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| Path: Main Street : Resources & Library : Research Articles : Feature Article |
Working with Baby Boomers
By Donna Lockhart
March 8, 2010
Until recently, managers of volunteers have continued to plan volunteer programs based on the current profile of volunteers who were most engaged - those called the "veteran volunteer." These were the committed and dedicated volunteers who gave freely of their time with little to no expectation for any so-called rewards. As the challenges of the last decade took hold (recruitment and retention) it became harder for managers to find volunteers and also to get them to do the tasks/work laid out by the organization. Much of this work the veteran volunteer did willingly...but this new generation is different.
"This coming generation of retirees will have different needs, different motivations, different expectations and different barriers to becoming volunteers." (Heartbeat Trends, 2001)In order to find and successfully engage these emerging "boomers" as volunteers, we need to understand their needs and how they differ from past volunteers. Here are some things we know about Baby Boomers:Life cycle and volunteering of Baby Boomers:
- Age group born between 1946 to 1964. They range in age from early 40s to early 60s.
- In 2011, the edge of Baby Boomer’s will hit 65 years of age.
- Between 2008-2031 the projected number of seniors will increase from 4.3 million to 8 million (from 32% of the population to 42%).
- They are a highly skilled and educated workforce, many of whom will not retire in the old sense of the term but may continue to work part-time, on contract, or start new ventures.
Given that baby boomers make up a huge portion of the population, they will have a major impact on volunteering by their sheer numbers alone, especially if they do not volunteer or if they decrease the amount of time in volunteering. We are already witnessing a decrease in volunteering in Canada, so any shift can be critical to organizations who are currently struggling to meet their needs for volunteers. (CanadaWhoCares.ca)
- Volunteering appears to peak in mid-life (35-54).
- Decrease at 55 – (if boomers follow the pattern large numbers will move out of volunteering).
- Hourly rate drops with age.
Three ideas for working with Baby Boomer volunteers
1. Address the OPPORTUNITIES you offer to volunteersMany organizations are still offering volunteer opportunities that are not appealing to this highly-skilled, resourceful, and influential group. Baby Boomers may not be willing to do traditional or menial tasks, or commit to long-term positions. They prefer challenges and opportunities to make change happen. Examine your current volunteer opportunities and see if they can be altered to be more appealing. If not, throw them out and think of new, exciting directions that might attract this boomer group.
- Provide a range of volunteer opportunities including short-term, episodic, and project based. Opportunities that use and build on current skills and where outcomes can be seen will appeal to this group.
2. Be "volunteer centered"
Boomers have been called the "Me Generation" and with good reason. Boomers want to make a difference, leave a legacy, be influential, make decisions, and take control over what they do and when they do it. They have had years of work experience, skill development, and impact. Volunteer managers have been "task- or position-driven" in the past by offering people defined or fixed work that the organization determined volunteers could do.
Is the current draught of volunteers a reflection that this work is not appealing? Many believe it is. Organizations must re-examine all the work that needs to be done and find new ways to integrate skilled boomers into the mix of paid and unpaid work. Boomers may come to you now with an idea or concept of what they would like to do and it may not fit your current program. What will you do?
- Listen to how boomers want to commit their time and resources toward volunteering. Can you respond to their ideas? Can you re-invent your volunteer program? Can you offer more skilled and challenging opportunities?
- Recognize the high level of expertise and accomplishment of boomers by incorporating self-management and distance leadership into your volunteer program structure. "Virtual volunteering," where volunteers work off site and use technology as the primary work tool, may be very appealing to this highly mobile, flexibility-seeking, short-term focused group.
3. Benefits-driven marketing for volunteer positions
Boomers want to see the actual impact of their work...they ask for updates of how the organization has changed the lives of its clients. Marketing from an impact or benefits approach (outcome measurement) may have great emotional appeal to a generation whose work life was results-driven.
- Promote the physical, social, emotional, and health benefits of volunteering (An example might be that people who volunteer live longer lives.).
- Clearly state the social needs being addressed and demonstrate the success of your organization or program.
Summary
As a baby boomer myself, I could not have summed up any better what I believe this generation will look for in a volunteer opportunity:"The future generation of 50+ volunteers will expect and demand more from their volunteer experience. They expect to be part of the decision making process, they want flexibility that allows them to integrate paid and unpaid work, they want to engage in meaningful service learning activities, be afforded opportunities similar to those offered to paid staff, and to be able to transfer their professional skills to positively impact local community needs. Successful organizations seeking to harness this vast, yet untapped resource will need to reassess and think expansively and creatively..." (Wilson, Steele, Thompson, D’heron, 2002).Some additional resources:
- Exploring the next generation of retirees: The baby boomers
- Shifting views of retirement and the implications for volunteer-involving organizations
- Boomnet: Capturing the Baby Boomer Volunteers. Government of Western Australia 2001 research project.
- Jill Friedman Fixler and Sandie Eichberg. Boomer Volunteer Engagement: Collaborate Today, Thrive Tomorrow. In partnership with VolunteerMatch, 2008.
- Kevin Selbee and Paul Reed. Patterns of Volunteering over the Life Cycle. Canadian Social Trends. Summer 2001.
- CanadaWhoCares – The Graff-Reed Conversations. 2007.
Next Month: Our topic will be on volunteer screening.
Disclaimer: Advice and recommendations are based on limited information provided and should be used as a guideline only. Neither the author nor CharityVillage.com make any warranty, express or implied, or assume any legal liability for accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information provided in whole or in part within this article.
Donna Lockhart is a trainer and consultant with The RETHINK Group. Her focus is on "developing volunteer capacity." Donna designed the CharityVillage Building a Great Volunteer Program campus course. She facilitates a wide range of workshops and training sessions in volunteer engagement as well as resource development, policy/procedural manuals, and toolkits for volunteers. For more information visit: www.rethinkgroup.ca.
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