Trends in Volunteerism, 2025

Spring is just around the corner and it’s a perfect time to take a fresh look at what’s trending in the field of volunteerism and how Neighborly is responding. To understand how we got to today’s trends, it’s important to look to the past as it clearly impacted how we got to where we are today in a very significant way.

During the pandemic years, people in the US continued to demonstrate a willingness to serve, but in a much different, and lesser, capacity. Yes, rates declined and many nonprofits felt that pain. Many are still feeling those impacts. While online volunteering is not anything new, those eager to be of service while in the comfort of their homes took a stronghold and virtual volunteering became the trend du jour. And while this trend continues today, for us at Neighborly, virtual volunteering doesn’t get seniors transportation to much needed medical appointments or pharmacies, nor can >meals be delivered to homebound seniors in this way.

We also learned that today’s volunteers require greater flexibility with the opportunities they choose to take on, and fewer people are able to make a weekly commitment of even just a couple of hours. This is why virtual appeals to them – they can do it on their time and their schedule. They.Are.Busy! Some additional trends include increased efforts to be more inclusive, and a rise in social/corporate volunteerism. Some companies have discovered that in today’s job market, applicants look for companies that provide opportunities to give back, and employers see volunteerism as a retention tactic. Skills-based volunteering (think business acumen for board leadership roles or marketing expertise for social media posts) is also trending.

So, with what we know, how is Neighborly pivoting?
The aforementioned trends create some unique obstacles, yet there are opportunities there as well. And while there are no true virtual volunteering opportunities at Neighborly, the tactic we’re taking is to explore a virtual volunteer orientation option. Historically we have only offered in-person orientations in a central part of the county. The reason for the delay in transitioning to this approach is due to funder requirements – virtual orientations make meeting those requirements difficult. Instead of looking at the barriers, we asked, “How could we work within those parameters, but still offer a virtual option?” Technology would be our best friend in this effort: from meeting platforms, sharing screens, providing documents that could be electronically signed, to a way to automatically ping those who had not followed through. While we can’t change the way service is performed (in-person), we can make it easier to volunteer. Once a volunteer has completed orientation, they serve in their own community.

Recruitment has also veered sharply away from traditional methods, and more and more volunteers are engaged as a result of compelling social media content. Gone are the days of running ads in newspapers and rarely do we see a speaking engagement produce new volunteers. This is good news because social media allows for a much more targeted approach: reach the right people at the right time at the right place.

Reaching diverse audiences as prospective volunteers was explored as well. Neighborly already enjoys a diverse volunteer base but we knew we had the potential to reach even more people. From sending messaging to neighborhood newspapers, to posting flyers at community centers and churches in those communities, these old school methods proved to reach some people “where they’re at.”

To appeal to those focused on social responsibility service, Neighborly’s Meals on Wheels program has an adopt-a-route program where we work with employers or churches who refer employees and members to us. For Meals on Wheels delivery, members or employees rotate through to ensure the route is covered each week. In this way, the responsibility is shared among a larger pool of people. It’s a win-win-win as seniors get the food they need, employees get the reward of impactful service, and church members fulfill their spiritual calling to feed the hungry.

Keeping pace with trends in volunteerism is paramount as things continue to change quickly. Keeping an eye on nascent approaches and looking for ways to remain flexible and responsive are key.

At Neighborly, Caring is at the Center of All We Do.