Volunteering - A Two Way Street

Volunteering is a two-way street where volunteers make an immense positive impact, while also gaining valuable skills, connections, and benefits themselves. As leaders of charities and nonprofits, its important to recognise and promote this virtuous cycle to power people-driven change.

The scale of volunteers' contributions is staggering. Over 12 million adults volunteered in the UK in 2021, contributing over 10 billion hours per year combined. Volunteers provide invaluable services ranging from supporting vulnerable groups to conserving nature to advancing health research and more. The economic value of volunteers' time is estimated at ￡17-23 billion annually. Without volunteers, most charities could not fulfill their missions.

Volunteers themselves gain purpose, empowerment and social connections. In a 2021 survey by NCVO, 95% of volunteers in the UK said volunteering made them feel more satisfied with life. 88% said it improved their mood, and 86% said it reduced stress. Moreover, 55% said volunteering helped prepare them for employment by building skills and expanding networks.

These benefits are backed by decades of research. Multiple studies have shown volunteering combats depression, anxiety, loneliness and social isolation. It strengthens bonds between people from diverse walks of life. Volunteering also enhances physical abilities and mental sharpness in older adults, while dramatically reducing mortality rates compared to non-volunteers.

Specific data from the UK illustrates the positive impacts:

In an Oxford Economics study, 75% of employees surveyed said employer-supported volunteering helped expand their networks.

Resolution Foundation found 40% of UK volunteers reported feeling less isolated thanks to their volunteering activities.

NCVO revealed that 95% of UK volunteers said volunteering gave them a sense of purpose.

On a community level, volunteering fosters cooperation, trust and civic participation - the foundations of a thriving local society. As volunteers connect across differences and work together towards common causes, they build invaluable social capital.

So how can nonprofit leaders further cultivate this two-way volunteer street?

Make volunteering easy and accessible through flexible scheduling, virtual options and streamlined sign-ups. Provide extensive training to equip volunteers with new abilities.

Communicate frequently how volunteers are creating meaningful change. Celebrate both individual and collective impact.

Facilitate social connections between volunteers through mixers, groups and team projects. Loneliness reduction is a key motivator.

Partner strategically with schools, companies, government agencies and community hubs to embed volunteering across society.

Promote volunteer opportunities as pathways to employment and purpose-driven lifestyles.

Volunteering creates a positive ripple effect where volunteers empower organisations to expand their work, while organisations empower volunteers to grow on personal and professional levels. Let's recognise volunteering as the powerful, multidimensional change agent it is. By strategically cultivating people power, we can drive even greater progress across all the causes we care so deeply about.

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Emily Formby

Not-for-Profit / Charity - Search Specialist

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