Volunteer management means being aware of the societal trends in volunteering, volunteer recruitment and volunteer recognition.
If you understand the societal trends that are happening around you, then you will see the future of volunteering.
7 TRENDS INTO THE FUTURE In volunteer management, your ability to respond to these trends will increase the long-term success of your volunteer recruitment, retention and volunteer recognition efforts.
We have studied 100s of these trends, so let's share with you 7 of the most important trends impacting on the future of volunteering.
TREND 1 - RAPIDLY CHANGING SOCIAL STRUCTURES Our concept of the family structure is rapidly changing.
More than ever before there are more blended and step-families, single parent families and families with same-sex parents.
Couples are also delaying childbirth or not having children at all.
Other people are remaining single and living alone.
These varying family structures open up opportunities to capture a whole range of new recruits.
TREND 2 - WORK PATTERNS ARE CHANGING You may not know it, but only one-third of the workforce still work 9 to 5 from Monday through to Friday.
There are more part-time and casual workers, more home-based businesses and more women in the workforce than ever before.
A job for life is a thing of the past and most people will change their careers many times throughout their working lives.
It is time to think about how these changes in the working world can help you in the volunteering world.
TREND 3 - TRANSFORMING BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS You would have heard the buzz words in the corporate world of triple bottom line.
This is all about companies reviewing their performances beyond profits to their environmental and community contributions.
Further, customers are making choices to support businesses that are more socially and environmentally responsible.
What exciting opportunities have now arrived for the voluntary sector to form community based partnerships with the business world.
TREND 4 - THE POWER OF THE BABY BOOMERS Because of their sheer numbers and size, the Baby Boomers are the most dominant population group.
They will reshape and redefine volunteering.
If you keep an eye on what the baby boomers do, you will know how volunteer management, recognition and recruitment will change in the future.
TREND 5 - LITIGIOUS CONCERNS As society becomes even more litigious, the litigation threat can deter potential recruits who are concerned about being sued.
Make sure that there is appropriate insurance cover and reassure volunteers that they are covered under your personal accident, public liability and professional indemnity policies.
TREND 6 - TECHNOLOGY IS RAPIDLY CHANGING On a daily basis, even more people are using the internet to choose their volunteering opportunities.
If you are not on the web, then potential recruits are passing you by.
Besides surfing for volunteering roles, more people are using technology to carry out volunteer work online.
The range of online volunteering opportunities is only limited by your own imagination and will continue to expand in the future.
TREND 7 - THE DISAPPEARANCE OF TIME We used to believe that technology would give us greater leisure time, less stress and a more relaxed lifestyle.
But the opposite has happened.
With the internet, emails and mobile phones we are now instantly contactable.
People are time poor.
They do not have enough time to spend with their families, let alone undertake any voluntary work.
Organizations and groups must learn to provide volunteering opportunities that allow people to feel time enriched not time poor.
YOUR AHEAD OF THE REST WHEN YOU SEE THE FUTURE Responding to these 7 important trends will ensure you more success in your volunteer recruitment, retention and volunteer recognition efforts.
You will also be way ahead of many others involved in volunteer management.
If you understand the societal trends that are happening around you, then you will see the future of volunteering.
7 TRENDS INTO THE FUTURE In volunteer management, your ability to respond to these trends will increase the long-term success of your volunteer recruitment, retention and volunteer recognition efforts.
We have studied 100s of these trends, so let's share with you 7 of the most important trends impacting on the future of volunteering.
TREND 1 - RAPIDLY CHANGING SOCIAL STRUCTURES Our concept of the family structure is rapidly changing.
More than ever before there are more blended and step-families, single parent families and families with same-sex parents.
Couples are also delaying childbirth or not having children at all.
Other people are remaining single and living alone.
These varying family structures open up opportunities to capture a whole range of new recruits.
TREND 2 - WORK PATTERNS ARE CHANGING You may not know it, but only one-third of the workforce still work 9 to 5 from Monday through to Friday.
There are more part-time and casual workers, more home-based businesses and more women in the workforce than ever before.
A job for life is a thing of the past and most people will change their careers many times throughout their working lives.
It is time to think about how these changes in the working world can help you in the volunteering world.
TREND 3 - TRANSFORMING BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS You would have heard the buzz words in the corporate world of triple bottom line.
This is all about companies reviewing their performances beyond profits to their environmental and community contributions.
Further, customers are making choices to support businesses that are more socially and environmentally responsible.
What exciting opportunities have now arrived for the voluntary sector to form community based partnerships with the business world.
TREND 4 - THE POWER OF THE BABY BOOMERS Because of their sheer numbers and size, the Baby Boomers are the most dominant population group.
They will reshape and redefine volunteering.
If you keep an eye on what the baby boomers do, you will know how volunteer management, recognition and recruitment will change in the future.
TREND 5 - LITIGIOUS CONCERNS As society becomes even more litigious, the litigation threat can deter potential recruits who are concerned about being sued.
Make sure that there is appropriate insurance cover and reassure volunteers that they are covered under your personal accident, public liability and professional indemnity policies.
TREND 6 - TECHNOLOGY IS RAPIDLY CHANGING On a daily basis, even more people are using the internet to choose their volunteering opportunities.
If you are not on the web, then potential recruits are passing you by.
Besides surfing for volunteering roles, more people are using technology to carry out volunteer work online.
The range of online volunteering opportunities is only limited by your own imagination and will continue to expand in the future.
TREND 7 - THE DISAPPEARANCE OF TIME We used to believe that technology would give us greater leisure time, less stress and a more relaxed lifestyle.
But the opposite has happened.
With the internet, emails and mobile phones we are now instantly contactable.
People are time poor.
They do not have enough time to spend with their families, let alone undertake any voluntary work.
Organizations and groups must learn to provide volunteering opportunities that allow people to feel time enriched not time poor.
YOUR AHEAD OF THE REST WHEN YOU SEE THE FUTURE Responding to these 7 important trends will ensure you more success in your volunteer recruitment, retention and volunteer recognition efforts.
You will also be way ahead of many others involved in volunteer management.
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