Snyder Quoted on the Decreasing Number of Young Volunteers

In a recent WCCO story “Nonprofits scramble for help amid dearth of volunteers”, experts noted that the number of volunteers in nonprofit organizations is decreasing. In the past, volunteering was most popular with college graduates, especially those with young families. Yet, in recent times, many people are hitting these stages later in their lives, pushing back their “prime time” for volunteering. In the story, Dr. Mark Snyder addresses the fact that many members of younger generations are likely to work several jobs and live in  “roommate” settings long past their college years. These economic and lifestyle factors can be “barriers” to getting involved as these individuals do not have much time available to participate in volunteer work. 

Mark Snyder, PhD, McKnight Presidential Chair in Psychology, and Director of the Center for the Study of the Individual and Society, in the Department of Psychology at the University of Minnesota.

Composed by Madison Stromberg, communications assistant.