Community Organisations: Attracting Younger Members

Community organisations are staffed by volunteers, but it’s a sad fact that volunteering in Australia is on the decline, and the COVID pandemic has only made things worse. Research conducted by Volunteering Australia found that during the height of the COVID pandemic in 2020, two out of three volunteers (65.9 per cent) stopped volunteering, but even more concerning, when COVID restrictions were lifted there was evidence that volunteer programs were not fully operational.

So, what is going on? Part of the reason is that many volunteers tend to be older or in vulnerable groups. According to Volunteering Australia, other barriers to re-engaging or recruiting more volunteers include volunteers being ‘more time-poor and harder to engage’ and ‘less interested in regular, formal or longer-term volunteering commitments’. Essentially, if we want to attract more people to our community organisations, we may have to change the business we are in, amend our organisational structures, and transform the way in which we conduct our operations.

Change the business we are in

Look at the history of your community organisation. Why was the organisation formed in the first place? What were the organisation’s original goals? What has the organisation achieved over the years? Could it be that the reason for the organisation’s existence has changed? Have a look at recent statistical data for your town/region held by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Note the median age of the population, the highest level of educational attainment, cultural and language diversity, household income, the employment status of parents in couple families. What you may well discover is that a good proportion of people in your town are older people, and that it is usual for both parents to be in paid work. Statistical data should inform your approach when planning to recruit younger members to your organisation.

Amend organisational structures

While it is always important to abide by legal requirements, there is no reason why executive committee positions cannot be shared, for example, having two committee chairs, two secretaries, etc. This means that the load is shared rather than being carried by one individual. However, if it appears that your organisation cannot survive given shrinking numbers, then think about amalgamating with like-minded organisations.

Transform the way in which we conduct our operations

Taking a golf club by way of example, if you want to attract younger people to the club:

• create a putt-putt golf course (for younger children) and a pitch and putt course (for older children and families). This is an investment in growing your players from a young age.
• ensure that you adopt modern communication methods
• popularise playing shorter 9-hole games to attract people with time-constraints
• periodically host free BBQs at lunchtime on the weekend followed by a fun, relaxed game on your 9-hole golf course
• conduct your regular meetings after work hours.

No matter what you do, look after your volunteers. Provide them with a safe working environment, give them support and development activities, and don’t forget to thank them for their efforts.

You can find a host of materials to support your organisation on the Volunteering Australia website: Volunteering Resource Hub (volunteeringhub.org.au).

• Topics:

• Community Groups