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Subject Guide - Involving Baby Boomers in Volunteering
 Aimed primarily at managers of volunteers and not-for-profit organisations, this guide contains a number of resources to assist you to build your knowledge about involving baby boomers in your volunteer program, and improve your volunteering policies and practices. All resources within this guide can be accessed free of charge.
While all sections of the guide are valuable and designed to meet our readers' different needs, we recommend you don't miss Section 4, which can be downloaded as a PDF - Involving Baby Boomers as Volunteers - Take a Closer Look. The aim of this section is to build on the knowledge which already exists in the sector and provide practical advice, making connections across the collection of resources as a whole. Also, keep an eye on Volunteering Australia's e-forums, where issues raised in Section 4 will be put forward for discussion from time to time. Your feedback and reactions on emerging issues will inform the ongoing development of this Subject Guide.
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Help keep this guide current
This guide was last reviewed June 2008. We know there are many other relevant resources available, so please let us know if you have any resources to recommend for inclusion in future editions of this guide. Email us your suggestion or call us on 1800 008 252. Please report any broken links. |
Contents
1: Fast facts - Gain an understanding of the baby boomer generation
2: Strategies for organisations - More in-depth resources which will help you build your skills and knowledge
3: Research findings, reports and journal articles - Extend your understanding of this subject
4: Involving Baby Boomers as Volunteers - Take a Closer Look - Key points managers of volunteers and not-for-profit organisations should consider to successfully involve baby boomers as volunteers
Baby Boomers and Volunteering
There has been much discussion of the ageing population and the baby boomer generation (those born in 1946-1965) and the likely impact they will have on the volunteer sector.
As more baby boomers reach retirement age (the first baby boomers have are now in their 60s), volunteer-involving organisations have an opportunity to tap into this growing demographic by promoting volunteering as a way in which baby boomers can continue to be engaged within their communities and make the transition from paid work to retirement.
Australian research suggests that while baby boomers comprise a diverse range of people, there are some key influences that have shaped this generation. These include the fact that compared to previous generations the baby boomers have:
- accumulated more wealth;
- benefited from advances in health care and know the benefits of physical exercise;
- had access to free education; and
- do not have the same notion of ageing.
These factors all contribute towards the likelihood of baby boomer volunteers wanting more flexible and meaningful volunteer positions. When involving baby boomers in volunteer programs, the volunteer sector needs to consider:
- creating flexible, meaningful volunteer positions;
- acknowledging the skills and life experiences that baby boomers bring;
- understanding the motivations and needs of these prospective volunteers; and
- recognising the differences between these volunteers and older volunteers from previous generations.
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1: Fast facts
Resources that will help you to quickly gain an understanding of the baby boomer generation and give you a good starting point for building your knowledge.
Baby Boomers
This site within the Australian Government's Culture and Recreation Portal provides general information about the baby boomer generation in Australia, and will be particularly useful for people who are unfamiliar with this generation by providing them with a good snapshot of the culture of baby boomers. It explains who baby boomers are in a simple manner and summarises the journey of baby boomers through the decades. Provides useful related links.
Who will find this resource useful:
Anyone who is researching Baby Boomers or societal trends
Volunteer organisations, including coordinators
General public who require a quick overview
Copyright owner/publisher: Australian Government, Culture and Recreation Portal
Australian Bureau of Statistics
Online link to the Australian Bureau of Statistics search page. Type in 'baby boomer' to find reports specific to Queensland, South Australia, Western Australian and Australian social trends as well as other current ABS statistics on baby boomers. The statistics presented are thorough and reliable.
Who will find this resource useful:
Anyone researching Baby Boomers or societal trends
Volunteer organisations, including coordinators
General public who require a quick overview
Copyright owner/publisher: Australian Bureau of Statistics
Marketing Volunteer Opportunities to Baby Boomers: Effective Practices Collection
Based on comments from participants at a workshop on 'Marketing to Baby Boomers: A Blue Print', this resource provides a number of points for volunteer-involving organisations to think about when planning to attract and retain baby boomer volunteers. This resource is produced by an American organisation, and therefore refers to general Western society trends which are usually relevant to Australian trends. It links to many other relevant sites with plenty of information available (some free). It also provides access to online training, resources and publications (requires subscriptions).
Who will find this resource useful:
Senior citizens
Those nearing retirement, and their family members who can refer the site on
Volunteer organisations, coordinators and marketing/promotions managers
Copyright owner/publisher: The Resource Centre: Corporation for National & Community Service
When I am 64. Are you recruiting a whole new generation of volunteers?
