Volunteering, What’s In It For Me?

Posted on March 15, 2016 by Tricia Ryan, One of Thousands of Business Coaches on Noomii.

Why we volunteer?

According to Imagine Canada, Canadians state that the primary reason they volunteer is to contribute to their communities. The next two major reasons are to use skills and experience and because they have been personally affected by the cause. The various reasons break down as follows:
• to make a contribution to community (93%);
• to use skills and experience (78%);
• personally affected by the organization’s cause (59%);
• to explore one’s own strengths (48%);
• because their friends volunteer (48%);
• to network with others (46%);
• to improve job opportunities (22%); and
• to fulfill religious obligations or beliefs (21%).

With a focus on women in leadership positions, it has been suggested that women need to explore the forces that hold them back from contributing their unique gifts and insights. Forces may be external, but research also shows that many of these forces are internal. It is these internal forces that volunteering can support and enhance to facilitate women’s confidence and change in attitude.

Why are internal beliefs so important?
As a business coach and consultant time is spent with clients on their inner game. A Carnegie Foundation study supports how important mindset is to success. In fact attitude accounts for 85% of the key ingredient of your success, while, skills and knowledge combined only account for 15%.

Research supports that there is a key distinction that is very important in all this mind work. It has to do with the thinking that causes us to do what we do, to get the results that we get. The problem is that, when thinking … we normally focus our thinking on the results that we are currently getting.
Think → Do → Results
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This generally means that we perpetuate more of the same results because our present results are dictating our thinking, which in turn causes us to do what we do to get the results that we get.
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↓ │
Think → Do → Results
_________________↑

For successful people to make a quantum leap forward in regards to their results, they know they need to break out of this negative cycle of our current results being in control of our future. Achievers know that the future clearly doesn’t have to equal the past… achievers usually have coaching support and the tools to program themselves with far greater success in all areas of life. In doing so, they remove the artificial boundaries that hold so many of us back from achieving more of our real potential. This thinking style and attitude applies equally to our health, our prosperity, our relationships, and our careers.

Another thing we know about achievers is that they often volunteer. The adage holds true: “if you want something done, ask a busy person to do it.”

In 2013 Statistics Canada research confirmed that 44% of Canadians volunteered their time. The volunteers devote almost 2 billion hours to their volunteer activity or the equivalent of 1 million full time jobs. It also appears that those with the highest incomes actually do volunteer more time.

2013 Household Income Level Volunteer Rate %
Less than $20,000 33%
$20,000 to $39,000 36%
$40,000 to $59,000 42%
$60,000 to $79,000 51%
$80,000 to $99,000 51%
$100,000 & over 57%
$100,000 to $119,000 54%
$120,000 and over 58
Source: Statistics Canada

So What Is The Reason For All This Effort, How Can Volunteering Benefit You?
Here are some of the personal and professional benefits one can gain from volunteering:

Skill Development
Volunteering helps you learn new skills, keep skills sharp, or use existing skills in new ways. In volunteering there are also lower risks in testing and trying your skills (new & used) as volunteering most often occurs in a supportive environment.

Career Exploration…
Regardless of your age or career level, volunteering can introduce you to new professional paths. Volunteering can be an excellent way to learn more about a particular role or sector.

As well, there is the power of networking; volunteering offers the opportunity to cross paths—as well as, in many cases, quickly bond—with people from across your community, including many with whom you may otherwise not have had contact.
 
Personal Development…
Lifelong learning includes hands-on experiences as a volunteer which can teach you about a wide range of issues and matters that may be new to you broadening your horizons.
Lastly, don’t forget that sometimes it just feels good to be valued; as a volunteer you can contribute unique skills, experiences, and perspectives.

Socialization & Friendships…
In addition to professional networking, volunteering can be a fun, meaningful way to make new friends. New to the community? Looking to branch out socially? Simply looking for something to do with new people? Volunteer and get to know others who care about the same issues that you do.

Volunteering time makes you feel like you have more time…
An article in the Harvard Business review suggests that : “…giving your time to others can make you feel more ‘time affluent’ and less time-constrained.”

Volunteering can make you feel happier…

Researchers at the London School of Economics examined the relationship between volunteering and measures of happiness and found that the more people volunteered, the happier they were. Volunteering builds empathy and patience skills, strengthens social bonds and makes you smile – all factors that can increase your happiness levels.

Make a Difference…
Last but most certainly not least, volunteering is one of the best ways we know of to make a difference in your community. Whatever your passion, however you get involved, volunteering offers a way to have a real and lasting impact on your community and your world.

How to Find Volunteering Opportunities…
So how can you get started volunteering? It’s remarkably easy. Charitable organizations like Women In Leadership offer on a local and national scale the opportunity to mentor, teach, meet, lead and lend your skills set, all while building the worthy cause of enhancing and facilitating women’s confidence and changes in attitude, thereby reducing the forces that can hold them back.