Visit this page for ideas, suggestions and hints to build volunteer recruitment capacity.

~ January 2006 ~ Topics

The world's futurists are projecting some trends for the near future. Many of them have impacts on an organization's ability to recruit and retain volunteers. Last month covered predictions related to business, population, education, and the environment. This month Volunteer Today will share more on the outlook seen by scientists who study future trends. More in the February issue.

• Health
  
  • Off shore long-term care. A shortage of health care workers and a mobile population might lead to seniors heading to "off-shore" health facilities in lower cost countries. Both chronic and acute care can happen in increasingly sophisticated medical facilities in countries where it costs less to provide the service.
    
  • Alzheimer's grows at mid-century. Living longer means being alive in the Alzheimer's zone of old age. Currently Alzheimer's impacts 2% of the population. In 2054 there could be three times that number of Alzheimer's patients.
    
  • Climate change and deaths. 2050 may bring may bring more urban related deaths due to global warming. It is predicted there will be a 4.5% increase in summer ozone related deaths.
    
• Digital Age
  
  • Digital media will dominate in four years. It will be characterized by complexity, interconnectivity, and convergence of media.
    
  • Podcasting to grow. Subscription based podcasts of music and other programming will soon be sent to consumers, allowing people the options of when and where to hear the programs. It could reach 12.3 million households by 2010.
    
• Resources
  
  • Food needs grow. The world economy is likely to be impacted by the demand for food. Farmers leaving the profession for cities and global warming that compromises available farm land are two causes.
    
  • Ocean supplies energy. Wind and tidal power will grow as sources of energy. It will grow to $3 billion per year by 2008.
    
  • 40 years of oil remain. There is only about 40 years of oil left in the ground. Hydrogen is a likely successor and more work is needed for a smooth transition to hydrogen energy age.

Want to say thank you to a volunteer or another member of the paid staff? Ran out of time? Sitting in traffic and remembering your promise to say thanks more often? Use the cell phone (safely, of course!). Call the work number and leave a nice thank you message for the person. The person begins the next day with praise. A terrific way to shed winter blahs!

Confidence in nonprofits has been compromised in recent years. Some donors wonder if the money given reaches the target group. Volunteers wonder if the work contributed is the most efficient way to operate. Talk to volunteers about money. The time spent in educating about the way the money is used can have long reaching benefits. Volunteers talk to friends and are better able to answer questions. The knowledge of expenditures might increase personal contributions by volunteers. Myths are debunked about use of dollars.

Make the training interactive. Demonstrate use by taking a $100 donations and break out the percentage of use though the use of oversize coins and dollar bills. Be sure to include rent, salaries, health benefits, cost of service, insurance, taxes, advertising, phones, supplies, etc. This short by "hands-on" demonstration will stick better than a lecture on finances. Talk in terms easily understood. Volunteers are impressed by organizations with transparency.

The Points of Light Foundation has forms available to nominate volunteers and volunteer organizations for the Daily Points of Light Award. It is designed recognize individuals and groups that demonstrate unique and innovative approaches to community volunteering and citizen action, with a strong emphasis on service focused on the goals for children and young people set by the Presidents Summit for American's Future. The award is given five days a week, excluding holidays. If you would like nomination forms, call 202-729-8000.

By calling 1-800-VOLUNTEER in the U.S., individuals can be connected to their local volunteer center. This is a national interactive call routing system designed to get volunteers connected to people who can help them volunteer.

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