VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
1
Great Expectations: Boomers and the Future of Volunteering
VolunteerMatch User Research Study
Presented by:
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
2
Acknowledgements
HARTRESEARCH
P e t e r D
A S S O T E SC I A
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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?
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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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
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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What’s Next?Non-Volunteers 55+ Phone Survey
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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Non-Volunteers See Retirement As A New Chapter
37%
52%
33%
56%
43% 45%
Retirement is a time to takeit easy, take care ofyourself, enjoy leisureactivities, and take a much-deserved rest from workand daily responsibilities
Retirement is a time tobegin a new chapter in lifeby being active andinvolved, starting newactivities, and setting newgoals.
All Non-Volunteers
Among Non-Volunteers 55+
Age 55 to 64 Age 65 to 75
Source: Hart Survey of Non-Volunteers (N=507)
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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More than Half of Non-Volunteers 55+ Have Some Interest in
Volunteering
20%
29%
36%
1%14%
How interested are you in volunteering, either now or at some point in the
future?
Very interested
Fairlyinterested
Somewhatinterested
Not veryinterested
Not sure
Non-Volunteers 55+Very/fairly interested
College graduates
Professionals/managers
Women age 55-64
Churchgoers
45%
42%
41%
39%
Just 11% of non-volunteers say they have tried to find a volunteer opportunity in the past year.
Source: Hart Survey of Non-Volunteers (N=507)
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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Among Non-Volunteers, Professionals and Women Aged 55-64 Show Most
Interest
Men 55-64 Men 65-75 Women 55-64 Women 65-75
Very
/Fair
ly
Inte
rest
ed
Som
ew
hat
Inte
rest
ed
Not Very
In
tere
sted
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
How interested are you in volunteering, either now, or at some point in the future?
Source: Hart Survey of Non-Volunteers (N=507)
Professional,manager
White-collarworker
Blue-collarworker
Retired
Very
/Fair
ly
Inte
rest
ed
Som
ew
hat
Inte
rest
ed
Not Very
In
tere
sted
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Non-volunteers 55+ by Gender
Non-volunteers 55+ by Occupation148 103 142 108 35 91 53 276
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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Selected Most Important Reason for Volunteering
“Helping Others/Making A Difference” Is Top Reason for
Volunteering
3%
4%
8%
18%
18%
28%
40%
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
Non-Volunteers 55+
Source: Hart Survey of Non-Volunteers (N=507)
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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23%
28%
32%
34%
34%
37%
35%
46%
38%
43%
56%
Very important (9-10*) Important (7-8*)
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
What Are Non-Volunteers Looking For?
81%
69%
70%
47%*Ratings on ten-point scale: 10 = essential factor, 1 = not at all important factor
Among Non-Volunteers 55+
70%
66%
63%
63%
63%
55%
53%
Source: Hart Survey of Non-Volunteers (N=507)
Factors that might contribute to a positive volunteer experience
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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Type of Volunteer Activity I Would Most Prefer
Non-Volunteers 55+ Report Being Most Interested in Learning New Skills and
Exploring New Interests
Non-Volunteers 55+
16%
21%
26%
32%
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)
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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Barriers To Volunteering
6%
8%
13%
17%
22%
27%
36%
39%
Besides not enough time, which of these is the most/ second-most important reason you don’t volunteer? Non-Volunteers 55+
very/fairly interested in volunteeringHaven’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
All Non-Volunteers
55+
24%
40%
23%
25%
17%
8%
8%
23%
Source: Hart Survey of Non-Volunteers (N=507)
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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Are Older Volunteers Different?VolunteerMatch User Research
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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Volunteering Attracts People of All ages
18-2926%
30-3920%
Under 1811%
55+15%
Prefer not to state1%
40-5427%
Source: Hart Survey of Volunteers (N=2,316)
All Users by Age
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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Gender Differences by Age
Source: Hart Survey of Volunteers (N=2,316)
Users by Age and Gender
Under 18 18-29 30-39 40-54 55+
11%
89%
11%
89%
13%
87%
20%
80%
34%
66%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Men Women
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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Average Hours of Volunteering Per Year by Age Group
155
145
132
155
226
Under 18
18-29
30-39
40-54
55+
Source: Hart Survey of Volunteers (N=2,316)
Among All Users
Older Volunteers Volunteer More
Average Hours of Volunteering
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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Volunteering Is About Identity
29%
2%19%
50%
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 in my
life
Very important
Somewhat important
Not very important
69% highly
important
Source: Hart Survey of Volunteers (N=2,316)
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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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?
