Culture of Volunteerism and Civic Engagement in the United States

A presentation for theYSEALI Civil Society Development Program

July 17, 2015UM Mansfield Center

By Andrea Vernon

Overview

i. Define Civic Engagement and Volunteerism

ii. Historical context for Civic Engagement and Volunteerism in American culture

iii. Infrastructure for Civic Engagement and Volunteerism – Nonprofit Sector

iv. Challenges and Benefits

v. Project Planning – Case in Point

Civic Engagement

Set of values and actions to achieve the “greater good”

Process of working toward a common goal

Bringing people together around issues, ideas, problems

Case Study: Building a Park in the Sky https://www.ted.com/talks/robert_hammond_building_a_park_in_the_sky

Volunteerism

Donating one’s time and talents for charitable purposes to make a positive difference

There are many ways that people volunteer their time for the betterment of other people, animals, or the environment

Benefits of volunteering https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aS-mAz34NA0

Connecting to volunteer opportunities: http://www.volunteermissoula.org/

http://www.volunteermatch.org/

Civic Engagement & Volunteerism Data

In 2014, 62.6 million Americans volunteered 7.7 billion hours equating to $173 billion economic impact

Montana ranks 7th in the nation for the average number of volunteer hours served per capita

Nearly 60% of Americans reported reaching out to help their neighbors at least once a month

More highly educated people engage in their community more

58.2% of voters voted in 2012 Presidential Election

Findings

Citizens who are involved in volunteering or belong to one or more groups are more likely to be involved in political action and stay in contact with friends. The best strategy for our nation’s civic health is to ensure that all children graduate from high school and complete college, enhancing the likelihood that they will become active volunteers, joiners, givers, and participants in the lives of their communities, state and nation.

Historical Context

Voluntary Associations in early settlement period

Democracy in America (1830) “Habits of the Heart”

Repeatedly, throughout American history citizens have recognized a need, such as a public library, and then built constituencies of support through voluntary associations that were committed to addressing, solving, or eliminating it.

Infrastructure

Nonprofit Sector: “Third Sector”, “Independent Sector”, “Philanthropic Sector”, “Civil Sector”

The nonprofit sector in the US fills gaps that are left by government agencies and businesses

Diverse collection of 1.5 million charitable organizations

10.6 million employees, $1.65 trillion in total revenues

In 2012, individuals reported $228 billion in donations

Challenges

Not enough people are engaged in volunteerism and community activities

Volunteers can be inconsistent

Apathy grows

Nonprofit sector lacks visibility and voice

Need to “move the needle” farther

Benefits

Personal rewards from engagement are very fulfilling

The people who are engaged and volunteering are doing AMAZING things…

Steps to Plan & Implement Successful Service Projects

Identify community need

Find collaborators to work with

Specify roles and expectations

Find resources

Create a realistic timeline

Be prepared from the start

Recognize volunteers

Evaluate your impact

Document your work

Case in point…

Community Need: Our community needs a low or no-cost preschool

program to help prepare children to be ready and successful when they enter kindergarten.

Groups work on different aspects of project plan: Collaborators and roles: Who should be involved? Who will

do what?

Finding resources: What is needed? Funding? Personnel? Parents? Where will you get resources to do this?

Timeline and preparations: When will the work happen? What needs to be ready and when?

Evaluate and document work: What worked? What didn’t? What was result? How will it be sustained?

“There is much we can learn from a concept of community the South Africans call ubuntu. It is best expressed by the Xhosi proverb, ‘People are people through other people’. It is this powerful sense of the shared interdependence of people…It is not ‘I think, therefore I am.’ It is ‘I am human because I belong. I participate. I share because I am made for community’.

If you are to involve your students and faculty meaningfully in your communities, they must understand that how they are engaged is as important as in what they are engaged. The moral imperative of civic engagement is to help transform the laissez-faire notion of live and let live into the principle of live and help live." – Ambassador James A Joseph

Concluding Discussion

Thank you!Consultations

Andrea Vernon, Ed.D.

Office for Civic Engagement

University of Montana

andrea.Vernon@mso.umt.edu (406) 243-5159