Table of Contents

1. Meaningful Legacy: Understanding the Motivation of Older Adult Volunteers by Wendy MacDonald

2. FAST FACTS: On Your Senior Volunteers by Lucy Rose Fishcher and Kay Banister Schaffer

3. Online Volunteer Recruitment

4. Federal Privacy Legislation and the Exchange of Fundraising and Membership Lists

Older adults have the capacity to significantly meet many challenges in society through volunteer involvement. Their experience, skills, varied life roles, discretionary time, diverse interests and varied perspectives all contribute to the rich legacy they create through volunteerism. Ironically, however, Canadians, older than 45 years, are less likely to be part of the volunteer community. Recent research shows that while the rate of volunteerism in Canada declines as people age, those who do volunteer make greater commitments of time. The number of older volunteers in the Canadian population has also risen in the past 10 years and has the potential to increase considerably as the Baby Boomers grow older. It is likely that both the quantity and quality of volunteer roles held by older adults could be enhanced, with significant benefit to the community.

Today's older volunteer may or may not be retired, often has more formal education or diverse experiences than in past generations, and is likely to enjoy better health and live longer. While many seventy year olds continue to work in paid roles, some young people choose early retirement as early as fifty. Many ninety year olds continue to have the desire and capacity to volunteer. Older adults lead extremely varied lives and there is no typical older volunteer profile.

Volunteering by older people has numerous benefits for the volunteer, the individual or organization being assisted, and the community generally. Dr. Neena Chapelle, a University of Victoria gerontologist and researcher, recently completed studies that link the significant impact of volunteering and healthy aging. To fully develop this potential, it is critical to understand what motivates individuals to voluntarily contribute time, skills, and energy. Insight into motivation is key to developing meaningful volunteer roles, recruiting appropriate volunteers and encouraging ongoing commitment. Development of a fair and equitable exchange with a volunteer of any age requires a willingness to design, negotiate and fine tune to meet the needs of all parties. Well designed volunteer programs can play a significant role in enabling older volunteers and the community to forge such relationships.

So what do we know about older volunteers? First we know that each is a unique individual and that age is not a useful indicator of motivation or pattern of involvement. Better clues are: a history of previous volunteer and community involvement, an altruistic personality, involvement in a faith community, cultural traditions that value helping others, good health, and an interest in the cause. The current lifestyle and the era or environment in which the individual grew up, also impact their choices. As new generations of older volunteers mature, these attitudes and influences will change. Demo-graphics may be a useful tool in predicting the unique experiences which shape each generation's attitudes towards giving and volunteering.

While acknowledging individual differences among older volunteers is important, research does illustrate some common motivators. Older people frequently rate the desire to help, a feeling of usefulness, and an affinity for the cause as their primary reasons for volunteering. Unlike younger volunteers, being too busy is not their main reason for not volunteering. Not being asked to volunteer is the most common reason why older people don't volunteer.

Older volunteers are less likely to expect or openly acknowledge tangible benefits or concrete rewards than younger people, and are often less concerned about status. Older volunteers are more likely to be intrinsically motivated with less need for external rewards. Challenge, meaningful roles and success are more critical to them. They respond more positively to volunteer opportunities that benefit family and friends, and volunteer roles that they are personally invited to undertake. They more often volunteer with causes that link to organizations/groups of which they are members. They choose roles that provide clear and demonstrated impact. They are seldom interested in age segregated roles that limit their ability to contribute in diverse ways. New volunteers, who are not motivated by other factors, may respond to volunteering defined as a leisure activity, much the same way golf or travel may provide enjoyment. How can you use this research to develop meaningful roles and recruitment plans for older volunteers?

Like other volunteers, older people are more likely to become involved in roles associated with "high status" initiatives. These activities or roles are described by them as successful, well organized, and resulting in clearly beneficial outcomes. Few older people want their time wasted or are willing to invest in less meaningful activities. They are also more likely to act voluntarily if they recognize a pressing need, if there are few other alternate sources of help, and if there is a strong likelihood that their support will make a direct difference. Connecting older volunteers to the significance of their contribution is important.

Helping them understand the impact of their volunteer efforts is critical and further reinforces the benefits of their volunteer contribution. What strategies do you use to provide older volunteers with feedback about the outcome of their efforts?

While older volunteers do not generally seek or expect tangible benefits from volunteer roles, they are more likely to assess the personal costs and value of their volunteer involvement. If the costs are too high and become barriers, then the cause and satisfaction associated with the volunteer role become unimportant. Organizations that involve older volunteers need to understand what support older individuals require or at minimum predict some of the obstacles that might become insurmountable. Rigid scheduling may limit evening or seasonal volunteer roles. Aging may also present new physical challenges: like decreased energy, poor eyesight, frailty, and decreased health. These challenges can often be accommodated with additional support or amended roles. Creativity in developing home-based opportunities, job shares, or less demanding schedules might be considered.

Organizations are often short sighted in not identifying more diverse roles to fully utilize the capacities of older volunteers. Organizations that view each volunteer's strengths and gifts rather than barriers, is more likely to find ways to reduce the personal costs to valued volunteers. What barriers might exist for older volunteers in your organization? How can you identify these issues more accurately? What can you do to reduce the costs and enhance the value of the volunteer opportunity?

Sustaining ongoing volunteer commitment is less difficult with older adults, however we must recognize that at any age, lifestyle, interests, and capacity to volunteer may change. Older persons may experience major changes in these areas and managers of volunteers should regularly monitor the satisfaction of the volunteer and their ability or desire to fulfill a particular role. Individuals may want more or less challenge, more or less frequent assignments of greater or lesser duration, and new roles related to emerging interests.

Lucy Rose Fischer (1993) describes the thoughts of an older volunteer. "It's not that I have nothing to do, it's that I think I have something to give." As managers of volunteers we must continue to explore motivators and barriers to ensure older adults can share their experiences, skills and perspectives through voluntary activity.

Fischer, Lucy Rose & Schaffer, Kay Banister, Older Volunteers: A Guide to Research and Practice, Sage Publications 1993

Seek out senior volunteers to reach out to other seniors, act as peer counselors, participate in planning programs, and serve as decision-makers, advocates and fundraisers.

3. Online Volunteer Recruitment

4. Federal Privacy Legislation and the Exchange of Fundraising and Membership Lists