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Great Expectations: Boomers and the Future of Volunteering VolunteerMatch User Research Study

Great Expectations: Boomers and the Future of Volunteering VolunteerMatch User Research Study. Volunteer Match. Where volunteering begins. Presented by:. P e t e r D. HART. RESEARCH. A. S. S. O. C. I. A. T. E. S. Acknowledgements. Introduction.

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Great Expectations: Boomers and the Future of Volunteering VolunteerMatch User Research Study

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  1. Great Expectations: Boomers and the Future of Volunteering VolunteerMatch User Research Study VolunteerMatch Where volunteering begins. Presented by:

  2. P e t e r D HART RESEARCH A S S O C I A T E S Acknowledgements

  3. Introduction • 77 million Baby Boomers are beginning to rethink “retirement” • Opportunity for a profound social legacy • Will they volunteer? • What makes them different? • Are nonprofits interested? • How will they connect?

  4. About VolunteerMatch • Our mission is to help everybody find a great place to volunteer • Our popular online service welcomes millions of visitor a year • Preferred recruiting service for 46,000 nonprofits • Strong network of corporate partnerships

  5. Methodology • Telephone survey among 507 adults age 55 to 75 who currently do not volunteer; conducted June 12 – 16, 2006; margin of error = ±4.4 percentage points • Online survey among 2,316 volunteers registered with VolunteerMatch; conducted June 12 – July 6, 2006; margin of error = ±2.0 percentage points. • Online survey among 1,024 staff of nonprofit organizations that use VolunteerMatch; conducted June 9 – 27, 2006; margin of error = ±3.1 percentage points • 20 in-depth telephone interviews with volunteer coordinators at nonprofits that use VolunteerMatch: 10 interviews among coordinators at nonprofits that use volunteers age 55 and older, 10 interviews among coordinators at nonprofits that do not use older volunteers; conducted August 7 – 16, 2006

  6. What’s Next? Non-Volunteers 55+ Phone Survey

  7. Non-Volunteers See Retirement As A New Chapter Among Non-Volunteers 55+ All Non-Volunteers Age 55 to 64 Age 65 to 75 Source: Hart Survey of Non-Volunteers (N=507)

  8. Very/fairly interested College graduates Professionals/managers Women age 55-64 Churchgoers 45% 42% 41% 39% More than Half of Non-Volunteers 55+ Have Some Interest in Volunteering How interested are you in volunteering, either now or at some point in the future? Non-Volunteers 55+ Not sure Very interested Not veryinterested Fairlyinterested Just 11% of non-volunteers say they have tried to find a volunteer opportunity in the past year. Somewhatinterested Source: Hart Survey of Non-Volunteers (N=507)

  9. Among Non-Volunteers, Professionals and Women Aged 55-64 Show Most Interest How interested are you in volunteering, either now, or at some point in the future? Non-volunteers 55+ by Gender Non-volunteers 55+ by Occupation 103 108 148 142 53 276 35 91 Source: Hart Survey of Non-Volunteers (N=507)

  10. “Helping Others/Making A Difference” Is Top Reason for Volunteering Selected Most Important Reason for Volunteering Non-Volunteers 55+ Help others/make a difference Contribute to cause I care about Use my skills in productive way Meet people, make friends Be involved in my community Develop new skills, experience Community service requirement Source: Hart Survey of Non-Volunteers (N=507)

  11. What Are Non-Volunteers Looking For? Factors that might contribute to a positive volunteer experience Among Non-Volunteers 55+ 81% Cause I care about Nearby/convenient Interesting/challenging Fits my schedule Uses my skills/experience Understand expectations Intellectually stimulating I can make a difference Has orientation/training Volunteer with friends Matches my career skills 70% 70% 69% 66% 63% 63% 63% 55% 53% 47% *Ratings on ten-point scale: 10 = essential factor, 1 = not at all important factor Source: Hart Survey of Non-Volunteers (N=507)

  12. Non-Volunteers 55+ Report Being Most Interested in Learning New Skills and Exploring New Interests Type of Volunteer Activity I Would Most Prefer Non-Volunteers 55+ Activity that helps me learn new skills or explore new interests Activity that most people can do, regardless of experience/interest Activity that makes use of my job/career-related skills Activity that makes use of my non-career related skills, talents, interests Source: Hart Survey of Non-Volunteers (N=507)

  13. Barriers To Volunteering Besides not enough time, which of these is the most/ second-most important reason you don’t volunteer? All Non-Volunteers 55+ 24% 40% 23% 25% 17% 8% 8% 23% Non-Volunteers 55+ very/fairly interested in volunteering Haven’t found right opportunity Health/physical limitations Haven’t found anything well-suited to my skills Prefer to give back in other ways Can’t afford to volunteer Don’t know where to begin Previous volunteering experience not positive Not interested Source: Hart Survey of Non-Volunteers (N=507)

