Yes on trends! I mentioned earlier that we publish findings every two years from our Volunteering and Civic Life in America Report – coming out this month. I don’t want to get ahead of data, but one thing is clear is that service and volunteering opportunities need to meet people where they are.

I think about this issue of barriers to service a lot. For example, we have 140,000 AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers who dedicate their time and talent, and we need to make sure they can afford the gas it takes to get to a volunteer opportunity. It’s something we’re working on closely with our colleagues in the Biden-Harris Administration, which has ensured an exponential increase in resources to expand benefits.

I’m also encouraged by the way volunteer and service programs were able to pivot during quarantines and lock downs in the earlier days of the pandemic. Some of the virtual opportunities we saw arise may be more accessible for people who have less time, and I’m optimistic that these will be part of the volunteering landscape going forward.

hi, u/mixedliquor. There is a lot more flexibility now in volunteering than decades ago - there are lots more one-time volunteering gigs, and for the past 30 years, there's been online volunteering.

The bigger issue regarding volunteer engagement is that nonprofits don't have much funding to train those that are expected to create volunteering opportunities and support volunteers. There's an idea that volunteers just kind of magically happen.

If you are looking for volunteering opportunities that are super flexible, I recommend the American Red Cross (like their blood ambassador program), volunteering at ReStores operated by Habitat for Humanity, and, of course, virtual volunteering. There's also some terrific outdoor opportunities through your state's department of fish and wildlife.

Come on over to the r/volunteer subreddit for more advice.