Who Volunteers?November 2008

Telephone: (020) 7426 8865Email: jonathan.baker@hotmail.co.ukWeb: www.nfpsynergy.net

© nfpSynergy 2

The consumers of your volunteering are changing:

• More older people, less younger people

• More wealth and more leisure time

• More complicated lives in just about every sense e.g. families

• More choices in just about every aspect of their lives

• Increasingly used to being in control of those choices

• Used to instant gratification – e.g. delivery in 24 hours not 28 days

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Age structure of the UK populationNumber of people in each one year age band, 2002 based forecast

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1,000

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85

2004

2024

Age

Thousands

Source: Government Actuary’s Department/nVisionBase: UK

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0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

19

80

19

82

19

84

19

86

19

88

19

90

19

92

19

94

19

96

19

98

20

00

20

02

20

04

20

06

20

08

20

10

Out of home leisure*

In home leisure**

£bn

Source: Consumer Trends/ONS/nVisionBase: UK

Leisure expenditure, in and out of homeAt constant 2001 prices - nVision forecast February 2005 -based projection.

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0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

16-24 actual 25-34 actual35-44 actual 45-54 actual55-64 actual 65+ actual16-24 25-3435-44 45-5455-64 65+

Source: ‘Changing Lives’, nVisionBase: 1000 adults 16+, UK

Mobile phone penetration by ageProportion of adults who own a mobile phone - nVision forecast

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0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

All

Ma

le

Fe

ma

le

16

-24

25

-34

35

-44

45

-54

55

-64

65

+

AB

C1

C2

DE

1983 2004

Source: 'Changing Lives', nVision/Taylor Nelson SofresBase: 1000 adults 16+, UK

The need for new experiences, by gender, age and social gradeProportion who strongly or moderately feel they must satisfy their need for new experiences

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69%

76% 74%71% 73% 75%

83%79%

75% 74% 72% 74% 75%72% 72%

75% 74%74%

19% 18% 20% 20% 21% 19% 18% 18% 16%19% 20% 19% 18% 18% 17%

20% 18%20%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Jan03

May03

Sept03

Jan04

April04

Oct04

Jan05

April05

July05

Oct05

Jan06

May06

Oct06

Feb07

Jun07

Oct07

Feb08

Jun08

Donated

Volunteered

Levels of donating and volunteering2003-2008

Base: 1,000 adults 16+, Britain.

Source: CAM Jun 08, nfpSynergy

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Ways in which the average volunteer gives their time“Was this... ?”

57%60% 59%

63%

52%

62%58% 59%

56%51%

55%51%

55%60%

56%61%

53%

59%

52%

29%

19%

27%22%

31%27% 26%

31%

24% 26%29%

36%33%

30% 32%27%

34%29% 31%

2% 4% 3% 3% 4% 2%7%

3%6% 6%

3% 5% 3%0% 1%

4% 3% 2% 3%

55%

22%

8%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

July 02

Oct 02

Jan 03

May 03

Sep 03

Jan 04

Apr 04

Oct 04

Jan 05

Apr 05

Jul 05

Oct 05

Jan 06

May 06

Oct 06

Feb 07

Jun 07

Oct 07

Feb 08

Jun 08

To a charity or voluntary organisation

Through a role in local commmunity e.g. school governor

To a campaigning organisation or pressure group

Linear (Through a role in local commmunity e.g. schoolgovernor)Linear (To a charity or voluntary organisation)

Linear (Through a role in local commmunity e.g. schoolgovernor)Linear (To a charity or voluntary organisation)

Base: All who volunteered among 1,000 adults 16+, Britain.

Source: CAM Jun 08, nfpSynergy

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Number of days given by the average volunteer“How often did you volunteer…?” Prompted

43%

8%

15%

35%

49%

9%

18%24%

47%

9%15%

28%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Once or twice a week Once every two weeks Once a month Once every threemonths

Oct-07 Feb-08 Jun-07

Base: All who volunteered in past 3 months among 1,000 adults 16+, Britain. Source: CAM Jun 08, nfpSynergy

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16%

13%

19%

22%

17%

13%14%

19%

16%

21%22%

21%

17%

15%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

Total Male Female AB C1 C2 DE

2001 2005 2007

Chart 2: Volunteering by gender and social grade“Have you given time as a volunteer in the last three months, to a charity or other

organisation, or in your local community?” YesBy gender and social grade

Base: 3,000 adults 16+, Britain, 2007Source: Charity Awareness Monitor, nfpSynergy

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16%

12%11%

15%

19%

23%

21%

19%

16%

18% 18%

20%

16%

21%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

Tot

al

16-2

4

25-3

4

35-4

4

45-5

4

55-6

4

65+

2001 2005 2007

Chart 3: Volunteering by age“Have you given time as a volunteer in the last three months, to a charity or other

organisation, or in your local community?” YesBy age

Base: 3,000 adults 16+, Britain, 2007Source: Charity Awareness Monitor, nfpSynergy