  14. Are Older Volunteers Different? VolunteerMatch User Research

  15. Volunteering Attracts People of All ages All Users by Age Source: Hart Survey of Volunteers (N=2,316)

  16. Gender Differences by Age Users by Age and Gender Source: Hart Survey of Volunteers (N=2,316)

  17. Older Volunteers Volunteer More Average Hours of Volunteering Per Year by Age Group Among All Users Average Hours of Volunteering Source: Hart Survey of Volunteers (N=2,316)

  18. Volunteering Is About Identity Compared to other things you do in your life, how important to you is the volunteer work that you do? Not very important One of the most important things in my life Somewhat important 69% highly important Very important Source: Hart Survey of Volunteers (N=2,316)

  19. The Importance of Volunteering Increases with Age Compared to other things you do in your life, how important to you is the volunteer work that you do? One of the Most Important Things Very Important Source: Hart Survey of Volunteers (N=2,316)

  20. “Helping Others/Making A Difference” Is Top Reason For Volunteering Selected Most Important Reason for Volunteering All Users Help others/make a difference Be involved in my community Contribute to cause I care about Use my skills in productive way Develop new skills, experience Give back to community Meet people, make friends Community service requirement Source: Hart Survey of Volunteers (N=2,316)

  21. Motivations Vary by Age What is the most important reason you volunteer? All Users 266 593 619 460 77 282 Source: Hart Survey of Volunteers (N=2,316)

  22. Older Volunteers Find Fewer Opportunities of Interest % saying they find a volunteer opportunity that matches their interests at least half the time they visit VolunteerMatch Volunteers under age 55 Volunteers age 55-64 Volunteers age 65/older Under 40 40-54 55-64 65+ Source: Hart Survey of Volunteers (N=2,316)

  23. Important Factors in a Volunteer Experience % users rating each as very important/important Volunteers Under 55 Volunteers 55+ Source: Hart Survey of Volunteers (N=2,316)

  24. Older Volunteers Are Looking for Interesting & Challenging Opportunities % users “much less likely” to volunteer if factor is NOT met Users 55+ Users Under 55 Source: Hart Survey of Volunteers (N=2,316)

  25. Older Volunteers Would Prefer to Make Use of Their Skills ... which of the following statements best describes the kind of activity you prefer? All Users Source: Hart Survey of Volunteers (N=2,316)

  26. Men are Particularly Interested in Making Use of Their Skills ...which of the following statements best describes the kind of activity you prefer? Users by Gender and Age Source: Hart Survey of Volunteers (N=2,316)

  27. Skills Are A Sticking Point for Older Men “I can always find volunteer opportunities that match my personal and professional skills and abilities.” Men Age 55+ All Users Strongly agree Strongly disagree Somewhat agree Somewhat disagree Source: Hart Survey of Volunteers (N=2,316)

  28. Thinking ahead to the next few years, do you think you will be volunteering... Most Volunteers 55+ Expect to Volunteer More Among Users 55+ Source: Hart Survey of Volunteers (N=2,316)

  29. The Nonprofit Perspective User Research

  30. Volunteers Play An Important Role for Nonprofits Among Nonprofit Staff Capability to provide services we otherwise could not provide Increase in quality of our services/programs Cost savings to ourorganization More detailed attentionto people we serve Increase in public support for our programs Capability to improve management/operations of our organization 92% of nonprofit staff say that volunteers are very important to their organization. Source: Hart Survey of non-profits 2006 (N=1024)

  31. Over 100 73% 71% 67% 64% 63% 26 to 100 75% 64% 65% 62% 58% 25/fewer 64% 56% 62% 54% 49% The More Volunteers, The More Important Their Role Is Seen For each benefit, % of nonprofit staff saying volunteers provide this to their organization to a great extent Number of volunteers organization has Capability to provide services we otherwise could not provide Cost savings to our organization Increase in quality of our services/programs More detailed attentionto people we serve Increase in public support for our programs Source: Hart Survey of non-profits 2006 (N=1024)

  32. Nonprofits Are Looking for Volunteers Across All Age Groups Does your organization have a particular need for volunteers in any of the following age ranges? Do you have difficulty recruiting volunteers in any of the following age ranges? Need volunteers Have difficulty finding volunteers Aged 55 and older = 27% Note: 54% of respondents indicated no need for a particular age range Source: Hart Survey of non-profits 2006 (N=1024)

  33. 81% 62% Most Nonprofits Are Already Engaging Older Volunteers Please indicate whether any of your organization’s volunteers fall into the following age ranges. Age 55-64 Age 65-74 Age 45-54 Source: Hart Survey of non-profits 2006 (N=1024)

  34. Top Challenges In Engaging Volunteers Among Nonprofit Staff Finding volunteers; knowing where to look for volunteers People are too busy to volunteer Difficult to find people interested in volunteering Can’t find people with the right skills and experience People have unrealistic expectations about the work Hard to find people interested in our organization or mission Difficult to contact/get in touch with volunteers Difficult to find people who fit with our environment/culture Source: Hart Survey of non-profits 2006 (N=1024)

