Looking into why volunteerism is dying

“We’re seeing kind of two things; number one, our total volunteer numbers are dropping – we’re finding it really difficult to get people interested in freely giving their time to be part of a program. The second thing is our volunteers, every year it seems to be a smaller and smaller number of very dedicated volunteers that are making our programs run, and those volunteers are aging out.”

Nogier said the challenge is not unique to Rotary.

Wes Moore, president of the Prince Albert Kinsmen Club, said membership has fallen significantly since he joined.

“I think our current roster is about 12 members. When I first joined, we were close to 30, maybe somewhere in the upper 20s. We have some newer members, some that we’re just trying to onboard, and then some seasoned veterans as well.”

Community organizations across Canada have reported volunteer shortages, with many relying on a small core of dedicated members to keep programs and events running.

With inflation and high housing costs, many Canadians are working multiple jobs or taking on overtime, leaving little to no time or energy for unpaid work.

Moore believes changes in how people support community causes have also contributed to the decline. Social media and online fundraising platforms allow people to donate directly to projects without joining a service club.

“The service clubs were the venue or were the mechanism by which people contributed to things, and that’s changed a lot in more recent times where organizations or projects are going directly to contributors. It’s being promoted from a tax perspective and a whole bunch of things, and they’re looking for larger contributions, as everybody is.”

While direct donations can benefit local causes, Moore said organizations still need volunteers to do the work.

“More hands make lighter work. We’re managing to keep our major fundraisers going, but it would be much better if we had more members to help out.”

Nogier sees a similar challenge among younger generations. While schools encourage volunteerism through community service requirements, he believes many young people now view volunteering as an obligation rather than a way to give back.

“My first opportunity to volunteer came when someone asked if I could help serve a meal at the shelter,” he said. “You showed up because it made you feel good inside. The recognition was a handshake when you walked out the door.”

He added that social media has changed how some people seek recognition.

“There seems to be more focus on public commentary behind a tablet or cellphone instead of giving up time to make a difference in the community where there are no ‘likes’ or public recognition.”

Despite declining numbers, both the Rotary Club and Kinsmen Club continue to support major community projects and events. Moore said some smaller initiatives have been scaled back as organizations focus their limited volunteer resources on larger fundraisers.

“We tend to focus on events that generate a more significant return because the projects we support require larger contributions. You can only give away as much money as you can raise.”

Both organizations continue to recruit mainly through word of mouth and personal connections, but acknowledge that attracting new volunteers remains a challenge.

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nick.nielsen@pattisonmedia.com

by Nick Nielsen

Looking into why volunteerism is dying

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