Link to online article providing readers with an insight into what baby boomers expect from volunteering. It is a short, simple personal account written in a matter-of-fact tone.
Who will find this resource useful:
Volunteer organisations, including coordinators and recruiters
Seniors
General audience
Copyright owner/publisher: Thomas W. McKee. Listed on World Volunteer Web
Volunteering and Productive Ageing
This online information sheet from the National Seniors Productive Ageing Centre highlights the contribution that older Australians make through volunteering. It is well-researched, has an engaging topic and is clearly laid out with the use of sub-headings. It is based on Australian practices compared to the US and UK. It covers a range of ideas which have been rigorously examined and presented in an accessible way.
Who will find this resource useful:
Researchers
Volunteers of all ages
Volunteer organisations, recruiters, coordinators, and marketing or promotions staff
Seniors
Health practitioners
Copyright owner/publisher: National Seniors Productive Ageing Centre
Top 8 Tips for Working with Baby Boomer Volunteers
This is a concise, easy-to-read online fact sheet with a number of good tips on how to attract baby boomers as volunteers. It will appeal to anyone with limited experience in working with baby boomer volunteers. It includes links to similar resources (articles and web pages) including relevant links to information about the tips that are presented. It supplies practical, creative ideas for involving baby boomers in volunteer experiences. Its links and explanations behind each Tip present useful and practical things to do to attract and retain baby boomers.
Who will find this resource useful:
Retirees
Volunteer organisations, coordinators, marketing/promotional staff
Researchers
Copyright owner/publisher: Joanne Fritz (listed in Nonprofit Charitable Orgs Newsletter)
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2: Strategies for organisations
The resources listed in this section are aimed at providing more in-depth information on the baby boomer generation. The resources will help managers of volunteers and not-for-profit organisations work out some key strategies for successfully involving baby boomers in their volunteering programs.
Attracting Younger Seniors to Volunteer Service
This online article outlines case studies of successful strategies for organisations wanting to connect with potential baby boomer volunteers. While based on an American experience, the hints provided in this resource will still be effective in an Australian context. The resource is American, yet relevant to Australian issues and trends. The ideas about how to prepare your organisation for baby boomers, volunteer roles, marketing and customer service are presented clearly in bullet points, and have the potential to be applied practically. This resource has useful links to tools for developing and implementing marketing/promotional ideas.
Who will find this resource useful:
Volunteer organisations including coordinators, marketing/promotional staff
Researchers
Academics
Copyright owner/publisher: The Resource Centre: Corporation for National & Community Service
Restructuring current volunteer opportunities to appeal to baby boomer volunteers
An academic but short and easy to follow article including links to related practices and topic areas. It presents new ideas regarding how to allow baby boomer volunteers to contribute in a meaningful way without having to commit too much time.
Who will find this resource useful:
Potential/current volunteers
Academics
Researchers
Volunteer organisations including coordinators, marketing/promotional staff
Copyright owner/publisher: Scott Martin, listed at The Resource Centre: Corporation for National & Community Service
Volunteer Connections: New strategies for involving older adults
This resource provides valuable information for organisations which want to learn more about the likely impact the baby boomer generation will have on volunteering, and identifies a number of key issues for organisations to be aware of. While drawing on the Canadian experience, many of the challenges to volunteer-involving organisations and management implications are relevant to Australian practice as Canada and Australia both have an ageing population and will face similar issues. Research is excellent, thorough and in depth. Organisation of ideas is structured in a readable, sequential way.
Who will find this resource useful:
Researchers
Volunteer coordinators and managers
Not for profits
General audience
Copyright owner/publisher: Volunteer Canada
50+ Volunteering: Working for Stronger Communities
This resource looks at volunteers aged 50 and over and gives organisations strategies for strengthening the involvement of older volunteers. Some sections of this resource are specific to the USA (e.g. statistics) but the information still has value to an Australian audience. Focuses on life after retirement as a new chapter of baby boomers' lives. Ideas are energetic and it is easy to follow. It raises thematic strategies such as increasing number of short term projects, job sharing, team volunteering, family volunteering and singles volunteering.