Very ImportantOne of the Most Important Things
Source: Hart Survey of Volunteers (N=2,316)
Under 18 18-29 30-39 40-54 55+
63%66%
69%73%
75%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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1%
4%
7%
7%
8%
13%
14%
46%
Selected Most Important Reason for Volunteering
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
“Helping Others/Making A Difference” Is Top Reason For
Volunteering
All Users
Source: Hart Survey of Volunteers (N=2,316)
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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Motivations Vary by AgeWhat is the most important reason you volunteer?
Source: Hart Survey of Volunteers (N=2,316)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Under 18 18-29 30-39 40-54 55-64 65+
Fulfill a servicerequirement
Develop skills
Use my skills
Meet people/ getinvolved in community
Make a difference/ helpothers/ contribute to acause/ give back
All Users
266 593 460 619 282 77
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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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+
61%55%
38%
21%
Source: Hart Survey of Volunteers (N=2,316)
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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Important Factors in a Volunteer Experience
Volunteers 55+Volunteers Under 55
% users rating each as very important/important
0 20 40 60 80 100
Volunteer with friends
Matches my career skills
Has orientation/training
Intellectually stimulating
Nearby/convenient
Uses my skills/experience
Fits my schedule
I can make a difference
Interesting/challenging
Understand expectations
Cause I care about
Source: Hart Survey of Volunteers (N=2,316)
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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Older Volunteers Are Looking for Interesting & Challenging Opportunities
Users 55+Users Under 55
% users “much less likely” to volunteer if factor is NOT met
0 20 40 60 80 100
Volunteer with friends
Matches my career skills
Has orientation/training
Uses my skills/experience
Intellectually stimulating
Understand expectations
I can make a difference
Nearby/convenient
Interesting/challenging
Fits my schedule
Cause I care about
Source: Hart Survey of Volunteers (N=2,316)
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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Older Volunteers Would Prefer to Make Use of Their Skills
... which of the following statements best describes the kind of activity you prefer?
Source: Hart Survey of Volunteers (N=2,316)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Under18
18-29 30-39 40-54 55-64 65+
Learn new skills/explore newinterests
Can be done bymost people
Use non-careerskills
Use career skills
All Users
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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Men are Particularly Interested in Making Use of Their Skills
...which of the following statements best describes the kind of activity
you prefer?
Source: Hart Survey of Volunteers (N=2,316)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
WomenUnder 54
Women 55+ Men Under54
Men 55+
Learn new skills/ explorenew interests
Can be done by mostpeople
Use non-career skills
Use career skills
Users by Gender and Age
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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31%
16%13%
40%
19%
9%29%
43%
Skills Are A Sticking Point for Older Men
Strongly agree
“I can always find volunteer opportunities that match my personal and professional skills and abilities.”
All Users
Somewhat agreeSomewhat
disagree
Strongly disagree
Men Age 55+
Source: Hart Survey of Volunteers (N=2,316)
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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Thinking ahead to the next few years, do you think
you will be volunteering...
More than now53%
Less than now9%
Same38%
Source: Hart Survey of Volunteers (N=2,316)
Among Users 55+
Most Volunteers 55+ Expect to Volunteer More
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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The Nonprofit PerspectiveUser Research
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
30
30%
57%
60%
64%
65%
71%
Volunteers provide my organization with this to a great extent
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
programsCapability to improve
management/operations of our organization
Volunteers Play An Important Role for Nonprofits
92% of nonprofit staff say that volunteers are very important to their organization.
