Volunteering Sets Millennials Apart

“I ‘do’ citizenship by actually getting out and physically doing things. I do not have money to throw at public concerns and endeavors so I get involved personally. Most people my age (29) and younger think they are ‘doing’ things simply by being involved digitally. While a digital presence is important to any endeavor now, manpower (or womanpower) is what gets things done not sitting at home talking (read: bitching) about it.”

 -Anonymous Millennial Respondent

About a quarter of Americans volunteer in their communities. Marriage and religiosity often most strongly correlate to volunteerism, but Millennials are volunteering at high rates despite these trends (Flanagan and Levine, 2013). Many are volunteering in high school, as they are encouraged or required to do so, and even

more are volunteering in college. According to Deloitte’s Millennial survey (2014), 43% of respondents volunteered or were members of a community organization.

Once Millennials form relationships with the organizations they serve, they tend to become donors. According to Achieve’s Millennial Impact Report (2012), 70% of Millennials said they have raised money for a cause or organization. The highest priority for the Millennials surveyed was knowing their volunteer work would have a real impact. Forty-eight percent expressed that they wanted to use their education and skills, and 45% wanted to work with a group to develop a strategy for organizational growth. Finally, of those volunteering, 77% said they were either in or desired to be in a leadership position. Of those not in leadership, 40% had never been asked to service on a Board of Directors (Achieve, 2012). It is important for organizations to include Millennials at all levels of leadership, and implementing a millennial Director recruitment strategy is a good place to start.

Social capital is playing a role in the types of organizations Millennials chose to serve through volunteering, as 81% of volunteers wants to learn about opportunities from word of mouth. When Millennials volunteer to raise money for organizations, they are most likely to tap their network of family and friends first (Achieve, 2012).

My informal survey produced many insights into Millennial volunteering. The following is what some of my respondents had to say:

“I [have] volunteered weekly for over two years. I started to become more involved in my community; I continue because I feel responsible for creating the world I want to live in.” 

“Doing hands on work with my brothers and being able to physically see the impact our work was having. It's the most rewarding experience you can have." 

“[I was motivated to volunteer by] a blend of enjoyment of giving back, anger at the current state of things, and an urge to be more social and personally motivated.” 

“I knew that the people I was serving were unable to help themselves and needed assistance to utilize opportunities. I also know Christ called me to serve others and love on them, and I want to be a genuine representative of that.”

As these responses show, there are numerous reasons why people choose to volunteer. Organizations that can provide a sense of purpose to their volunteers, as well as encouraging them to flex their mental muscles, will likely enjoy great Millennial enthusiasm.