Who will find this resource useful:
Researchers
Volunteer organisations
Volunteers
Seniors
Volunteer coordinators and managers
Copyright owner/publisher: Points of Light Foundation
Booming Recruiting: An Action Research Project
This resource is the final stage of a three-year research project that looked at identifying strategies that would help organisations in Western Australia to recruit volunteers. It has four key sections: (1) goal setting; (2) big picture fundamentals; (3) follow the baby boomers and (4) practical recruiting ideas. The resource provides a list of things that dont work and why which can be interesting and useful when devising policies and processes. It includes a concise list of strategies for recruiting baby boomer volunteers in particular. It is based on input from numerous volunteer organisations which gives it credibility. Plus it is easy to follow and ideas are practical. The first stage of this research BOOMNET: Capturing the Baby Boomer Volunteers and second stage From Boomnet to Boomnot are included in Section 3 of this guide.
Who will find this resource useful:
Volunteer organisations, coordinators and managers
Researchers
HR specialists
Copyright owner/publisher: Volunteering Secretariat, Department of Community Development, Western Australia
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3: Research findings, reports and articles
Research into the baby boomer generation and the likely impact they will have on volunteering is a growing area. While many of the resources listed in this section have been sourced from overseas, the findings are in keeping with Australian research that has been carried out.
As new research resources are identified, they will be added to this section.
The changing face of volunteering
M. Allison in Australian Journal on Volunteering, vol. 7 no. 1, 2002, pp. 19-20
This article highlights some key findings from a research report commissioned by the Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care (DADHC) which focused on older people and how volunteering will fit into the lives of baby boomers. It provides a good summary of the anticipated expectations of the baby boomer generation, including the likelihood that baby boomers will be seeking fulfilling experiences in which they can employ their existing skills. The full research report Older People and Volunteering is also included in this guide (below).
Who will find this resource useful:
Volunteer coordinators and managers
Researchers
Copyright owner/publisher: Volunteering Australia
The contemporary challenges of volunteering in an ageing Australia
J. Warburton and S. Cordingley in Australian Journal on Volunteering, vol. 9 no. 2, 2004, pp. 67-74
Written from a relatively accessible academic perspective, this article considers the challenges that not-for-profit organisations can expect to face when dealing with an ageing population and the impact this is likely to have on the volunteer sector. It raises a number of issues for organisations to consider in making their volunteer programs accessible to and inclusive of older volunteers. It will be of interest to those who wish to gain an understanding of the changing volunteer environment. The article highlights that it is important not to make assumptions based on age, arguaing plder people deserve to have more time allocated towards them for training, etc as they are likely to stay longer. It argues that baby boomers are therefore a good social and economic investment
Who will find this resource useful:
Academics
Researchers
Volunteer organisations, coordinators and managers
Government departments
Copyright owner/publisher: Volunteering Australia
Economic implications of an ageing Australia - submission response
This submission to the Productivity Commission outlines the impact of an ageing population on volunteering. The major themes discussed include the volunteering sector's experience of working with older volunteers, the relationship between employment and volunteering, and the characteristics of the baby boomer cohort.
Who will find this resource useful:
Academics
Researchers
Volunteer organisations, coordinators and managers
Government departments
Copyright owner/publisher: Volunteering Australia
Boomnet - Capturing the baby boomer volunteers: a 2001 research project into baby boomers and volunteering
This 2001 research into baby boomers and volunteering highlighted seven strategic focus areas for organisations and are presented in the report under the acronym BOOMNET (i.e. Boomers, Organised, Openness, Meaningful, Needs, Education, Time). This thorough research aims to identify the 'motivators and barriers' for baby boomers to include volunteering in their plans for later years; and develop strategies to recruit and support baby boomers as volunteers in urban and rural/remote areas, both now and in later years when they retire or change their work practices. It is easily digestible with a good structure and includes direct quotations from volunteers in focus groups.
Who will find this resource useful:
Volunteer organisations
Volunteer managers and coordinators
Researchers
Copyright owner/publisher: Department of the Premier and Cabinet, Western Australia
From Boomnet to Boomnot - Part Two of a research project on baby boomers and volunteering
This resource reports the findings of Part Two of this research project examining baby boomers and volunteering. This thorough research was undertaken in Western Australia, but the resource will be valuable for managers of volunteers across Australia. It presents interesting trends through analysis of a large sample of volunteers, organisations and volunteer coordinators/managers. It had the following three key research objectives:
- to identify organisations in the community that utilised volunteers who had thought of specifically targeting baby boomers to recruit as volunteers
- to identify organisations in the community who had put into action recruitment methods specifically targeting baby boomers as volunteers
- to examine the recruitment methods of organisations in targeting volunteers in general.
Who will find this resource useful:
Volunteer organisations
Volunteer managers and coordinators
Researchers
Copyright owner/publisher: Department for Community Development, Volunteering Secretariat
Volunteering and Senior Victorians: It is a real choice!
