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Recruiting and Retaining Older Adults in Volunteer Programs: Best Practices and Next Steps

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Abstract

The baby boomer generation has begun to reach retirement age. What this highly-educated and racially-diverse cohort does in its retirement years has implications for the boomers, their communities, and society. Formal volunteering has been suggested as a mechanism for engaging older adults, as it has been associated with physical and emotional health benefits. However, older adults from underrepresented groups are not as likely to engage in formal volunteer activities and may miss out on these benefits. A review of the literature identifies seven best practices for engaging older adults, including those from minority groups, in formal volunteer activities. These include: personal invitation, role flexibility, stipends, social interaction, support from staff, meaningfulness, and recognition. Using the framework of the Strengths Perspective, identifying and utilizing the strengths of individuals and communities and volunteer goal setting are suggested as additional best practices that may be particularly relevant in attracting a diverse set of older adult volunteers.

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Acknowledgments

The author wishes to thank Dr. Chris Petr and Dr. Rosemary Chapin for their support in preparing this paper.

Conflict of Interest

The author, Alicia M. Sellon, declares that she has no conflict of interest.

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As there is no person or personal data appearing in the paper, there is no one from whom a permission should be obtained in order to publish personal data.

Ethical Treatment of Experimental Subjects (Animal and Human)

No animal or human studies were carried out by the authors for this article.

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  1. University of Kansas, 1545 Lilac Ln Twente Hall, Lawrence, KS, 66045-3129, USA

    Alicia M. Sellon

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  1. Alicia M. Sellon
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Correspondence to Alicia M. Sellon.

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Sellon, A.M. Recruiting and Retaining Older Adults in Volunteer Programs: Best Practices and Next Steps. Ageing Int 39, 421–437 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12126-014-9208-9

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