Photo: Heather Montgomery (Volunteer Canada) and Ester Forcolin (Red Cross Amsterdam)

That was the topic of the latest digital event hosted by the Canadian Postcode Lottery Foundation and the Ontario Charitable Gaming Association (OCGA). More than 200 charity representatives registered to take part in the event and hear experts from the charity sector share their valuable insights into how to support volunteers and keep them engaged.

Those taking part heard how today’s volunteers have very different expectations to those who volunteered decades ago, and that charities must be more creative when working to expand their network of helpers.

'Convenience is Key'
Heather Montgomery, Vice President, Membership and Engagement with Volunteer Canada, said: “In this day and age, convenience is key.

“People want volunteering to fit their lives. They may prefer short-term or more project based opportunities, rather than year-long commitments.

“To stem burnout and revitalize participation, volunteering must be made more accessible, flexible and rewarding for the volunteer.

“We need to connect with volunteers on a deeply personal level and maintain that connection across the volunteer life cycle.”

Volunteer Shortage
The online conference was told Canada faces a significant volunteer shortage and many vital community programmes are being scaled back as a result.

The charity representatives were advised they need to consider ‘what makes volunteers tick’ - with the number one reason people volunteer most commonly given as a desire to contribute positively to their community.

They were told that while volunteering can be a great way for people to bring people together and build new friendships, it was also now an activity many friends and even work colleagues liked to do together.

Heather added: “Young people today often want to volunteer with friends, so rather than recruiting one volunteer at a time, consider recruiting a group of volunteers.

“Think about where you are promoting volunteer opportunities - consider local faith groups or cultural associations, local sports teams, or partnering with workplaces and schools within the vicinity of your organisation.”

Changing Landscape
The conference heard more businesses were providing opportunities for their staff to volunteer with charities during work time - and that 30 percent of volunteers now receive their introduction to volunteering as a result of workplace initiatives.

Ester Forcolin, Volunteer Coordinator with Red Cross Amsterdam, said: “The landscape of volunteering is changing. People who volunteer have full lives and are very careful with the free time they do have.

“But the willingness to help is there.”

Postcode Lottery Group
The online session was opened by Judith Lingeman, International Affairs Director at Postcode Lottery Group, which currently operates six charity lotteries across five countries - raising more than one billion dollars for charities and community initiatives last year alone.

She said: “This fourth session in our webinar series with the OCGA was about how we can help volunteers remain happy, healthy and engaged.

“Volunteers really are the backbone of the charitable sector. They make it possible to reach more people and so have a bigger impact on our communities.

“We are excited that we will be bringing our community model lottery to Ontario very soon.

“In the meantime, the Canadian Postcode Lottery Foundation will continue to focus on strengthening the charitable sector through initiatives like these educational sessions.”

You can watch the session here:

Keeping Volunteers Engaged in a Changing World

Volunteers are the backbone of any charity, but how can organisations keep them motivated and avoid volunteer burnout?