THE VOLUNTEER
CHALLENGE
Communicating & Engaging Multiple Generations
What Is A Volunteer?
Definition:
An individual
with varying
degrees of
knowledge and
skill that goes to
the University of
Tennessee and
plays for an
athletic team.
What Is A Volunteer – Really?
Volunteers provide work,
services, expertise, etc. without
expectations of receiving
financial compensation.
Why Volunteer?
Volunteers gain:
•Skill in working with people
•Ability to organize, make decisions &
solve problems
•Contacts
•More effective in their work
Why Volunteer?
Volunteers gain:
•Satisfaction from helping others
•Increased self-esteem
•Friendships formed
•New interests
•Confidence
•jobs
VOLUNTEERING IN THE U.S.*
26.3% Americans volunteer
62.8 million volunteers – Total Number of volunteers
8.1 billion hours – Annual hours volunteered
*www.volunteeringinamerica.gov,
2010
VOLUNTEERING IN THE U.S.
$173 billion – Total dollar value of volunteer time*
$21.79 – Estimated hourly value of time**
2.3 Billion hours volunteered from Generation X*
(110 million hour increase over 2009)
*www.volunteeringinamerica.gov, 2010
**www.independentsector.org, 2011
VOLUNTEERING IN THE US – 2001*
71% - Percentage of adults who volunteered
when asked
29% - Percentage of adults who volunteered
who had not been asked
*Study
conducted by Independent Sector
COMMUNICATING
WITH ALL GENERATIONS
A NOTE OF CAUTION:
“. . . people are individuals and while
it is sometimes efficient for experts to
place people into generational groups
for analysis, in the end, even with
certain common traits and behaviors,
individuals must be judged on their
own merits.”
Source: Smith, J. W. & Clurman, A. (1997)
Rocking the Ages. Harper Business.
VETERANS (1922-1945)
In 2012: 67– 90, also known as: Matures, Seniors, Silent
Generation, Builders, GI Generation
Defining
Events:
Veterans
•The Great Depression & Dust Bowl
•The New Deal
•Social Security Established
•Golden Age of Radio
•Pearl Harbor Attacked
•WWII and Korean War
•Rise of Labor Unions
The New Deal
The Great
Depression
The Duke and Duchess of York (1923)
VETERANS WORKING & VOLUNTEERING
Asset:
 Stable
 Detail oriented
 Work experience
 Loyal
 Customer Service
 Altruistic
Limitations:
 Uncomfortable with
ambiguity & change
 Reluctant to buck the
system
 Uncomfortable with
conflict
 “We’ve always done it
that way” response
HOW THEIR TIMES SHAPED VETERANS

They expect and deliver no-nonsense
performance. They define the workplace based on
military hierarchy. Respect for authority with clear
privileges is given to each level in the organization.

One in ten has a PC at home. Less than one in ten
watches videos regularly. They read the
newspaper daily and watch the nightly news. They
want to work in an atmosphere with a personal
touch – letters and handwritten notes, not voice
mail & e-mails.
THE BABY BOOMERS (1946-1964)
In 2012: 48 – 66, Also known as: Boomers
Defining
Events:
Boomers
•Economic Prosperity
•Expansion of Suburbia
•Focus on Children
•Television
•Vietnam
•Assassinations
•Civil Rights Movement
•Cold War/McCarthy Hearings
•Space Race/Moon Landing
REMEMBER THIS?
Cuban Missile Crisis
Vietnam War Memorial
BOOMERS WORKING & VOLUNTEERING
Assets:
 Service oriented
 Driven/dedicated
 Willing to “go the extra
mile”
 Good at relationships
 Want to please
 Good team players
Limitations:
 Not naturally “budget
minded”
 Uncomfortable with
conflict
 Put process ahead of
results
 Sensitive to feedback
 Judgmental of those who
see things differently
HOW THEIR TIMES SHAPED BOOMERS

Because there are so many of them, they’ve set
the trends for four decades. In the ‘70’s,
upscale bars & tennis were all the rage; in the
‘80’s it was BMW’s and Ben & Jerry’s; in the
‘90’s, cholesterol blockers & car-pools; in the
2000’s tummy tucks, Viagra and second homes.
HOW THEIR TIMES SHAPED BOOMERS

They were the first generation graded on their
report cards for “works well with others” and
“shares materials with classmates.” They’ve
taken that orientation to work where they’ve
promoted team concepts like quality circles,
consensus and participative management. As
a generation, they’ve used work as a means to
prove their worthiness, driving the length of the
average work week up and up. They are often
workaholics.
GENERATION X (1965-1980)
In 2012: 32– 47, also known as: X’ers, Gen X’ers,
Busters, Twenty-somethings
Defining
Events:
Gen
X’ers
•Watergate, Nixon resigns
•Challenger Disaster
•Computers
•Single-parent homes
•Latchkey Kids
•MTV
•AIDS
•Downsizing
AIDS
Latchkey Kids
Fall of the Berlin
Wall, November
1989
Cabbage Patch Kids
E. T.
Did you buy one
of these?
Sesame Street
GEN X WORKING & VOLUNTEERING
Assets:
 Adaptable/flexible
 Techno-literate
 Independent
 Not intimidated by
authority
 Creative
Limitations:
 Impatient
 Poor people skills
 Inexperienced
 Cynical
HOW THEIR TIMES SHAPED GEN X

