All types of volunteers are crucial to the success of nonprofits — and a community. With volunteerism on the rise, we decided to explore its many far reaching benefits.
“Not only does it create a sense of purpose, boost self-confidence, reduce stress and combat depression, volunteering also connects you to a community and makes you a more engaged employee at your job,” explained Beth Winter, regional vice president at BVU: The Center for Nonprofit Excellence. The Center engages businesses, strengthens nonprofits and promotes volunteerism.
The majority of those who volunteer once, according to statistics, continue to do so. And it’s a necessary service to already strapped nonprofit organizations which would otherwise have to pay. Now more than ever it’s important to build a balanced, skilled and diverse board to help meet the demand for an organization’s services.
“We’re facing a potential war for talent as far more Baby Boomers will retire than there are people to replace them,” Winter explained.
Companies who support employee volunteerism are rated more highly by employees as a good place to work. Two-thirds of Millennials said they’d prefer to work for a company that provides opportunities to volunteer.
And there are various types of volunteerism:
– Direct service volunteering: soup kitchen help, community paint project, clean up community
– Skill-based volunteering: project-based professional services such as developing a marketing plan, bylaw review, business plan
– Board members: serving on a board of directors of a nonprofit organization
“Volunteerism provides professional development while improving your community and yourself,” Winter said. “Volunteers learn leadership skills, problem-solving skills and new skills. They also benefit from team building, increasing their network and serving as ambassadors for their company.”
A recent Gallup study revealed that 70-percent of employees rated themselves as not engaged (enthusiastic, committed) or actively disengaged in the workplace. According to Philanthropy Front and Center, the way to develop more engaged employees is to help and support them in volunteerism.
“Organizations with engaged employees have 16-percent higher profitability, 18-percent higher productivity, 12-percent higher customer loyalty and 60-percent higher quality work,” Winter explained. “Volunteering helps inspire creativity, makes you entrepreneurial, inspires new ways of thinking and helps develop social, relational and communication skills.”
In fact, 91-percent of Fortune 500 human resources managers said volunteering with a nonprofit is an effective way to cultivate critical business and leadership skills. Seventy-five percent of employers are actually looking for potential employees with volunteer experience.
If you’re looking for volunteer opportunities, or if you’re a nonprofit looking for volunteers for your board or for projects, BVU: The Center for Nonprofit Excellence can help. For free, you can post your nonprofit needs and see where your skills best suit a need in the volunteer world. The opportunities are truly endless! You can help make a difference in your day and someone else’s by volunteering for a cause you love!
