Volunteering WA may have found the antidote to decreasing volunteer numbers. Their desire to attract volunteers in their 20s lead them to employ a marketing agency to give the sector a much-needed makeover. They jointly designed a campaign to show young people that it is safe to volunteer in a space that is free from judgement, comparison, and saint-like expectations.
It has been found that people in their 20s tend to see volunteering as a “pious and selfless exercise.” This reputation gives volunteering an intimidating air, while also simultaneously making it seem “daggy” and devoid of reward.
But isn’t Generation Z the “cause-minded generation,” the generation that cares about the state of the world and believes that they can – and will – make a difference… So, where does this apparent lack of interest in volunteering come from? And how do we shake free from the daggy label?
To fill the void in volunteering numbers left by COVID, we need to start looking at, and appealing to, the younger generations. Campaigns such as the one from Volunteering WA, running across Instagram, Spotify, and TikTok, can open an organisation up to a whole new audience.
This article from the ABC encourages us to start looking at volunteering differently. We need to “acknowledge that volunteering isn’t completely selfless, and that’s okay.”