  35. Managing Volunteers Among Nonprofit Staff Organization’sbudget size $100K/less 65% 43% 42% 41% 26% 28% 25% 20% Over$1 M 76% 67% 64% 57% 50% 27% 26% 30% Regular supervision and communication with volunteers Regular collection of info on volunteers’ hours/numbers Written policies/job descriptions for volunteers Procedures to match volunteers with fitting jobs Volunteer recognition activities, award ceremonies Measurements of volunteers’ impact Training/professional development opportunities Training for paid staff in working with volunteers Source: Hart Survey of non-profits 2006 (N=1024)

  36. Commenting on Older Volunteers “Well, they usually have more time. That’s the biggest thing… I think they've dealt with a lot of different people and a lot of different situations, so I don't think they're as easily shaken up by things in general. Now on the negative side, some of them have a tendency to be set in their ways." “They have the maturity level and probably the commitment level and the responsibility level that would be perfect. I would like to tap into that market. . . . They've certainly got more time on their hands than the working mother who's frantic trying to take care of a houseful of kids and the household duties and everything else." “It's not so much skills that the older volunteers have. I think they have more of a sense of commitment: once they've started something, they really do see it through." Source: Hart Survey of non-profits 2006 (N=1024)

  37. Older Volunteers are Different • When pressed, nonprofit staff cite a number of ways that older volunteers are different: Opportunities • More reliable and mature • Greater pride in their work • More flexible schedules • Better with people Challenges • Established behavior • Opinionated • Physical limitations Source: Hart Survey of non-profits 2006 (N=1024)

  38. Tapping the Skills of Older Adults

  39. Nonprofits Use Volunteers for Many “Skilled” Activities Among Nonprofit Staff Event planning Fundraising/development Marketing/communications Strategic planning Operations/project mgmt Computer hardware/software Staff mgmt/team leadership Internet/e-commerce Accounting/finance Information technology Legal services HR/recruitment & training Grant proposal writing Counseling Medical/health services Source: Hart Survey of non-profits 2006 (N=1024)

  40. 80% of NPs Want More Info on Volunteers; 70% Want More Skilled Volunteers To what extent would each of the following factors be helpful in supporting your volunteer programs? 80% 76% 72% 71% Some Extent 66% Great Extent 38% Training in working with volunteers More information about potential volunteers Greater availability of skilled volunteers Volunteer coordinator with stipend Funding to cover cost of volunteer involvement Fewer regulatory, legal and liability constraints Source: Volunteer Management Capacity in America's Charities and Congregations, Urban Institute 2004.

  41. Volunteers aged 40+ Not Surprisingly Older Adults Are More Likely to Have a Variety of Professional Skills Do you currently use or have you previously used any of the following skills in your professional career? All volunteers Source: Hart Survey of Volunteers (N=2,316 total, 978 volunteers aged 40+)

  42. Used skill in job With Few Exceptions These Skills Are Underutilized Do you currently use or have previously used any of the following skills in your professional career? Have you ever used any of the following skills when volunteering in the past? Used skill volunteering Source: Hart Survey of Volunteers (N=2,316 total, 978 volunteers aged 40+)

  43. Smaller NPs Tend to Make Use of a Greater Variety of Volunteer Skills Number of different volunteer skills used by organization budget 215 137 134 174 116 248 Source: Hart Survey of non-profits 2006 (N=1024)

  44. Use of the Internet

  45. Leveraging the Power of the Internet The Pew Internet & American Life Project reports the growing use of the Internet among older adults • 78% of 41-50 year-olds are online • 72% of 51-59 year-olds are online Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project

  46. Visit Web sites at least once a week Men Women 46% 35% Non-Volunteers 55+ Internet Usage Besides e-mail, how often do you use the Internet to visit Web sites? Non-Volunteers 55+ At least once a day Don’t use the Internet 41% Few times a week/once a week Less than once a week/use only for e-mail Source: Hart Survey of Non-Volunteers (N=507)

  47. The Internet is Making it Easier to Find Opportunities to Help Which of these have become easier since you started using VolunteerMatch? Users Age40+ 61% 56% 53% 49% 47% 42% 35% 35% Among All Users Finding organization that needed help Finding opportunities that interest me Getting specific info about opportunities Finding a cause I care about Finding opportunities nearby/convenient Finding opportunities that fit my schedule Finding opportunities that match my skills Finding an organization that is responsive Source: Hart Survey of Volunteers (N=2,316)

  48. From Online to Offline Have you ever volunteered with an organization you found on VolunteerMatch? Among Users 40+ Yes, have volunteered with an organization I found on VolunteerMatch No, but expect to within the next 12 months Have not/don’t expect to do so in next 12 months Source: Hart Survey of Volunteers (N=2,316)

  49. Encouraging a Cycle of Satisfaction How satisfied have you been with your experiences volunteering with organizations you found through VolunteerMatch? Users 55+ All Users Source: Hart Survey of Volunteers (N=2,316)

  50. Empowering Nonprofits Please rate how much you agree with each of the following statements. Strongly Agree Somewhat Agree Provides valuable service to the organization Helps reach out and recruit more volunteers Makes it easier to find the right volunteers Helps find volunteers who have the needed skills and abilities Allows the organization to free up valuable resources Source: Hart Survey of non-profits 2006 (N=1024)

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