How did you come to work for Volunteering NZ, Michelle?

I did a law degree and worked in several areas, including legal publishing and for a social enterprise. As a mother of twins, I was out of the paid workforce for a while and took on various volunteer roles, mainly supporting children and families. I learnt so much through volunteering and took opportunities to learn and grow. I connected with Volunteering NZ through my voluntary work, joining the organisation in 2017 and becoming chief executive in 2019.

What changes have you noticed over that time?

The biggest disrupter was the Covid pandemic and response. Many community organisations pivoted in their operations and could no longer use volunteers during the lockdown periods. Some people – particularly seniors – stopped volunteering, but in many cases, younger people stepped up.

Volunteering here hasn’t had the same decline as many other countries experienced post-Covid, and we see that people still want to give their time to help communities.

However, the way volunteers want to volunteer continues to evolve. Our latest 2024 State of Volunteering Report documented a casualisation of volunteering. Organisations are encouraged to put the volunteer at the centre and design volunteer programmes around what works for them, be that shorter-term or more episodic roles.

What trends are you seeing around seniors volunteering and receiving help themselves?

People over 65 years are active volunteers, with 52.8% volunteering (compared to 50.7% for the general population). They tend to devote more hours per week than younger people.

We know seniors are more active and have more demands on their time than in the past. They have a lot of skills and experience to give when they volunteer, so they’re an invaluable source of support.

Volunteering NZ urges volunteer-involving organisations to ensure they continue to value and appreciate older volunteers. For example, offer flexible roles matched to older volunteers' skills, abilities and motivations.

What volunteering issue currently keeps you up at night?

Voluntary activity underpins sustainable communities and the wellbeing of us all. The scale, reach and impact of this are often invisible to many. 

Coupled with the current funding environment, things are more challenging. We hear about funding for volunteer programmes and professional development budgets for volunteer leaders being cut. We also know that with wider programme cuts due to funding scarcity, there will be more need for volunteers.

Who generally inspires you in your field?

I was really inspired by Dr Claire Achmad, the Chief Children's Commissioner. I worked more closely with her when she was the Chief Executive Officer of Social Service Providers Te Pai Ora o Aotearoa. She plays such an important role as an advocate and champion advocating for children in Aotearoa New Zealand. She has a clarity of focus and amazing communications skills. 

There has also been some great advocacy recently from the community sector highlighting the implications of our significantly aging population and the need for us to be better prepared from an infrastructure capacity point of view. 

What trends do you see shaping the future for seniors/retirees and for volunteering more specifically?

 We expect to see changes in expectations and norms around volunteering habits, recruitment and retention to continue to grow.

Volunteering is an increasingly regulated and high-skilled activity, focused on not just the contribution of time but also of skill and knowledge. However, there has been a shift in participation in more direct volunteering. Globally, 70% of volunteering happens directly without being mediated by an organisation.

We would love to see a rise in volunteering by seniors rather than for seniors.  Older volunteers have a lot to give and also reap rewards, such as feeling worthwhile and making friends.

What’s the number one thing you would like to spend more time doing when you retire?

Reading and cooking. I try to do lots of both of those things now, but when you work full time and have a dependent family, these activities can get really squeezed to the margins. So, having more free time would make these two things even more enjoyable. I would also hope to be healthy and fit and be able to actively engage in my young adults’ lives.