The oldest were 13 when President Nixon
resigned. Many counseled a parent through an
ugly divorce. See themselves as an equal
player to ALL ages. Rank & status alone don’t
command respect.
HOW THEIR TIMES SHAPED GEN X

They watched parents and neighbors laid off in
the eighties. They don’t have much faith in
institutions. They think of themselves as free
agents, believing they will earn job security by
improving their own skills. They are far less
attracted to leadership positions than any other
generation. Promotion is not their goal.
THE MILLENNIAL’ S (1980-2002)
In 2012: 10– 32, also called: Generation Y’s, Nexters,
Nintendo Generation, Internet Generation, Bridgers
Defining
Events:
Millennials
•Technology
•Economic growth and now decline
•Instant - everything
•9-11
•Oklahoma bombings
•School shootings – Kids shooting kids
•Globalization
•Death of Princess Diana
Headline: Recession fears batter markets
Dow down 300 - off morning's worst levels as global selloff accelerates.
War in
Iraq/Afghanistan
911
Oklahoma City
bombing killed
168. Timothy
McVeigh was
executed June
2001 for his role
in the bombing.
Television
Single Parents
Team Players
Connected Wirelessly
MILLENNIAL’ S WORKING & VOLUNTEERING
Assets:
 Loyalty
 Optimism tempered
with realism
 Tolerant
 Multi-tasking
 Technological savvy
Limitations:
 Need for supervision &
structure
 Inexperience, particularly
with handling different
people issues
 Customer service levels
are low
HOW THEIR TIMES SHAPED MILLENNIAL'S
E-mail, cell phones and text messaging are this
generations’ communication mediums. They
are the generation least adept with direct
personal communication.
 They’re young. They don’t know everything so
they ask a lot of questions. Seeking
information is their skill. Seek immediate
responses and immediate feedback on their
performance.

G E M S
GEMS Model of Volunteer Management:
•
•
•
•
Generate
Educate
Mobilize
Sustain
GENERATE:
 Needs
Assessment
 Position Description
 Identify
 Recruit
 Screen
 Select
GENERATE: NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Determining what volunteer
jobs need to be done.
A “big picture” look at the
organization
WHERE DO PEOPLE VOLUNTEER IN
NARFE?
Divide into groups
Make a list of as many volunteer roles in
NARFE as you can in two minutes.
GENERATE: POSITION DESCRIPTION
Written explanation of the volunteer’s position and role.
Include:
•Position Title
•Time Commitment
•Location
•General Purpose
•Specific Responsibilities
•Support Provided
•Contact Person/Supervisor
GENERATE: IDENTIFY
Develop a list of individuals to
contact for volunteer service.
• Look for “non-traditional”
volunteers
• Consider generational
differences
GENERATE: RECRUIT
Actively search for new volunteers:
•Master list (printed) for all volunteer
jobs
•Current volunteers
•Personal contacts:
•face to face
•“no” – ask again
•don’t over-recruit
GENERATE: SCREEN
Potential volunteer is
interviewed – get to
know them.
GENERATE: SELECT
Place
individuals
in the
most
suitable
volunteer
positions.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Match:
Talent
Knowledge
Skills
Experience
Goals
EDUCATE:
 Orient
 Protect
 Resources
 Teach
EDUCATE: ORIENT
Begin at the beginning. Include topics about:
• History, mission, values, etc. of the organization
• Past and current programs and projects
• Procedures
• Policies
• Standards
• General expectations
• The “why’s”
EDUCATE: PROTECT
Inform volunteers about
risk management
strategies and liability
issues.
•Child Protection
•Behavioral Standards
•Conflict Resolution
•Confidentiality Issues
•Financial Management
EDUCATE: RESOURCES
Provide
volunteers •Clerical support
with the
•Curriculum
resources
necessary to •Financial resources
do their job:
EDUCATE: TEACH
Provide the knowledge and skills
needed to fulfill their volunteer role.
Resources with subject matter which
focuses on program.
MOBILIZE:
Engage
 Motivate
 Supervise

MOBILIZE: ENGAGE
Allow volunteers to
carry out the task or
activity they have
been selected to
perform.
MOBILIZE: MOTIVATE
Create an environment which helps
individuals or groups satisfy needs
or achieve goals.
• Motives for beginning, continuing
and discontinuing will be
different
MESSAGES THAT MOTIVATE: VETERANS
“Your experience is respected here.”
“It’s important for the rest of us to hear what
has, and hasn’t worked in the past.”
“Your perseverance is valued and will be
rewarded.”
MESSAGES THAT MOTIVATE: BOOMERS
“You are important to our success.”
“Your unique contributions will be
recognized and rewarded.”
“What is your vision for this project?”
MESSAGES THAT MOTIVATE: GEN X’ERS
“Do it your way.”
“We’ve got the newest technology.”
“There aren’t a lot of rules here.”
“We’re not very corporate.”
MESSAGES THAT MOTIVATE: MILLENNIAL' S
“We provide equal opportunities here.”
“Your mentor is in his/her sixties.”
“You are making a positive difference to
our company/organization.”
You handled that situation well.”
MOBILIZE: SUPERVISE
Assisting
volunteers
to
function
at their
best.
•On-going
•Continuous
SUSTAIN:





Evaluate
Recognize
Redirect
Retain
Disengage