If you have ever made a pledge to "get physically fit," you know that finding an hour or more each day to go to the gym is one of the biggest excuses for not exercising. Fitness advocates know that once you get in the habit, finding the time becomes easier. But, getting started is hard and the mere thought of an hour a day can seem daunting. Besides, we know it really takes more than an hour when we include travel time, changing clothes, etc.
Fitness chains are developing a new approach. Got 30 minutes? Gyms are now promoting 30-minute exercise classes that are usually simpler and easier to learn. Slogans such as "Strong in 10 Minutes," "30 Minute Workout," and "Xpress Workout" are replacing the traditional 30 minute cardio class followed by 30 minutes of weight conditioning.
Consider the implications for volunteerism. For years, surveys have reported that potential volunteers consistently talk about having limited time to devote to volunteerism. Yet very few organizations have truly embraced new approaches for short-term, time intensive, volunteer engagement. Episodic volunteerism has grown, but even this usually involves a longer commitment once or twice a year, such as working at a fund raising event for a three or four hour shift each year. Even Make a Difference Day is designed for several hours of service on a single day. If these are the models we are offering for short-term involvement is it any wonder people still say, "I can't devote that much time." Ask them what they mean by "that much time" and often they reply: "2-3 hours." So let's take a cue from the fitness centers and design the 30-minute volunteer assignment or the 30-minute volunteer fitness program that you can fit into your schedule three days a week.
Before you totally dismiss this idea by saying one cannot make a significant volunteer contribution with 30 minutes a day, let's explore the concept a little further. Can a volunteer do proofreading for 30 minutes a day? Can a volunteer stop by your office on the way home from work to pick up something to be delivered or mailed? Are you interested in a volunteer courier service built around the volunteer's schedule and commute? What about a volunteer to post upcoming events or volunteer positions to an internal corporate web site? Or a volunteer to keep in touch with other volunteers with a phone call once a week or an email exchange once a day? Can committee work and meetings be done via email or a chat room?
Please understand that I am not suggesting "simple" or "menial" volunteer assignments. I believe volunteers want to do, can do, and should do significant work. I think we have a serious responsibility to be creative and energetic in designing volunteer assignments that are respectful of the skills volunteers bring to us. I believe we value volunteers by offering meaningful work that meets their requirements as well as the needs of the organization. Where does it say that meaningful work only happens in 3-4 hour blocks of time? Perhaps we need to engage in real "out of the box" thinking about how to divide assignments into smaller segments without "dumbing down" the work itself. I am not advocating for "simple" volunteer assignments. I am advocating for new approaches to engaging volunteers with simpler time commitments.
Gyms and fitness centers are looking at shorter workouts from a customer service approach. Many say classes have stabilized in growth - they are keeping longtime members but not attracting as many new members. "We had to address how to make exercise doable for newcomers. Xpress workouts are a good leveler for the beginner," reports Donna Meyer, corporate director for group exercise for 24 Hour Fitness.
Do we look at volunteers as customers? How are we making volunteerism doable for the beginners? Independent Sector research indicates the numbers of people engaged in ongoing volunteer activities has decreased over the past decade. More people than ever are volunteering, but most are doing episodic activities one or two times a year. Associations are seeing fewer and fewer members willing to step into leadership roles that require long term commitments and significant volunteer hours. If we are not attracting new volunteers perhaps it's because we are not offering new options, new volunteer packages, new ways for beginners to become quickly and easily involved.
Fitness centers find that even advanced exercisers are enjoying the quick workouts as a supplement to their regular regimen. I wonder if current volunteers or current members might find it gives a bit of variety to their routine when they add 30-minute volunteer assignments? As a board member for a local organization I am usually asked to do routine committee work. Recently, however, I was asked to assist with the fund raising campaign. I immediately began to think of all the things I had to do and wondered how I would ever fit this activity into my already busy schedule. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I was being ask to call four past contributors to thank them for their past donations and encourage them to continue supporting us. I was encouraged to make one phone call a day, at my convenience, over a two-week period. The Development Director even offered to bring the orientation and background materials to me.
No training meeting, no long term commitment, no complicated process, just four phone calls, requiring less than 30 minutes a day to help an organization I am already committed to.
Fitness experts say novices feel less intimidated in the short classes and can easily learn the moves because a 30-minute workout does not have time for complicated choreography. Beginners can start at a low intensity level. Sometimes we create short volunteer assignments and then tack on time for orientation and training and defeat the whole idea of minimizing the time commitment. If people are interested in 30-minute assignments because it offers them a minimal time commitment, how do we respect their concern for time? I believe we have to find new ways to do our work by examining program requirements and procedures in the framework of a 30-minute volunteer assignment. How do we make everything simpler for the volunteer? Certainly technology offers us some new options.
The Greater Columbus Chapter of the American Red Cross has just produced their first CD Rom Volunteer Handbook. It was developed with a student from the local community college and is very easy to update and reproduce. They printed a nice little cardboard sleeve with instructions and contact information and it is now mailed to all new volunteers, replacing the face-to-face meeting with a follow up phone call or email. It's not for everyone, but it appeals to many new volunteers. We don't have to rely on technology to do things differently. Can we deliver materials to volunteers? Can we offer training at their worksite, at lunchtime? Can we develop self contained training kits that can mailed, delivered or posted on the web? Can we recruit volunteers to deliver materials to other volunteers, or follow up with other volunteers? All of these ideas suggest ways we might change to better facilitate volunteer engagement.
"People have busier lives than ever," said Donna Meyer of 24 Hour Fitness. "After September 11, people have been saying I have better things to do with my life."
I've heard this comment from many places in recent months. But I do not see large numbers of people suddenly offering to volunteer. I think there is some truth that people are reprioritizing their lives, but I think time remains a critical issue for many, many people. Those of us who manage and work with volunteers, either in traditional nonprofit settings or in associations or membership organizations have to reevaluate what we have to offer and how we engage people if we want them to look to us "to do something better" with their lives. We cannot ignore what is happening around us: fast food, ATM machines, drive-up windows, and 30-minute workouts. We live in a society that is increasingly time conscious and time pressured. We may not like it, but the reality is that few people are willing to commit to time intensive volunteer assignments. So why not think about how to break down the work into 30-minute segments and market the 30-Minute Volunteer Workout.
Might be surprised how many people will give you two hours per week if it's packaged in 30-minute segments that can be adapted to their personal life schedule. Certainly virtual volunteering lends itself nicely to this concept. With creative thinking I believe we can create engaging, meaningful opportunities for people "to do something better" with the limited time they have to offer us.
Any activity that allows people to fit volunteering into their daily routine has a greater chance for long-term commitment. Just like going to the gym. The hard part is getting started. Once the habit is in place it becomes a priority and time becomes less of an excuse. I'm not suggesting this is easy, but I think we will continue to struggle with dwindling numbers of volunteers if we don't revolutionize our own paradigm about volunteer work in our contemporary society.
References:
Liddane, L. (2002, May 27). Gym's quick classes appeal to busy clients. The Columbus Dispatch, p. D3