Why Do Baby Boomers Volunteer?
Research indicates four main reasons why baby boomers volunteer. They want to:
- Support a cause that they believe in.
- Make a contribution to society.
- Share their skills.
- Do something meaningful with their friends and colleagues.
More importantly, baby boomers want to volunteer on their own terms. Consider some of the challenges that baby boomers face:
They don’t have enough time.
- Theirs is known as a sandwich generation – caring for children and aging parents simultaneously leaves less free time.
They don’t have time during traditional work hours.
- Many baby boomers work full-time and many work past the traditional retirement age of 65. Unless their employers have a corporate volunteering program, these volunteers can’t always be available when you need them.
They don’t identify with traditional images of volunteers.
- The clichéd image of a kindly white-haired volunteer clashes with the way baby boomers see themselves – more youthful and dynamic than their parents.
They don’t want to do routine or menial volunteer tasks.
- With less free time, many of today’s volunteers expect challenging and meaningful work that reflects their skills and experience.