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16%

20%

9%

18%20%

10%

30%

14%

19%21%

11%

29%

15%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

Total Donors Non-donors Worshipper Non-worshipper

2001 2005 2007

Chart 4: Volunteering by donors and worshippers“Have you given time as a volunteer in the last three months, to a charity or other organisation, or in your local community?” Yes

By donors and worshippers

Base: 3,000 adults 16+, Britain, 2007Source: Charity Awareness Monitor, nfpSynergy

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Chart 11: Number of days given by the average volunteer“How often did you volunteer…?” Prompted

By gender and social grade

40 3941

37

40

35

49

4042

38

41404042

0

10

20

30

40

50

Total Male Female AB C1 C2 DE

2005 2007

Base: All those who volunteered among 3,000 adults 16+, Britain, 2007Source: Charity Awareness Monitor, nfpSynergy

days

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Chart 12: Number of days given by the average volunteer“How often did you volunteer…?” Prompted

By age

40

48

37

34

39 39

46

41

36 36

4341

45

42

0

10

20

30

40

50

Total 16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+

2005 2007

Base: All those who volunteered among 3,000 adults 16+, Britain, 2007Source: Charity Awareness Monitor, nfpSynergy

days

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Chart 13: Number of days given by the average volunteer“How often did you volunteer…?” Prompted

By givers and worshipers

40 39

43 44

37

40 39

4239

42

0

10

20

30

40

50

Total Donors Non-donors Worshiper Non-worshiper

2005 2007

Base: All those who volunteered among 3,000 adults 16+, Britain, 2007Source: Charity Awareness Monitor, nfpSynergy

days

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Experiences of Volunteering

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14%

1%

5%

4%

1%

2%

2%

3%

19%

11%

3%

9%

24%

15%

7%

25%

26%

26%

29%

34%

38%

44%

44%

51%

55%

72%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Don't know

Timebank

CSV (Community Service Volunteers)

Volunteer centres

Yellow Pages/ Phone Book

WRVS

Local Council

Community Centre

Contact specific charity interested in

Volunteering website

Library

Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)

Charity Shop

Would think of

Most likely to approach

Finding out more about volunteering Below is a list of places that offer information about volunteering in the local community. Please choose: Which of the following would you approach if you were thinking about volunteering? Which of the following sources would you think of as a source for volunteering information?” Prompted

Base: 1,000 adults 16+, Britain. May 2008

Source: Charity Awareness Monitor, nfpSynergy

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Words associated with volunteering

• Most popular word associated with volunteering is doing good for others, followed by making a difference in society, commitment and sense of achievement.

• The top three words associated with volunteering were the same as the those associated with donating money. Charities can be encouraged that satisfaction comes in the top five list of words to describe both donating and volunteering.

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2%

2%

5%

5%

17%

21%

21%

24%

27%

29%

22%

28%

25%

3%

12%

14%

32%

6%

2%

16%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Pride

Loyalty

Friendship

Enjoyment

Fulfilment

Sense of achievement

Satisfaction

Commitment

Making a difference to society

Doing good for others

Main Other

Top 10 Words associated with volunteering“Thinking about a charity you give time to or volunteer for, which is the main word or statement that best describes the way you feel about volunteering for this charity, and which other words or statements also apply?”

Base: All those who volunteer among 1,000 adults 16+, Britain. May 2008

Source: Charity Awareness Monitor, nfpSynergy

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Trends in volunteering

• Trend 1. The rise of the brain volunteer and the demise of the brawn volunteer

• Trend 2. The rise of the cause-driven volunteer and the slow decline of the time-driven volunteer

• Trend 3. The rise of the selfish volunteer

• Trend 4. Volunteering needs to be more like fundraising (and fundraising needs to be more like volunteering)

• Trend 5. Volunteering as a factory for community social capital

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• Trend 6. The rise of young pro-activists and the decline of young volunteers

• Trend 7. We’re loving it – experience-seeking employee volunteers hunt in packs

• Trend 8. From nursery to nursing home: integrating the experience of giving to charity

• Trend 9. The most important idea of all: the productisation of volunteering

Trends in volunteering

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Productisation of fundraising

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Productisation of volunteering?

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How do charities respond to all this?

• Invest in marketing volunteering

• Differentiate your volunteering offers

• Create volunteering ‘products’

• Invest in senior volunteering staff

• Create/Maintain a database of volunteers and communicate with them

• Fundraisers and volunteer managers talk to each other

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The Obama campaign and volunteering

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• Obama benefited enormously from the work of legions of grass-roots organisers who gave heart and soul to his White House bid.

• Obama's successes in the early primaries owed much to the tactics and initiative of field organisers

• Obama has taken social media (sending millions of texts to get people to appear at rallies, and also to make campaign-related announcements) and turned it to his advantage. These media can create snowball effects and do the work for you

• Obama had a strong message with achievable goals

The Obama campaign and volunteering

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“The future is here… it’s just not evenly distributed yet”

William Gibson