“"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art.... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival.” C.S. Lewis (The Four Loves)
It's not a huge surprise that relationships mean a great value to Millennials. Social media is their lifeline to potential connections with others. I consulted an organization that was trying to
retain young volunteers and one of the simplest things they could have done was
to allow their volunteers to do things together. Even if it was as simple as
changing a light bulb, Millennials stuck around when they had a friend beside
them. Relationships are THE biggest motivational factor for Millennials’
participation at work, at church, and at a non-profit. If you want more
Millennial participation then provide a relationship-building factor to their
service. This generation wants friends but often finds themselves so spread thin that they don't have many authentic relationships. Be a space where volunteers can comfortably find deep and meaningful relationships. Let volunteers work in pairs, even if it doesn’t seem logical. Eventually you
will gain long-term volunteers for your organization by providing outlets for them to serve and to build friendships.
No comments:
Post a Comment