July 2003 Archives - Recruiting and Retention

Large employers around the world have Employee Volunteer Programs. From Thailand to Tupelo employees of IBM can engage in civic activities with the blessing and encouragement of their employer. Some businesses even provide paid time per month for volunteers. It can be anywhere from 4 to 8 hours, and the business usually provides incentives in the form of hats, t-shirts, and other memorabilia.

What about the small business of less than a dozen employees, many of who work part time, who want to volunteer? A volunteer program manager needs to thing creatively to help the owners of those small businesses see the benefit of volunteering on morale and practical ways it can be done without reducing the company’s business effectiveness.

One excellent idea is for the group to engage in a project which benefits the community, but requires the time of only one person to deliver the “goods.” For example, if each person who had a home vegetable garden planted an extra row in their garden, the excess produce could be donated to a local food bank. Food banks and religious organization that provide food to the poor in cities around the world are being strained by the down turn in economies and the move of the poor to large urban area. What better way to help out?!

The business could designate two people to team up to coordinate donations from the individuals in the workplace. They would work with the food bank and arrange for delivery of perishable products. This is an easy and practical way for the small business to have its own employee volunteer program.

Volunteering In the USA

More women volunteer than men (31% to 23%). The volunteer rate of college graduates is four times that of high school dropouts. Volunteers spend about 52 hours a year volunteering. Employed people are more likely to volunteer than the unemployed or those not in the labor force. Who says so?

The United State Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics recently reported on a study by the Current Population Survey between September 2001 to September 2002. This is a survey of 60,000 households that obtains information on employment and unemployment for those over age 16.

Here are some facts they uncovered:

	59 million or 27.6% of the population over 16 reported volunteering through or for organizations in the time period. This number is significantly lower than that reported by the Giving and Volunteering Research of Independent Sector.
	35-54 year olds were the most likely to volunteer.
	Volunteer rates were lowest among those over age 65.
	The second lowest rate of volunteering by age was among those in their early twenties.
	Parents with children under 18 were more likely to volunteer than persons with no children, but in the same age range.
	Volunteer rates are higher among married people (32%) than single (21%).
	Among all age groups, people over 65 devoted more time to volunteering, with a median 96 hours per year.
	Most people provided service to one organization (61%).
	Religious organization continue to garner the largest portion of volunteers overall (33%).
	The second most volunteered for organizations were educational/youth groups (27%).
	Older volunteers, over 65, volunteered more for religious organization than their younger counterparts (42%). 25-34 year olds volunteered at 28% for religious organizations.
	Parents with children are more likely to volunteer for schools and youth organizations, while people in the same age with no children are more likely to volunteer for social or community service organization, like homeless shelters.
	What did volunteers do for their organization? Teaching/coaching 24% Canvassing, campaigning, fundraising 22% Collecting, making, serving, delivering goods 22% Serving on a board, committee, neighborhood association 16%
	Two in five volunteers became involved in their organization by taking the initiative and approaching the organization.
	Another two in five were asked to become a volunteer by someone in the organization.

For more details and full statistics visit http://www.bls.gov/cps/home.htm. The survey is the first listing under the "Other" category.

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"It is only possible to live happily ever after on a day-to-day basis."
Margaret Bonnano

The value of a volunteer hour is $16.54, according to Independent Sector. This hourly value is updated annually and is based on the average hourly earnings of all non-agricultural workers, as determined by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The increase in technology makes us all more efficient, but can create barriers between people. How can you use technology to enhance the communication level between people? Here are some tips.

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