To overcome barriers, volunteers value flexible times and more

Earlier this year, Trent University student Anna Hykawy published Behind the Helping Hand: Addressing Barriers to Volunteerism in Peterborough. This Trent Community Research Centre Project researched why people do or do not volunteer and shared some eye-opening facts directly from local volunteers.

A survey of 104 volunteers builds on a series of interview findings that were partly shared in last month’s blog.  We distributed her request for responses through Volunteer Peterborough’s mailing list to capture personal barriers that shape one’s ability to participate in volunteer activities. By capturing these perspectives, we learned how barriers identified by volunteer managers reflect, or diverge from the lived experiences of community members.

Personal barriers

More than anything, these questions reinforced the importance of flexibility in shaping volunteer participation. When asked what personal factors deter volunteer participation, 63 percent of respondents named “time commitment” as the most significant barrier. In descending order, lack of transportation (17 percent), distance to the opportunity (11 percent), and physical accessibility (7 percent) deterred them.

When prompted to explain their answer, one respondent wrote, “Life can be busy and finding time to volunteer more is hard. One-off volunteer events sometimes feel easier than longer-term commitments.” (Like the Porch Pirate for Good food drives, as pictured with this post.)

Another respondent highlighted how their schedule limited their capacity to participate: “I work an irregular work schedule, so finding a volunteer position I’m interested in that is flexible or not a weekly commitment is difficult.”

Organizational barriers

Next, Anna asked, “Which organizational factors have prevented you from engaging with a volunteer opportunity in the past?” She listed poor communication, unclear roles descriptions, past bad experiences and insufficient training as options.

Notably, 53 percent of respondents said that they did not experience any of these situations. This suggested to her that many individuals understand and tolerate operational limitations of volunteer organizations. One respondent said, “I have great patience and acceptance of needs and/or shortcomings of non-profit organizations. As long as it’s safe and respectful, a lack of organization, etc., does not deter me.”

At the same time, almost half of respondents identified factors that dampen their willingness to engage. Of them, 26 percent cited poor communication as a barrier. Largely, they expressed frustration over a lack of follow-up from non-profits after applying to volunteer. As one participant noted: “I wonder if sometimes requests to help just go into a vast bin somewhere where no one ever looks.”

Likewise, 22 percent said a lack of clear expectations makes it difficult to commit to a position. This concern was reflected in comments by respondents:

• “The description of the opportunities is often not very accurate.”
• “I previously volunteered with an organization that made constant changes to the roles of the volunteer, making it very difficult.”

The effects

The impact of insufficient training and negative past experiences resonated with 12 percent of people surveyed. Further, the invitation to add to the list drew out comments about intense applications just to be considered. These processes feel disproportionate to the unpaid nature of volunteer work, according to some people.

“Some roles I’ve looked into for volunteering have extensive application processes that don’t seem worth the trouble if I’m not getting paid,” one person said.

So, what have we learned?

“Although individuals are willing to volunteer, their participation is contingent on opportunities that are flexible and responsive,” Anna wrote. “At the same time, the relatively high proportion of respondents reporting no organizational barriers suggests that volunteers may be willing to accommodate certain limitations. Regardless, flexibility emerges as a central condition for sustained volunteer engagement.”

Stay tuned for more insights from this deep dive into what makes volunteers feel valued and ready to help out.