The Problem

According to the quarterly statistics on volunteering and donating in New Zealand released by the department of internal affairs, there is a downward trend in volunteering in New Zealand.  This is especially more pronounced amongst young people between the ages of 14 -25. Volunteering has always been associated with adult involvement. There is a clear disparity in the involvement of youth involved in social causes as compared to people in an older age range.

This is because most volunteer opportunities are targeted towards older people and Volunteering has been painted as an older persons task. The younger people as a result feel disconnected and are not attracted towards the volunteer sector.  Volunteer management is not a novel idea. It has had an online presence over the last decade. However, volunteer management groups in New Zealand have not caught up with the technological advancements to further engage Generation X.  Just having an online presence is not sufficient in creating a holistic and interactive volunteering experience that the youth currently crave.