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Changing Trends in Volunteering
The document discusses the changing trends in volunteering, highlighting the demographic and technological shifts influencing participation, particularly among younger generations like Gen Z. It emphasizes the need for organizations, such as Rotary clubs, to adapt by embracing change and offering flexible volunteering options. Practical recommendations include reevaluating service projects and adopting a cause-driven, impact-focused approach to engage modern volunteers.
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Changing Trends in Volunteering
- 1. CHANGING TRENDS INVOLUNTEERING Facilitated by: Jessie Harman June 27, 2018
- 2. Jessie Harman –Membership Committee Chair Nicki Scott - Strategic Planning Committee Amanda Wendt - Communications Committee Olivannan Gopalakrishnan - Membership Cmmittee Joe Otin - Membership Committee Presenters
- 3. •Demographic trends •Technological trends •Impacton volunteering •Rotary club relevance Understanding our Ever Changing World!
- 4. Demographic Trends Over halfof the worlds population is now under 30 and yet in developed countries, people are living longer and approximately 20 – 30% of their population is aged 60 or older. Global population by age group, 1950 – 2050 60 or over 25 – 59 10 – 24 0 – 9
- 5. 25% of GenZ interact daily with peers in other countries 32% would prefer to work for themselves rather than an employer The Gen Z Impact – Born 1990 & beyond • Social media • Global mindset • Expectation to “Do Good in the World” • Self starters
- 6. Technological Trends • In2015 the number of mobile phone subscriptions surpassed the world population! • Digital and physical worlds will start to merge • Technology will empower individuals and serve as an enabler • Globalization • Increasing speed of change!
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- 9. So what doesthis all mean to us here right now? What can we be doing to adapt to these changes?
- 10. We Need toEmbrace Change! Resisting change is like trying to hold your breath under water…............ Even if you succeed it doesn’t end well!!
- 11. Practical Ideas • Entranceinterviews! • Project vs position • Adopt a flexible approach • Offer multiple options for service • Re-evaulate your service projects: • Cause based? • Impact driven • Quality over quantity
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- 35. Ms. ARSHIYA Chennai, India DIGITALVOLUNTEER
- 41. Cultural Alignment • Customaryto give to family, friends, neighbours • Many hands make light work • Lacks ability to scale up • Short term, immediate needs • Conflicts with organized giving, fundraising • NGOs have a bad name (Abunuwasi phenomenon)
- 42. Volunteering Today • Kenya4 Kenyans Campaign • Record breaking fundraising result • Impact of cause brought home • Heavy use of celebrity influencers • Giving made cool • No long term commitment • Haba na haba hujaza kibaba (a little at a time fills the pot)
- 43. Rotary’s Future • Structuredgiving gaining momentum • New technology offering opportunities for youth participation • Allow for varied levels of commitment • Flexibility in cause selection and mode of participation
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- 46. This presentation andothers from throughout the convention are available through the convention mobile app and on SlideShare at www.SlideShare.net/Rotary_International.
- 47. Rate this sessionin the Rotary Events app, available in your Apple or Android app store.
Editor's Notes
- #4 We thought it would be helpful today to take a brief look at some of the demographic and technological changes that are impacting our world today and the ways we choose to volunteer. With an enhanced awareness and understanding we can then start to ask ourselves how much of that becomes relevant to the ways in which we run our Rotary Clubs. So I would like to share with you all some of the research we have been working with on the Strategic Planning Committee with our consulting team from Grant Thornton in addition to the results of several surveys of over a million Rotarians, Rotaractors, Alumni and even Non-Rotarians.
- #5 So let’s start with demographics! There are two key factors of significant interest: 1. >50% of the world population are < 30 2. At the same time people are living longer – especially in the developed parts of the world – so we often find areas where 20-30% of the population is aged 60 or over. People are healthier, active for longer and view themselves as younger for longer –true for me at least – and in fact only 6% of over 65’s view themselves as old!! So yes we do absolutely need to be focusing our efforts on attracting and retaining younger professionals BUT we equally need to be mindful of the value Rotary can add to older generations too – right the way through to retirement. Research from Canada finds that regular volunteering reduces the risk of dementia and isolation in retired people. Older adults often discover they have more time in their lives to give to causes due to being out of the workforce. Personal experience re empty nesters too! Research suggests that in contrast to older generations that see charitable causes as separate from their everyday lives, millennials often view the two as linked and want to live in ways that help them give back. Amanda will be getting into more of that during her segment but I mention it because I truly believe “A sense of Purpose” is a universal human need that remains a constant across all generations. And I think that is certainly true for anyone who has chosen to make Rotary a way of life!
- #6 Ploughing down a little deeper it is interesting to also explore the impact of Gen Z who were born after millenials. Born into the internet era of social media – they leverage it to form close relationships and as their tool to address world concerns and create positive social change. Gen Z has a global mindset – Exposed to globalism from an early age and connecting beyond borders is easy for them As this generation starts to take key leadership positions “Doing good in the world” is becoming an expectation, not a novelty – giving rise to expectations that governments, businesses, and other entities should “do good” –which is leading to an increase in both Social entrepreneurism and corporate social responsibility As self-starters, they have a strong tendency toward entrepreneurialism and a strong sense of empowerment through technology that they truly CAN make a difference – even as an individual and they can do it RIGHT NOW!
