Volunteering is the new work
Think volunteering is all about stuffing envelopes and packing lunches? Think again.
There has never been a more energized call to volunteer service than what we are experiencing today. Fueled by The White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation, as well as the work of phenomenal groups like America First, Be The Change, Civic Ventures, and others, the profile of volunteerism has been raised.
A few of the factors impacting the professionalism of volunteering include:
- A dramatic increase of opportunities, including a tripling of Americorps opportunities beginning in 2010 and the creation of a $10 million Volunteer Generation Fund, as part of the Serve America Act.
- The trend of Baby Boomer aged adults looking to lend their professional skills on a volunteer basis to nonprofits, as well as the formation of Senior Corps, a $220.9 million project to support nearly 500,000 Senior Corps volunteers.
- The existence of volunteer programs, such as the Taproot Foundation, connecting nonprofit with in-demand professionals with backgrounds in corporate marketing, communications, and strategic management.
What does this mean for jobseekers? There are now tens of thousands of opportunities for those with professional and in-demand skills available in the nonprofit sector, with even more to become available in the near future. For many, these opportunities not only allow you to gain more experience in the nonprofit sector, but also lay the groundwork for employment opportunities.
Professional volunteering is an especially compelling option for sector switchers, or those new to the nonprofit sector. According to Robert Rosenthal of VolunteerMatch, “A challenging volunteer gig can be an important career move. Workers from a broad array of industries are being challenged to rethink how they contribute to society, and more and more of these folks are finding that volunteering is a great way to stay sharp, develop new expertise, and demonstrate the leadership that will carry them to their next professional challenge.”
We couldn’t agree more.
2 comments so far
he local children’s hospital is always in need of good volunteers!! Also there is a place called the Bridge House that is great place to volunteer! Believe me there are plenty of place in New Orleans that need wonderful people like yourself who are will to give there time! Thanks for making this world a little bit better.I want to meet new people but a lot of volunteering seems to be either speaking with people on the phone or mentoring. I want something where I can meet a lot of new people. Any ideas?
Seeing volunteering ‘take off’ in a culture that already values volunteering is wonderful news!
What we are seeing is an increasing trend on the international front, and with even younger and younger generations. College students are swapping out Cancun springbreaks for more meaningful service trips, such as building a home in Haiti. And now some highschool students are making volunteer trips to developing nations.
Let’s keep up the wonderful spirit of giving of our time and ourselves.
Pamela Hawley
Founder and CEO
UniversalGiving (http://www.universalgiving.org)
“Create a World Where Giving and Volunteering Are a Natural Part of Everyday Life.”