Decline in Kwis Willingness to Give Back

22 JUNE 2015

Decline in Kwis Willingness to Give Back

Research released by SEEK Volunteer, New Zealand’s first national online volunteering site that offers volunteering opportunities across the country, points to a decline in working Kiwi’s involvement in volunteering.

While 42 per cent of working New Zealanders or those actively seeking work aged 18-64 years have volunteered in the past, only 20 per cent of us are still doing so, with 60 per cent citing that they just don’t have enough time as their reason for lack of involvement.

“Our research found that 80 per cent of Kiwis agree that relative to other nations we have a culture that values and encourages volunteering. What we would like to see is our actual participation levels matching the perception,” states Amanda Robinson, Head of SEEK Volunteer.

“SEEK Volunteer is a volunteering enabler, acting as a conduit between not-for-profit and community organisations and Kiwis who want to volunteer. We’ve worked closely with volunteering organisations throughout New Zealand to learn what their needs are and how best to support them to utilise www.seekvolunteer.co.nz to increase exposure and attract more volunteers”.

Ms Robinson suspects that Kiwis might be surprised when they see the breadth of opportunities that are on SEEK Volunteer.

“People tend to have a very traditional view of what volunteering is but I think Kiwi’s would be pleasantly surprised about how varied the volunteering needs are. Currently we have opportunities that range from singing tutors, to budget advisors to drivers – all different skill sets and all different levels of time investment”.

Of those in New Zealander who are volunteering, key motivations show that their heart is in exactly the right place, with over half of them motivated by the opportunity to make a difference. Personal connections and passions for the cause rounded out the top three motivations.

The benefits of volunteering can be felt community wide with 86 per cent of Kiwis agreeing that it makes for a better, stronger community. In addition, there are some great personal benefits such as broadening your skill set, gaining tangible experience, meeting new people, improved self-esteem, and it can even positively influence the outcome of a job interview.

While people’s intentions may be good, they often don’t know how to go about getting involved, SEEK Volunteer aims to make a simple and intuitive process.

“The technology that sits behind seek.co.nz which makes it so user friendly and effective in connecting people to jobs has been applied to the SEEK Volunteer site. People can easily refine and filter through the opportunities based on what is close to their home or work, how much or how little time they have available and what causes they’re interested in,” adds Ms Robinson.

This week SEEK Volunteer officially launches in New Zealand with Hon. Jo Goodhew, Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector officiating at formalities in Wellington this Thursday 25th June, perfectly timed during National Volunteer Week.

About the research:

This research was conducted by Survey Sampling International (SSI). A total of n=1075 collected, data is nationally representative (weighted to NZ statistics).

ENDS

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