- #7 And so we transition into technological trends… It may be hard to believe but there are now more mbolie phone subscriptions on the planet than people! Many of those are smart phones too which means that the majority of people now have access through the internet to whatever they want right now. With the increasing popularity of Virutal Reality our digial and physical worlds are converging leading to a shift from products to experiences through live video feeds, wearable technology, virtual reality, etc. The picture here depicts the project we did at last years’ convention in Atlanta in partnership with Google to give Rotarians a virtual experience of a National Immunization Day for Polio. It was available in the HOF here too. Technology is serving as an enabler – Anyone, anywhere can create impact on their own and/or quickly connect to others that share their passion. It is breaking down boundaries and reinforcing a global mindset. “Smart” products are here now –driverless cards are already on the roads, you can buy jackets that are wired to send virtual hugs and so many more examples that are all serving to continuously accelerate the speed of change! And as technology advances, individuals will demand the same speed of the organizations they engage with! We need to do whatever we can to keep up!! Sources: World Economic Forum, 14 Tech Predictions for 2020 (2014); World Economic Forum, These are the top 10 emerging technologies of 2016 (2016)
- #8 So gone are the days when our “competitors” were simply seen as Kiwanis and Lions Clubs. There are so many more offerings now that touch on what we offer in one way or another. Here are just a few: MEETUP: An online networking portal that allows members to find and join groups based on location and interests. It has more than 30 million members and is available in 180 countries LINKEDIN VOLUNTEER MATCH – the webs largest volunteer engagement network! FACEBOOK: An online social media and social networking site that allows people to connect with others, share information, create events, fundraise, and form groups. It has more than one billion users across the world. Giving.sg - An online platform in which users can search for volunteer opportunities, as well as donate and fundraise. It is the largest giving community in Singapore, with more than 900,000 users. CROWDRISE: The world’s largest and fastest-growing online fundraising platform dedicated exclusively to charitable giving. It has been used by thousands of non-profits and used by millions of individuals to raise money. WE: A social movement created to bring people together and gives them the tools to change the world. WE activities include hosting conferences across the world, developing and supporting programs, and selling merchandise benefitting non-profit organizations. – Gen Z CHANGE.ORG An online campaign and petition platform in which individuals can create, find, and sign petitions for causes they care about. It has more than 100 million users across the world.
- #9 So what does this all mean in terms of how people are choosing to volunteer? Here are a few of the trends that have been identified. MICRO: Demand for short term volunteering opportunities is increasing; as people feel the pressure to be able to do it all, As a result a simple, fluid approach to volunteering is on the rise – ‘micro-volunteering’. The main eight characteristics of micro-volunteering they identified were: small amounts of time, easy to access, immediate, convenient, task rather than role orientated, informal agreement, can take place online or offline, it can be a one-off or more regular. The main element being that the volunteer is in control of how and when they participate. EPISODIC: Today, many people are looking to volunteer for one time or short time opportunities. In fact, the National Survey of Nonprofit and Voluntary Organizations reports that 31 per cent of volunteers give their time only once or twice a year. Episodic volunteering, as it is called, requires some creativity on the part of volunteer-involving organizations to design suitable positions that maximize the benefit of involving this new type of volunteer – more driven by fun and social motives and need to make a difference now – short term vs longer horizon VIRTUAL: In contrast to traditional volunteering opportunities, where people come together to complete a task at a specific time and place, this can happen anywhere/anytime by anyone who has access to the internet. Most notably it has allowed people to have an impact in disaster relief through tangible actions beyond donating money. SLACKTIVISM - actions performed via the Internet in support of a political or social cause but regarded as requiring little time or involvement, e.g., signing an online petition or joining a campaign group on a social media website.
- #10 So what does this all mean to us right now? What can we be doing to adapt to these changes? How will this all affect how we run our clubs?
- #11 Well first off we need to be sure to embrace change not fear it or resist it….. Resisting change is like trying to hold your breath under water....even if you succeed it doesn’t end well!!!
- #12 Finally I would like to leave you with some practical ideas on actions you can start taking right away! One of the key takeaways from all of the trends is that there is no longer room for a “One size fits all approach”! There are so many different personal needs and preferences that we need to consider in trying to build and manage our clubs. Our world is so often focused on exit interview to find out why someone chose to leave – TOO LATE! Why not do an entrance interview instead. Start by asking everyone in your club and those who are joining what motivates them, what are they passionate about, how do they prefer to give of their time, talents and money? One way to adapt to the changing trends in volunteering is to focus more on projects than longer term roles. There will be less attraction to a three year term or leadership ladder and more of an interest in what part can I play in these next 2-6 months that will make a difference and give shorter term satisfaction. We therefore need to be looking at our club structures – consider more task focused teamwork vs committee appointments. Be sure to know what skills your members have and how they would like to use them. Multiple options for service: In person Online – Ways to contribute from the comfort of home Social Media Text to donate Dip in & out Volunteers are often not like the people who are managing them. They may be older, younger, a different gender, a different faith, a different culture. With volunteers, the motivations may be very different and you may need to be empathetic and responsive to what their desires and needs are as well as how they can help you deliver your mission or project.
- #47 [Keep this slide at the end]
- #48 [Keep this slide at the end, and read this suggested text] Your feedback is valuable so remember to complete the brief session evaluation in the convention mobile app. To download the app, search for “Rotary Events” in your Apple or Android app store.