How to recruit young volunteers to your charity

According to the NCVO Almanac 2021 people aged 65–74 were the most likely age group to formally volunteer, with 22% saying they volunteered at least once a month and 32% volunteering at least once a year.

It’s not surprising as that particular age group is predominately retired and, therefore, has more time to volunteer for good causes.

Perhaps more surprising is that 31% of young people aged 16–24 formally volunteer at least once a year and 17% report that they volunteer monthly. Clearly young people want to volunteer, but how and where can your charity recruit them?

How to recruit young volunteers

Explain the benefits

Volunteering for a charity can help young people learn and develop skills that will help them in their future or current careers, so present volunteering as a benefit to the volunteer and not just a benefit to the organisation.

Think about what young people would need to get out of a volunteer role and ensure that is clear in your marketing materials and volunteer job description. Be specific about the skills they can learn in their volunteering role.

A 2019 national survey by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), looking at attitudes towards volunteering across the UK, found that 40% of young people aged 16–24 volunteer to gain new skills and experience.

As well as learning skills, volunteering can help improve the mental health and wellbeing of young people. It offers opportunities to do something meaningful for others, to be more active, and to engage with people, helping to reduce social isolation.

The same survey by the BHF found that 35% of people aged 25–34 agreed that volunteering was beneficial to their mental health.

Tap into what is meaningful to them

Volunteering can offer a real sense of purpose. The 2019 National Youth Social Action Survey (NYAS) showed that the vast majority of young people surveyed cared about making the world a better place (88%) and believed they could make a difference (74%).

Take the time to understand what young people care about and tailor your volunteer opportunities to meet those needs.

Be flexible

Young people have a lot going on in their lives. Whether it’s school, university, sports, other interests, family life, or making time for friends, any volunteering role would need to be flexible. While a regular, fixed-day, and time volunteer role may work for older volunteers, these roles are less likely to appeal to younger volunteers.

Be sure to offer opportunities that only require a few hours a week and that young people can fit around their schedules, such as helping to create copy or graphics for social media.