To Volunteer or not to Volunteer

As many AT organizations need volunteers to function and to progress the profession, how are ATs supposed to budget time from a schedule that is already not in our control and is possibly financially limiting?

How do we address these constraints that are limiting our volunteer force?

If you sense that our country has never been more divided, you’re not alone. The U.S. Surgeon General declared that there is an epidemic of loneliness and isolation, with nearly half of American adults experiencing loneliness.

The lack of civility and mutual respect today is the worst many have ever seen, the U.S. is extremely polarized.

The increase in polarization is directly related to a decrease in volunteering. Volunteering brings people together to solve a common problem, whether it’s in their community or on a larger scale. Working side by side with people different than us helps us see each other’s humanity. We feel we’re in the trenches together, with a shared goal of improving our communities. It gives us pride, a sense of accomplishment and an emotional connection.

Despite its benefits, both to communities and individual volunteers, people are volunteering less. Formal volunteering is down seven percentage points, reaching the lowest rate in nearly three decades, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and AmeriCorps.

But why has volunteering plummeted?

“I don’t have enough time and volunteer schedules are too inflexible”

The most common reason for not volunteering is lack of free time (about half of Americans cite this as the main reason), and another common reason is that the volunteer schedules and commitments are too inflexible.

“I don’t have enough information, and most volunteer roles aren’t interesting”

“No one asked me to”

This needs to be a sounding alarm to everyone, not just nonprofits. Volunteers are the backbone of democracy and civil society. Without the belief that we can make a difference, strengthen our communities and solve society's toughest issues, what do we have to work toward and inspire us?

The Decline In Volunteering Is Driving Increased Division (forbes.com)

Three Reasons Why People Don’t Volunteer, and What Can Be Done About It - Stanford Center on Longevity