Do people still volunteer? Is this younger generation going to amount to anything?
There has been a lot of discussion lately concerning volunteering in America. The statistics may surprise you.
- Barna Research found that from 1994 to 2004 volunteering has only gone down by 1 percentage point from 25% to 24%. (http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/5-barna-update/136-religious-activity-increasing-in-the-west). These numbers are pretty much consistent with the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that in 2010 the largest amount of volunteering (33.8%) was offered to Religious Organizations. (http://www.bls.gov/news.release/volun.t04.htm)
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that younger Americans are quite comparable with other age groups in the area of volunteering.(http://www.bls.gov/news.release/volun.t01.htm)
- Finally, the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that 41.6% of volunteers took it upon themselves to become involved, but 42.7% were asked by someone else — and more than half of those were individuals within the organization. (http://www.bls.gov/news.release/volun.t06.htm)
- In Baby Boomers and Beyond, author Amy Hanson presents compelling research, interviews, and personal experience to show that the Baby Boomer Generation has no intentions of sliding into retirement with nothing to do. On the contrary, they are ready and excited to break out of the mold and make a difference through volunteering or second-careers.
Take a look at these statistics. What does it all mean?
Well, contrary to what a lot of people think and say, the younger generations are more volunteer-minded than you might think. Second, if you are in an organization and need more help, ASK. There are those who will offer to help on their own, but more are likely to help if they are asked. Finally, people want to be a part of something bigger that will count beyond them. If your organization doesn’t present that type of adventure, you might want to re-think what you are doing, how you are doing it, and who you are including in the mission.
