Volunteer rates are down, but more people are talking about the importance of volunteering. There’s a disconnect. Today's guest blogger addresses this disconnect -- Chris Jarvis, Founder and CEO of Realized Worth and expert in corporate social responsibility and corporate volunteering. Here's a reprint of his popular and insightful blog post about finding and keeping volunteers.
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Outside there’s an audible hum, and it’s increasing in volume by the minute. People are talking about the things that matter, the causes that move them, the communities they love. They are talking about the need to get more active, more involved. Apparently society has decided to give back like never before, and they have decided to do it through volunteering.
Or.....have they?
Non-profit executives and volunteer managers will tell you a different story. From their perspective, fewer people are showing up and fewer still are willing to make the necessary commitments. Not only that, but the volunteers seem more selfish. The question has become, “What am I getting out of the experience of volunteering?” rather than “What am I giving?” And the widespread popularity of Corporate Volunteering programs only multiply these frustrations.
The thing is, it’s true. People are very interested in volunteering, yet less willing to make long-term time commitments. They are socially aware, yet seem concerned with program outcomes and personal fulfillment rather than the value of “doing the right thing.” Oddly, (despite the fact that many volunteer managers struggle with recruiting new volunteers) volunteer rates are, in fact, steadily increasing. People are far more active and informed than ever before. Each week hundreds of corporations are looking to formalize a volunteering program and mobilize employees in their communities.
So where’s the disconnect? If more people care, and more people are actually volunteering, why are non-profit execs so frustrated? Why does it seem tougher to find and keep volunteers today than it did just two or three decades ago?
A Paradigm Shift
A major paradigm shift has taken place over the last 10 years. This shift has made recruiting and retaining volunteers more difficult - although it has nothing to do with the general interest or willingness to commit to making a difference.
SHIFT ONE: From card catalogs to wifi. We have been Googleized. We now live in a world where everything and everyone are within reach all the time. When I want to see something I’ve never seen, learn something I don’t know, or meet someone for the very first time, I can. And within about .06 seconds. The speed is amazing, but the real power lies within the potential for connection. Through social media sites like LinkedIn and Twitter I have discovered experts and thought leaders in my field, connected with them, and expanded conversations. Nothing is off-limits to me. No experience is too far away, no culture too removed. My expectations are high because the world is my oyster.
IMPACT: As a culture we expect real and immediate connections. Googlelized volunteers will not appreciate being assigned to stacking boxes. They will not value sweeping up after. When you hand them printed material to walk out with, expect to see it in the recycling bin by the door. Not good enough. Not anymore.
Today’s expectation is for direct connections with outcomes and with people. My interest is captivated by the opportunity to give a goat to a village in Kenya because I can learn about the area, it’s history, the people living there - even the names of the family who received my goat. Giving to an amorphous cause to fight hunger is simply not the same. I can’t make it part of my own story. The same is true for volunteering.
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To learn more about creating sustainable Employee Volunteer programs or making your nonprofit more volunteer friendly, please visit Chris Jarvis at his website: Realized Worth. Thanks Chris!
