Three Reasons Why People Don’t Volunteer, and What Can Be Done About It 为何无人热心志愿服务及解决办法

艾米·尤托波洛斯 译/鄢宏福 审订/方圆

Research has shown that while over 90% of us want to volunteer， only 1 out of 4 Americans actually do. Did you know there is a relationship between volunteering and improved physical health and cognitive function？ Research also shows that volunteers report elevated mood and less depression， and that volunteers report increased social interactions and social support， better relationship quality， and decreased loneliness. So if most of us want to volunteer， and we believe it is good for us， why aren’t all of us volunteering？ Research has found 3 common barriers：

“I don’t have enough time and volunteer schedules are too inflexible”

The most common reason for not volunteering is lack of free time （about half of Americans cite this as the main reason）， and another common reason is that the volunteer schedules and commitments are too inflexible. Which is interesting because retirees （who presumably have enough time） do not volunteer at higher rates than employees， and people aged 35 to 44 （those most likely to have young children at home and be employed） actually volunteer at slightly higher rates.

One solution is to understand about “volunteering inertia”， which is basic-ally the habit we create by volunteering or not volunteering. Research shows people who volunteer before retirement are more likely to volunteer in retirement （75%）. In contrast， only about a third of retirees who did not volunteer while working begin to volunteer in retirement. This suggests there is a “sweet spot” for volunteer recruitment in the years prior to retirement.

Another possible solution is to make volunteering more accessible and automatic. If working parents are volunteering， it is most likely at their kids’ schools， which is a location they are already frequenting daily. Employers could encourage volunteerism on-site or in a proximate location. Organizations could be more flexible in the way they use volunteer work， including work that could be done at home， or during evening or weekend hours.

“I don’t have enough information and most volunteer roles aren’t interesting”

Another very common reason is that people don’t have information about where to volunteer， or if they do， the jobs are not meaningful or purposeful. While motivation to volunteer can vary by age， with younger volunteers more motivated by future preparation （such as increasing skills， knowledge， and advancing careers） and older volunteers more likely to cite generativity as a reason for volunteering， most people are motivated to volunteer by personal gratification and having a meaningful experience.

A solution would be for organizations who utilize volunteers to make sure they are matching the skills and experience of their volunteers to the roles they have available. Making copies and coffee are certainly not meaningful to most. Some organizations have a short interview process where they discuss the background of the potential volunteer to closely match it to the needs they have.

The Stanford Center on Longevity produced a report on ways to support intergenerational volunteerism， which included five best-practices strategies. In addition， there are several websites that help individuals find volunteer roles in their area and interest. Yet many individuals still don’t know about these websites that can help access meaningful volunteer roles more adeptly.

“No one asked me to”

One out of 4 people say they don’t volunteer because no one asked them to; so let’s ask！ Research shows the organizations that are most successful at recruiting and retaining volunteers have a full-time paid volunteer coordinator. This is the person who invites them to be a volunteer and oversees them throughout the application and training process as well as connects with them routinely during their tenure as a volunteer. Volunteers want to feel included in the goals of the organization， and that their work （even if unpaid） is valued and appreciated.

Employers and schools can help with asking as well. High schools and colleges are already requiring volunteer service， and many employers are offering paid time off to volunteer or including it as a part of their wellness plans.

Creating a new social norm of volunteering

Potential for increasing volunteerism is high if we are able to address these common barriers. By reducing these barriers， we can create a new social norm of volunteering throughout one’s life， where it is expected that everyone volunteers starting from school age and throughout old age. In the pre-retirement years， employers could encourage increasing volunteer hours as they slowly decrease their work hours， so that retirees would be fully integrated into their meaningful volunteer roles in a gradual and seamless transition.

研究表明，盡管有意从事志愿服务的美国人超过9成，但真正付诸行动的却只有1/4。你可知道，志愿服务与促进身体健康、提高认知功能之间存在着联系吗？研究还发现，从事志愿服务的人精神饱满、较少忧郁，社交互动和社会支持有所增加，人际关系质量更高，也较少感到孤独。既然我们大都愿意从事志愿服务，而且知道它对我们有益，为什么不是所有人都付诸行动？研究发现，有3个常见原因。

“个人空闲时间少，而志愿活动安排不灵活”

最常见的一个原因是空闲时间不足（约一半美国人将其列为主要原因），另一个常见原因是志愿活动安排太不灵活。这很有意思，因为退休人员（理应有大把空闲时间）从事志愿服务的比例并不比上班族高，而35至44岁年龄段的人（多为孩子幼小的职场人士）从事志愿服务的比例实际上略高。

一个解决办法是了解“志愿惯性”，这基本上是人们选择从事或者不从事志愿服务所形成的习惯。研究表明，退休前有过志愿者经历的人在退休后继续坚持的可能性更大（75%）。相比之下，工作期间未从事过志愿工作的人当中，只有1/3的人在退休后开始从事志愿活动。这一现象表明，退休前几年是志愿者招募的“最佳时机”。

另一个可能的解决办法是增加志愿服务的便捷性和自主性。如果在职父母做志愿者的话，他们最有可能在孩子的学校做，因为他们每天都会往返学校。雇主可以鼓励员工就地或就近从事志愿服务。志愿服务机构可以更加灵活地组织志愿工作，包括可以居家或晚间、周末完成的工作。

“信息渠道有限，岗位大多无聊”

還有一个很普遍的原因是人们无法获取志愿活动信息，或者即便他们获取到有关信息，相关岗位却缺少意义和针对性。不同年龄的人从事志愿工作的动机不同，年轻志愿者倾向于为将来做准备（比如提升技能、增长知识、促进职业发展等），年长志愿者则更多是为了子孙后代的福祉，而大多数人是为了提升自我满足感和获得有意义的体验而选择志愿服务。

对此，组织方可根据志愿者具备的技能和经验为他们匹配合适的岗位。对大多数人而言，复印资料、泡咖啡这样的工作实在没有意义。一些志愿服务组织会安排简短的面试，考察申请者的背景，以便与用人需求相匹配。

斯坦福长寿研究中心发布了一份关于志愿精神代际传承方法的报告，其中包括5种“最佳做法”策略。另外，有几家网站能够帮助人们迅速找到与自己专业领域和兴趣爱好相匹配的志愿者岗位。不过，许多人仍然不知道这些更善于匹配有意义的志愿者岗位的网站。

“没人发动”

有1/4的人表示，他们之所以没有从事志愿服务，是因为没人发动他们。那我们就来发动大家吧！研究表明，那些在招募志愿者和留住志愿者方面表现最出色的组织都雇用了全职的志愿者协调员。协调员负责招聘志愿者，在申请和培训过程中全程监督，并在他们担任志愿者期间与之保持日常联系。志愿者想要感受到自己被纳入了组织的目标，希望自己工作（即便没有报酬）受到重视和肯定。

雇主和学校也可以发动志愿者。一些高中和大学已经开始要求学生从事志愿服务，许多雇主允许员工带薪参加志愿服务，或者将其纳入公司的福利计划。

建立志愿服务社会新规范

如果我们能够消除以上常见障碍，志愿服务将展现出巨大发展潜力。通过减少这些障碍，我们还能建立一种新的社会规范，倡导终生志愿服务，即从学龄阶段直到老年，一直从事志愿服务。从退休前几年开始，雇主可以逐步减少雇员的工作时间，鼓励他们更多从事志愿服务。如此一来，雇员退休后便可以完全融入有意义的志愿者角色，实现工作与志愿服务之间的平稳过渡和无缝衔接。

（译者单位：中南大学外国语学院）