimated 62.8 million US adults who provided almost 8.1 billion hours through organizations in 2010. This is exciting and commendable.
I have, however, a few points of concern/interest which may not appear widely in the media which has been awed by the big numbers.
Volunteering Rates in the USA are continuing to fall
Volunteering rates dropped from 26.8 percent in 2009 to 26.3 percent in 2010.
The number of US Baby Boomers volunteering has now fallen by 4.3 million people in 8 years. And I still hear people saying: "the baby boomers are coming..when they retire they will flood our agencies with help." Hello! The number of hours given annually by Baby Boomers has fallen by almost 20 per cent in that time. So where are these retirees??? Mmmm.
Other Generations
I have, however, a few points of concern/interest which may not appear widely in the media which has been awed by the big numbers.
Volunteering Rates in the USA are continuing to fall
Volunteering rates dropped from 26.8 percent in 2009 to 26.3 percent in 2010.
Excuse me?
In the greatest recession the USAhas known for two generations, volunteering dropped? Yup-Its the continuation (with a couple of small rises) of an eight year downward trend. In 2003 28.3% volunteered.
Consider the following in the decade:
Consider the following in the decade:
- We have never seen so much marketing of volunteering from the President of the USA to corporate to the media...that should produce an increase?
- We are told that the need for volunteers across the USA is greater than ever.
- The number of available unemployed is up and the number of people being told to volunteer to build resumes is up. If half of the unemployed were volunteering that should have resulted in 3 million more volunteers.
- There are 17 million people more in the USA than there were a decade ago. That means there should have been an increase of 4.25 million volunteers in a decade?
- There has been a huge number of resources put into supporting volunteering
Can we have some research as to why people are disconnecting?
Are the volunteering opportunities available too dull?
Is the USA not actually needing more volunteers?
Are people not finding it easy to find opportunities?
Is volunteering too hard to access?
What needs to happen to reverse these declines?
Fewer Baby Boomers are volunteering and they are doing it for less time
Are the volunteering opportunities available too dull?
Is the USA not actually needing more volunteers?
Are people not finding it easy to find opportunities?
Is volunteering too hard to access?
What needs to happen to reverse these declines?
Fewer Baby Boomers are volunteering and they are doing it for less time
Other Generations
- 100 000 more seniors over 65 volunteered in 2010 compared to 2009. The percentage of volunteers from this generation has remained constant however which indicates that volunteering is only keeping pace with population- volunteer marketing and targeted senior volunteering programs are not successfully engaging increased number of seniors
- 300 000 more Gen X volunteers (born 1965-1968) volunteered in 2010 - most of their volunteering is linked to issues closely connected to their families. eg church, education and sport but not arts, civic volunteering or hospitals
- 800 000 more Gen Yers volunteered- the number of volunteers from this generation has almost doubled in eight years- a staggering increase. The question, of course, is how much of this increase is linked to compulsory programs in schools and colleges
Volunteer time still undervalued
The research values the 8 billion hours of volunteer time at $173 billion using Independent Sector’s estimate of the dollar value of volunteer time. We of course know that some of that time is worth far far more. I was talking to a woman today who donated her time to lead a committee that raised $300 000 for a charity. Is her time worth just $20 an hour?
Comments?
I'm not convinced there has been a decline. I would really like to hear how the questions were asked. I talk to a lot of 20 somethings and 30 somethings that are serving on committees at nonprofits, leading "crowdsourcing" initiatives, taking leadership roles in online communities for nonprofits, including Second Life, who don't consider themselves "volunteers" in any of those roles - even though that's exactly what they are (unpaid people, provide benefit nonprofit organizations and community initiatives). I just worked with an organization that told me they only had a dozen volunteers; after a month of looking and interviewing staff, I found more than 50 that were helping the organization - but they didn't call themselves volunteers, and the organization didn't call them that either.
ReplyDeleteExcellent! A debate!
ReplyDeleteStarting with where we agree-that there will be people left out of the statistics that do not see themselves as "volunteers".
I too go to agencies that undercount volunteers-(I also go to agencies that overcount!). Two of my most extreme were one that needed help getting volunteers because they had 2 ..and we found they had 180 people "who helped out". The other found they had 400 000 volunteers!! Imagine "losing" that many! :) Another said they had 1500 volunteers. I still think they had about 400.
However this invisibility has been there for some time. When the statistics show a decline over the last three years, I am NOT convinced that they are being balanced by increases occurring in the "invisible" or "unstructured" volunteering area.
The massive decline in Baby Boomer numbers isnt because they are all switching to "invisible" volunteering. They ARE disengaging from volunteering. That IS a decline.
The US volunteering rate "should" be at 73.3 million now.
I get that by adding 62.8million current volunteer stat to the increase that "should" have come from the unemployment pools (3million) plus 4.5 million from your population increase since 2000 plus all of the marketing efforts around volunteering should have brought in an additional 3 million (1% of the population) into volunteering surely -otherwise they are wasted efforts.
I manage a retail shop for a charity in Adelaide. I hear what everyone says about the lack of volunteers, including within the charity I work for, but do not have that problem myself. I always have a full complement of fabulous volunteers and usually a couple on the waiting list. I also have had many who have left for various reasons, only to return when they could. I do have several things we do which I think allows the volunteers to have self respect and feel valued.
ReplyDelete1. Essential rule! We have fun! This usually passes through to the customers and we all enjoy the shopping experience.
2. I fight for the rights of my volunteers at work.
3. We always recognise birthdays and special times and I always send flowers and cards signed by all volunteers for special and sometimes sad occasions.
4. We have volunteer lunches twice each year so they can all get together to socailise and get to know each other.
5. I recognise their efforts at work and always thank each volunteer every day for their contribution.
6. At Christmas, I always give each volunteer a small gift with a card, in which I write a special personal message, recognising and thanking each one for their own special skills they bring to the workplace. I get many telling me how special and touching this is.
I have been in volunteer management for many years and find that if you treat volunteers with respect, thay will respect you and be very loyal.
Sandra
Hey Sandra, Thank you. Completely agree. I know that lack of respect is one reason why volunteers are dropping out of agencies so great to see you are modelling respect
ReplyDeleteIn the UK some commentators also claim that there has been at best a plateauing in volunteering rates over the first decade of the 21st century.
ReplyDeleteLike Jayne I think it is important to understand how the questions are asked. In the UK we know that you'll get about a 20% lower response rate if you ask 100 people if they volunteer compared to asking them if they get involved in their community in some way.
I think what needs closer analysis is two things:
First, whether the big flashy marketing campaigns work or simply attract people to volunteering who then get recruited into poorly prepared and managed roles that then turns them off volunteering, and;
Second, whether the increase in the number of hours given is a good thing (as Michelle Nunn seems to suggest in her blog on the data - http://bit.ly/qdqfWl) or whether this is a sign of people having to give more time to shore up demand when fewer people are volunteering.
Hi Rob, definitions do not explain the dis engagement of4.3 million baby boomers.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of hours..I am not sure what we are seeing,....
Gen Y increased their hours per person for the year by 3 hours to an average of 101 hours
Gen X also increased from 111 to 114
Silent Gen (over 65) increased their per capita hours to almost 185 from 176.
Baby Boomer hours fell from 136 to 132 hours. Fewer baby boomers doing fewer hours. The baby boomer reduction in hours served wiped out the total increases of both silent generation and Gen X !
thanks to give me this type of information
ReplyDelete