This resource focuses on the outcomes of a study of older volunteers from regional Victoria and suburban Melbourne. It looks at the motivations of senior Victorians and the challenges and issues faced by organisations. Of particular interest to managers of volunteers will be the comments on volunteering from participants of the baby boomer roundtable. Some quotations from volunteers have been included this gives a personal account which is very valuable.
Who will find this resource useful:
Volunteer organisations
Volunteer managers and coordinators
Copyright owner/publisher: Ministerial Advisory Council of Senior Victorians
Baby Boomers and Retirement: Dreams, fears and anxieties
This executive summary looks at new research exploring baby boomers' attitudes towards retirement. It offers an excellent overview of what drives baby boomers as they approach retirement, and is a good background for anyone wanting to understand this large segment of the Australian population. It focuses on baby boomers anxieties in terms of financial survival in their senior years, i.e. needing to work longer before retirement. It therefore dispels myths about baby boomers fanacial situation. The full report can be purchased from The Australia Institute (www.tai.org.au)
Who will find this resource useful:
General audience
Social commentators
Copyright owner/publisher: Mary and Clive Hamilton/The Australia Institute
Reinventing Aging: Baby Boomers and Civic Engagement
This report recommends a number of key actions for volunteer-involving organisations to consider that will help them reach the baby boomer demographic and recruit them as volunteers. Although based on research into the American baby boomers, the report findings are applicable to an Australian audience. Managers of volunteers may find the Chapter 4: 'The Outlook for Volunteering' and Chapter 8: 'Next Steps' as well as the 'Highlights' section at the front particularly helpful. It frames a new broad vision of ageing, making comparisons between the baby boomer generation and generation before it (the builders) which presents clearly contrasting values and needs.
Who will find this resource useful:
Volunteer organisations
Volunteer coordinators and managers
Researchers
Seniors
General audience
Copyright owner/publisher: President and Fellows of Harvard College/Harvard School of Public Health-MetLife Foundation
The Skilled Volunteer: Summary of Environment Scan
This resource recognises the potential that baby boomers have to bring value to their communities, specifically as skilled volunteers. While ongoing work in this area is being undertaken by Nonprofit Australia, this resource provides a good snapshot of the not-for-profit sector's current capacity to involve skilled volunteers, and highlights some challenges the sector needs to meet in order to benefit from incorporating skilled volunteers into their programs. It investigates strategies such as utilising volunteering as a career transition platform, developing matching and placement services for volunteers and NFPs, building HR capacity for NFPs. Looks at numerous volunteer services and what they provide for potential volunteers and volunteer organisations.
Who will find this resource useful:
Volunteer organisations, Not for Profits
Copyright owner/publisher: Nonprofit Australia
Older People and Volunteering
This resource reports on research on older people and volunteering which was undertaken by Heartbeat Trends for the 2001 Premiers Forum on Ageing (NSW). The research looked at how the baby boomer generation might influence and be involved in volunteering. The report includes a number of strategic recommendations for the recruitment of older/baby boomer volunteers. The key objectives of the research included:
- to gain an in-depth understanding of older people's attitudes to retirement and volunteering;
- to identify key policy implications and strategies to promote volunteering for future generations of older people;
- to explore barriers to volunteering and how these could be overcome.
Who will find this resource useful:
Volunteer organisations
Volunteer coordinators and managers
Researchers
Copyright owner/publisher: NSW Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care
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If you are interested in further reading on this subject or perhaps conducting or participating in research yourself, Volunteering Australia offers two services which may interest you.
The Australian Volunteering Library Network (AVALON) is a network of libraries across Australia specialising in resources on volunteering. Current members of the network are: Volunteering Australia, Volunteering Australia Darwin Resource Centre, Volunteering NSW, Volunteering QLD, Volunteering SA, Volunteering TAS and Volunteering VIC. To view the online library catalogue, click here.
To find out about current research projects and emerging trends, and to make contact with researchers on volunteering, visit our researchers' database. The database can be searched by state, sector, research theme and demographics.
Volunteering Australia would like to thank all organisations and authors who have given us permission to include their resources free of charge in this Subject Guide. We also acknowledge and thank members of the original reference group who contributed to the reviewing and evaluating of materials for this guide: Lisa Baker, Lesley Turner, Margaret Wass and Kylee Bates.
A special thanks goes to Sarah Tabuteau, Project Officer - Volunteer Strategy, Australian Red Cross for providing detailed assistance in the 2008 review of these materials.
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