Volunteerism

VOLUNTEER TRENDS

Importance of Volunteers 81% of non-profit organizations rely on volunteers Volunteers do about 1/3 of the work of all non-profits

Volunteering at 30 Year High Adult volunteering rate has increased 32% since 1989 Fastest growing groups by age:  Older teenagers (16-19)  Mid life/Baby Boomer adults (45-64)  Older adults (65+) Reingold, D. & Nesbit, R. (2006)

Reasons for Growth in Volunteering September 11, 2001 Hurricane Ivan 2004 Tsunami Western U.S. Wildfires Hurricanes Katrina and Rita However, some point to increased demand for volunteers for non-profits to carryout their mission Reingold, D. & Nesbit, R. (2006).

Trends Impacting Volunteerism Aging population Youth service Technology Diversity Less leisure time Episodic

Baby Boomers Volunteering Baby Boomers (ages 45-64) are the primary reason for a 27% increase in volunteering among mid-life Americans  Service with youth has more than doubled since 1989  Group is more likely to volunteer with religious organizations than any other Reingold, D. & Nesbit, R. (2006)

46% of older adults 65 or over volunteer over 100 hours per year Most likely group to provide over 100 hours of service per year Older Volunteering Reingold, D. & Nesbit, R. (2006)

Episodic Volunteering Episodic volunteering on the rise The number of people providing 100 hours of service per year continues to decline. Today, only 34.9% of volunteers serve 100 hours or more Episodic volunteering driven by teens Reingold, D. & Nesbit, R. (2006)

An individualized approach to volunteering, where volunteer activities are build around individual availability, interests, skills, motivations and commitment Volunteering as a “service of short duration”, performed on a one time only basis, or on a specific project or assignment that reoccurs annually (Macduff, 1990) The Independent Sector and the US Department of Labor suggest that one-third to one-half of all volunteers define themselves as sporadic volunteers Episodic Volunteering Five Emerging Patterns of Volunteerism,

Why Do Volunteers Volunteer? Help others Give back to the community Learn new skills Meet new people Fill personal void It’s tradition Influence others

Show how they benefit  How their work benefits the entire cause  Job experience  Resume building  Socialization Engaging the Next Generation: How Non-Profits Can Reach Young Adults, Ad Council Study Encouraging Volunteering

Meaningful Work Realistic Commitments Flexibility Time Well Spent Learn About the Community Speak to Their Motivation Volunteer Management 101, John Lipp

Why Don’t Volunteer Unaware of opportunities Lack of volunteer role models Fear of volunteering Not enough time Don’t feel they have appropriate skills Engaging the Next Generation: How Non-Profits Can Reach Young Adults, Ad Council Study

Why are volunteers important? More than 80% of all non-profit organizations rely on volunteers Volunteers do about 1/3 of the work of all non-profits If all volunteers were paid, they would cost non-profits over $225 billion a year

Why do volunteers QUIT? 40% of volunteers cited poor management practices  Lack of organizational infrastructure  Lack of appreciation  Lack of training

Volunteering in Texas More than 4.58 million Texas residents volunteered in 2006 Provided million hours of service Valued at more than $11.4 billion Volunteering in America: 2007 State Trends and Rankings in Civic Life, Corporation for National and Community Service (2007).

Texas Extension Volunteers 2006 Volunteer Report: 89,991 volunteers 2,749,282 hours volunteered average hours per year per volunteer Valued at $37,280,263

Impact on Texas Extension Target the right groups when recruiting Continue to embrace episodic volunteer movement Capitalize on the growth in teenage volunteers and service Follow the ISOTURE model to get and keep the right volunteers Reingold, D. & Nesbit, R. (2006).