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Volunteer Utilization: Thinking Outside the Box

Volunteers play an essential role in ensuring older adults and adults with disabilities 

receive the services and supports funded by the Older Americans Act. They give their 

time, energy, and skills in ways that are too numerous to count. To maximize their 

impact, carefully consider volunteers’ unique knowledge, skills, diverse backgrounds, 

and availability and how you can make those factors work to your program’s 

advantage.

Scheduling Your Volunteers

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, formal volunteering rates dropped between

2019-2021 in every demographic group.

1 As our nation continues to work to rebound 

to pre-pandemic levels of volunteer engagement, it’s essential to think about when 

your volunteers are available to give their time. In recent years, Generation X (born 

between 1965-1980) had the highest rate of formal volunteering of all generations.2

Many in this generation are still in the workforce and some are still raising children.

Thus, providing volunteer opportunities outside of traditional business hours (e.g., 

early mornings, evenings, and weekends) can help open your doors to more 

volunteers. Additionally, providing services and supports during these nontraditional 

times may help you reach more people in need. 

Creative Roles for Volunteers

Your volunteers have differing and unique skills and personalities. One volunteer may 

be a retired CEO of a major corporation, while another may be a young college 

student with a keen understanding of current tech trends. It’s important to tailor your 

volunteer opportunities so that they are mutually beneficial; you receive the 

assistance you need in delivering your services and supports, and volunteers get to 

use their skills to benefit the community. Some examples of nontraditional roles are 

photographer, social media manager, meal packer, scheduler, and event planner. 

1 https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2023/01/volunteering-and-civic-life-in-america.html 2 https://americorps.gov/about/our-impact/volunteering-civic-life/demographics
Youth Volunteers

Now is a great time to engage youth (school-age or college-age) in your 

organization. Providing an opportunity for these young volunteers to learn new skills, 

connect to your organization, and contribute to the community is a win-win-win. 

Think in terms of time-limited or project-based opportunities, and be open to their 

needs (e.g., volunteer hours for school) and schedules.

Tasks and Timing

The sample table below can help you start thinking about your program’s

nontraditional tasks, the times at which they could be performed, and whether they 

would be a good fit for a youth volunteer. 

Example: A recently widowed administrative assistant, Mary, is interested in 

volunteering for your organization, but she still works full time. You need someone to 

organize all the materials for your chronic disease self-management workshops. 

Mary is happy to use her skills and agrees to volunteer in the evenings after work. 

Task/Role Mornings Evenings Weekends Virtual Youth

Social media √ √ √ √ √

Photographer/videographer X √ √ √ √

Research recipes √ √ √ √ √

Organize materials √ √ X X √

Grab-and-Go meal handler √ √ √ X √

Meal packer √ √ X X √

Scheduler √ √ √ √ X 

Social outreach X √ √ √ √

Data collector X √ X √ √

Event planner/organizer X √ √ √ X 

Health/community fair 

table host

X X √ X √

Graphic designer √ √ √ √ √

Tech assistance X √ √ √ √

Last updated: September 2023 2