Among Nonprofit Staff
Source: Hart Survey of non-profits 2006 (N=1024)
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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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
Over 100
73%
71%
67%
64%
63%
26 to 100
75%
64%
65%
62%
58%
25/fewer
64%
56%
62%
54%
49%
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)
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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Nonprofits Are Looking for Volunteers Across All Age Groups
Note: 54% of respondents indicated no need for a particular age rangeSource: Hart Survey of non-profits 2006 (N=1024)
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%
34% 35%
28%26%
18%
10%10%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
13-17 18-29 30-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75+
Age Groups
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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Most Nonprofits Are Already Engaging Older Volunteers
81%
62%
Age 55-64
Age 65-74
84%81%
62%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Age 45-54
Source: Hart Survey of non-profits 2006 (N=1024)
Please indicate whether any of your organization’s volunteers fall into the following age ranges.
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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12%
22%
23%
23%
32%
46%
51%
53%
This has made it difficult for my organization to engage the volunteers we need
Finding volunteers; knowing where to look for
volunteersPeople are too busy
to volunteerDifficult to find people
interested in volunteeringCan’t find people with the right skills and experience
People have unrealistic expectations about the
workHard to find people
interested in our organization or missionDifficult to contact/get
in touch with volunteersDifficult to find people who
fit with our environment/culture
Top Challenges In Engaging Volunteers
Among Nonprofit Staff
Source: Hart Survey of non-profits 2006 (N=1024)
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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26%
26%
29%
39%
48%
51%
57%
70%
My organization has this to a large degree
Regular supervision and communication with
volunteersRegular 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
Managing VolunteersAmong 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%
Source: Hart Survey of non-profits 2006 (N=1024)
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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Commenting on Older Volunteers
“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."
“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."
Source: Hart Survey of non-profits 2006 (N=1024)
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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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)
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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Tapping the Skills of Older Adults
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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17%18%
23%24%25%27%28%28%29%30%
34%40%
48%58%59%
Use volunteers/volunteers and staff for this activity
Event planningFundraising/development
Marketing/communications
Strategic planningOperations/project mgmt
Computer hardware/software
Staff mgmt/team leadership
Internet/e-commerceAccounting/finance
Information technologyLegal services
HR/recruitment & trainingGrant proposal writing
CounselingMedical/health services
Nonprofits Use Volunteers for Many “Skilled” Activities
Among Nonprofit Staff
Source: Hart Survey of non-profits 2006 (N=1024)
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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80% of NPs Want More Info on Volunteers; 70% Want More Skilled
VolunteersTo what extent would each of the following factors be helpful in
supporting your volunteer programs?
Source: Volunteer Management Capacity in America's Charities and Congregations, Urban Institute 2004.
More information
about potential
volunteers
Funding to cover cost of volunteer involvement
Volunteer coordinator with stipend
Greater availability
of skilled volunteers
Training in working
with volunteers
Fewer regulatory, legal and liability
constraints
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%80%
76%72% 71%
66%
38%
Some Extent
Great Extent
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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Not Surprisingly Older Adults Are More Likely to Have a Variety of Professional Skills
Source: Hart Survey of Volunteers (N=2,316 total, 978 volunteers aged 40+)
Do you currently use or have you previously used any of the following skills in your professional career?
