Community volunteerism is a cornerstone of philanthropy. At NPcatalyst, we allocate a considerable amount of resources toward making volunteerism accessible, meaningful, and impactful. We create opportunities and connections for both non-profit organizations and the aspiring leaders who wish to donate their time.
Recently, we were asked to inspire the boomer generation to “give back” to their community. The end result was an article co-authored with Scott Trevithick, who is the executive director of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program at the University of Nevada’s Sanford Center on Aging. The article, entitled “Using your skills to enhance the community”, appears in Generation Boomer magazine.
Here is an excerpt describing the benefits of volunteerism…
There are countless benefits associated with volunteerism. From improving one’s health to helping organizations accomplish goals, the value of “giving back” or “making a difference” felt by the volunteer, as well as the charitable organization, can be significant.
For boomers, there’s one big question – how does someone start volunteering and where does he or she go for direction?
For many, taking the first step is very difficult. Determining which organization to select, how to approach it, how much time to offer and in what capacity, and when to make the initial contact can be stressful, uneasy, intimidating and, to a degree, frightening.
We also offered a little advice…
As you begin your search for the ideal volunteer situation, here are a few tips to consider or questions to ask yourself.
- Is there an age group with which you’d particularly like to work, such as children, students, young professionals, or seniors?
- Is there a cause which connects to you, perhaps animals, environment, arts, recreation, or education?
- Do you have a special talent or skill? Is there a good place to teach or share that ability?
- How often would you like to volunteer – one-time for a special event, now and then, or regularly? Is flexibility important to you?
- Do you have neighbors or friends who volunteer or could you join others from work, a club or church or other group you’re a part of?
Tapping into the interest and expertise of boomers and seniors makes sense.
One thing is certain, nonprofit organizations rely on volunteers to grow and meet community needs. They’re continually looking for leaders, particularly boomers and seniors, who bring experience and skills which can be applied right away.