Hot
Topic Archive
May
2004
Virtual
Volunteering - solution today, problem tomorrow?
by
Andy Fryar
In
these days of constantly changing demographics, ageing
baby boomers and increased technology, few would argue
that the on-line community offers a potentially huge
resource pool for volunteer programs right around
the world.
No
longer are we confined to volunteering in our local
charity shop simply because it is located within walking
distance of our home. Today, thanks to the internet,
we are just as likely to find ourselves volunteering
with an AIDS support organisation in Africa , a drug
assistance program in Amsterdam or an animal refuge
in the heart of the Amazon.
The
benefits and merits of 'online service' have been
well documented. So too have the challenges and warnings.
The
positives include:
- The prediction
that as people's lives become busier, volunteer
activities via the internet will become an increasingly
popular way of engaging volunteers from their homes
and at their leisure
- The knowledge that
volunteer programs who can create positions that
can be done 'out-of-regular-hours' will prove to
be increasingly popular
- The fact tha t
the recruitment of volunteers (like volunteering
itself) becomes limitless. Organisations who can
create high quality volunteer roles can now recruit
their teams from all four corners of the globe.
Some
of the challenges include:
- Volunteer involving
organisations needing to become more vigilant in
creating meaningful 'virtual' positions for volunteers
within their organisations. This is often very difficult
in more established programs with a heavy 'hands
on' service delivery focus.
- The understanding
that today's younger generations are more technologically
savvy and will be looking for challenges involving
the internet and other technologically driven media
- Volunteer managers
needing to adapt to leading two distinct groups
of volunteers - those they can see, touch and feel
and others they will never meet in person - ever
!
It's
here I am going to stop myself, as this is not intended
to be an essay about the virtues of virtual volunteering.
There
is little doubt that those organisations that heed
the above warnings and who can make the appropriate
changes to their volunteer programs and harness online
service opportunities - will certainly enhance their
chances of ongoing and successful volunteer programs
in the future.
Rather
I'd like to digress, gaze into my crystal ball and
explore some possible futures for both the availability
of volunteers and the association I believe it may
have, with the virtual volunteering phenomenon.
During
her recent tour of Australia , Canadian Linda Graff
spoke at length about what she believes may well result
in a shortage of available volunteers in the future.
The ageing population, busier workloads and changing
demographics are all potential contributors to this
- in fact many of the larger and more established
charities already appear to be experiencing some decreases
in the number of people wanting to assist with their
core business.
I
tend to agree with Linda's theory to a degree; that
is, I certainly believe that there will appear to
be a shortage of willing volunteers in the future,
and I would not be surprised if over the next two
decades, statistics from the Australian Bureau of
Statistics and elsewhere will begin to indicate a
decline in 'active' volunteer participation levels.
However,
in spite of this, I don't necessarily believe that
there will be a downturn in the actual number of people
wanting to volunteer their time.
Firstly,
let's consider the following:
- In the next decade
or so, a large amount of the baby boomer generation
will retire from paid work, often after long professional
careers, with a wealth of skills, knowledge and
internet literacy. Their time will be important
to them as will the availability of challenging
volunteer positions, so I imagine that well structured
virtual volunteering opportunities will be particularly
attractive to this group.
- As the baby boomers
retire, more young people, well versed in virtual
environments, will increasingly find paid work,
as they fill the employment gaps left behind by
the retiring baby boomers. Volunteering will remain
attractive for this younger generation, but their
time will be filled with daily responsibilities,
again making virtual volunteering a significantly
popular choice amongst this group.
The
above two points potentially indicate the likelihood
of a significant increase in the number of individuals
who may be on the look out for online service positions,
suggesting this may indeed be a growth area of the
future.
Assuming
the above prediction is correct, we will begin to
witness a growing pool of volunteers who will prefer
to volunteer from home as opposed to choosing to volunteer
'physically' in their community.
Now
let's consider a few other likely trends in the not-too-distant
future.
- The baby boomers
won't be getting any younger! While the baby boomers
will provide an excellent pool of volunteer resources
in the short to medium term, in the longer term
they will also put a huge strain on social service
programs and organisations. The need for younger
volunteers in these services will be greater than
ever.
- As already highlighted,
those generations following the babyboomers are
likely to be busier than ever, meaning they will
have very limited time for any type of volunteering
except the virtual kind.
When
we start to combine these different likely trends,
I must admit to feeling a little nervous.
While
the availability of volunteers wanting to work 'remotely'
may indeed be a godsend for many communities, especially
those in rural and regional areas, the reality is
that there are only so many volunteer positions that
can be filled by having someone sitting at the end
of a computer!
It
is my suspicion that the availability of quality and
challenging virtual volunteering opportunities may
indeed dry up quickly, leaving lots of willing cyber
volunteers with no-where to log-in!
On
the other hand, the many organisations currently using
regular volunteers will continue to have a need for
real people volunteering in real time - and indeed
those organisations in the community services field
may in fact find they have an increased need for volunteers,
as the baby boomers start to become the most elderly
of our citizens.
After
all, an abundance of available virtual volunteers
won't get the local junior footy game umpired, the
local community park cleared of graffiti or the local
neighbourhood bus driven!
In
short, I have a fear that in the not-too-distant future,
the demand for meaningful virtual volunteering roles
will outstrip our ability to supply these roles.
In
presenting this Hot Topic, I am doing nothing more
than attempting to gaze into the future, to try and
predict some likely trends we may soon face. Of course,
there are many other significant factors which could
eventuate and change this scenario significantly.
For
instance:
- Employee volunteering
programs may continue to increase and eventually
take up specifically identified areas of 'deficit'
in more traditional volunteer programs?
- Those volunteers
unable to find a suitable online service role may
indeed chose to return to more traditional volunteer
jobs in order to satisfy their need to serve their
communities - in spite of their busy lifestyles
- More flexible work
arrangements in the future change may change the
way we view work and make volunteering more possible
than I currently anticipate?
Finally,
while sharing this Hot Topic with Susan J Ellis, she
reminded me that virtual volunteering choices do not
have to be an 'either/or' situation. Increasingly
volunteers are choosing to blend their volunteer roles
with a mixture of both the physical and the virtual
(eg. a volunteer visiting a client in a nursing home
once a week may then also keep in contact between
'physical' visits via the internet)
It
is interesting to think how this variation may indeed
impact on the scenario I have outlined above and the
possible solutions we may need to forge, should these
observations about the future of online service ever
come to fruition!
So
let's hear what you think?
- Do you imagine
that virtual volunteering will indeed become more
popular in the future?
- Do you think this
may be to the detriment of more 'hands on' methods
of volunteering?
- Are there other
challenges that the whole online service phenomenon
will bring that I haven't identified?
- Or are you more
optimistic about future volunteer availability?
Why / Why Not?
It's
not too late...
Respond
to this month's Hot Topic
(Be
sure to add your name, title and organisation to your
message)
Should
this link not open your regular email browser, simply
send your reply to response@ozvpm.com
Read
other people's responses
PRINT
VERSION
The
contents of this Hot Topic are copyright © 2003
- 04 OzVPM.
You may reproduce this Hot Topic in part or in full
on the condition that the author, source and website
address (www.ozvpm.com)
are quoted. OzVPM copyright
policy
Visit
this month’s ‘Hot
Topic’ on the Energize web site.
|