Volunteers aged 40+
All volunteers
51%48% 47%
43%
36%
32% 31% 30% 29%27%
15%13% 12%
25%
30%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Compu
ters
, h/w
and
s/w
Opera
tions
/ Pr
ojec
t Mgm
t
Med
ical o
r Hea
lth Ser
vice
s
Even
t Plann
ing
Mar
ketin
g & C
ommun
icat
ions
Acoo
untin
g/ Finan
ce
HR/ R
ecru
iting
and
Tra
ining
Coun
selin
g
Inte
rnet
/ E-
Comm
erce
Stra
tegic Plan
ning
Info
rmat
ion Te
chno
logy
Fund
raising/
Dev
elop
men
t
Gran
t Pro
posa
l Writ
ing
Lega
l Ser
vice
s
Staff
Mgm
t/ Lea
ders
hip
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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With Few Exceptions These Skills Are Underutilized
Source: Hart Survey of Volunteers (N=2,316 total, 978 volunteers aged 40+)
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 in job
Used skill volunteering51%
48% 47%
43%
36%
32% 31% 30% 30% 29%27%
25%
15%13% 12%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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Smaller NPs Tend to Make Use of a Greater Variety of
Volunteer Skills
Source: Hart Survey of non-profits 2006 (N=1024)
Number of different volunteer skills used by organization budget
215 137 134 174 116 248
None
1-3
4-7
8 o
r m
ore
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Less than$50,000
$50,001to
$100,000
$100,001to
$200,000
$200,001to
$500,000
$500,001to $1
million
More than$1 million
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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Use of the Internet
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
45
Leveraging the Power of the Internet
Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project
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
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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Non-Volunteers 55+ Internet Usage
16%
8%
51%
25%
Besides e-mail, how often do you use the Internet to visit Web sites?
At least once a
dayDon’t
use the Internet
Non-Volunteers 55+
41%
Visit Web sites at least once a week
Men
Women
46%
35%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)
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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The Internet is Making it Easier to Find Opportunities to Help
36%
37%
44%
50%
53%
55%
61%
66%
Which of these have become easier since you started using VolunteerMatch?
Among All UsersFinding organization
that needed helpFinding
opportunities that interest me
Getting specific info about opportunities
Finding a cause I care about
Finding opportunities
nearby/convenientFinding
opportunities that fit my schedule
Finding opportunities that
match my skillsFinding an
organization that is responsive
Users Age40+
61%
56%
53%
49%
47%
42%
35%
35%
Source: Hart Survey of Volunteers (N=2,316)
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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From Online to Offline
29%61%
10%
Yes, have volunteered with an organization I
found on VolunteerMatch
Among Users 40+
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)
Have you ever volunteered with an organization you found on VolunteerMatch?
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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How satisfied have you been with your experiences volunteering with organizations you found through
VolunteerMatch?Users 55+
Very Dissatisfied
4%Dissatisfied 5%
Neutral 9%
Satisfied 43%
Very Satisfied
39%
Encouraging a Cycle of Satisfaction
Source: Hart Survey of Volunteers (N=2,316)
47%
38%
10%
2%3%
All Users
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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Empowering Nonprofits
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
Strongly Agree Somewhat Agree
23% 44%
30% 47%
42% 40%
53% 31%
54% 32%
Source: Hart Survey of non-profits 2006 (N=1024)
Please rate how much you agree with each of the following statements.
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
51
Recruiting Skilled Volunteers
42% 40%
18%
48%
40%
12%
Very satisfied Somewhat satisfied Dissatisfied
How satisfied have you been with VolunteerMatch in helping you find highly skilled and/or experienced
volunteers?
All nonprofit staff Staff at nonprofits (60%) that have used VM
volunteers for skilled activities
Source: Hart Survey of non-profits 2006 (N=1024)
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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Connecting to Make a Difference
2%
3%
5%
6%
10%
13%
14%
68%
Which two or three of these Internet recruiting services have you found most useful?
All nonprofit staff
VolunteerMatch.org
Local volunteer center’s Web site
Craigslist.org
Idealist.org
1-800-Volunteer.org
VolunteerSolutions.org
HandsOn Network
ServeNet.org
33% of staff name only VolunteerMatch
Source: Hart Survey of non-profits 2006 (N=1024)
VolunteerMatchWhere volunteering begins.
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Observations• The aging baby boomers represent an exceptional
opportunity for civil society
• Older volunteers are more likely to be interested in making use of their skills and experiences
• Nonprofits are not yet fully tapping the skills of their volunteers
• The Internet is making it easier for nonprofits and volunteers to connect
• Choice and information reinforces satisfaction and stimulates the virtuous cycle of civic engagement