Volunteering can assist in developing leadership skills and improve mental health.

Just out of college, early in your career or mid-career, it is not likely you are able to easily join corporate boards or enter into the world of philanthropy with substantial donations. But you can still make an enormous impact volunteering your time and skills for missions and causes that you care about deeply.

And the experience will help you tremendously in your growth as a leader.

Since the pandemic, the volunteering landscape has shifted, and there is a gendered and generational element.

“Since the pandemic, the #volunteering landscape has shifted, and there is a gendered and generational element.”

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, “Nearly 51% of the U.S. population age 16 and over, or 124.7 million people, informally helped their neighbors between September 2020 and 2021 at the height of the pandemic, according to the latest Volunteering and Civic Life in America research released today.”

“And more than 23% of people in that age group, or 60.7 million, said they formally volunteered through an organization during the same period,” the report shows. In both arenas, more women than men volunteer both formally and informally.

Generation X, or people ages 41 to 56, had a 27% rate of volunteerism, with teens 16-17 volunteering at 28%. These unpaid volunteers contribute $200 billion in value to U.S. communities, according to Team Stage. More than 1 billion people volunteer worldwide.

Take The Lead has a long history of honoring leaders in philanthropy and volunteering.

“@Takeleadwomen has a long history of honoring leaders in #philanthropy and volunteering.”

This year’s Take The Lead Power Up Conference, Together We Lead, honors award-winning actress, musical performer, and lifelong philanthropist and volunteer, Lynda Carter with the Leading Woman Award 2024.

The iconic star, known globally for creating the role of Wonder Woman on television, in addition to her work as a producer, stage and film actress and singer, has spent her life supporting causes.

Carter, who will be honored at the Power Up Conference on Women’s Equality Day, August 26, in Washington, D.C., vigorously supports organizations including City of Hope, Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation, The Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement, Coelho Center for Disability Law, Policy and Innovation, Susan G. Komen Foundation, Race for the Cure, GLAAD, and recently, Moms Demand Action.

Register here for the Power Up Conference & Concert

“@RealLyndaCarter, who will be honored at the @Takeleadwomen Power Up Conference on #WomensEqualityDay, has spent her life supporting causes.”

Also at the Power Up Conference 2024, Together We Lead, Take The Lead board member Dr. Nancy D. O’Reilly plays a key role. O’Reilly, author, podcaster and philanthropist, is Founder, President and Board Chair of Women Connect 4 Good, that funds organizations championing women and girls.

The benefits of volunteering time and skills—helping with planning, logistics and outreach for an event or managing content for a site—can help sharpen organizational and communication leadership tools.

Del Carver, co-chair of the Prairies and Lakes SCORE, recently writes in Inforum, “Volunteering offers vital help to people in need, worthwhile causes, and the community, but the benefits can be even greater for you, the volunteer.”

Carver continues, “Those benefits can include opportunities for personal growth and development. Volunteers can learn new skills, gain valuable experience, and expand their knowledge in various areas. Volunteers also find a deep sense of purpose and fulfillment in giving back to their communities or supporting causes they are passionate about.”

Melinda French Gates recently “announced a two-year, $1 billion commitment to women’s causes through her philanthropic vehicle, Pivotal Philanthropies Foundation,” MSN reports.

And while her international philanthropy enriches a wide berth of diverse organizations around the world, the controversy in philanthropy and nonprofits in this country is that women of color are often not respected in leadership or given the top roles, regardless of experience. These inequities are fueled by implicit and explicit bias and discrimination.

“Women of color are often not respected in #nonprofit leadership or given the top roles, regardless of experience. #bias”

Gabrielle Wyatt, the founder of The Highland Project, an organization focused on building and sustaining a coalition of Black women leading communities, institutions, and systems, writes recently in Stanford Social Innovation Review, “Across sectors, we continue to see a majority of the field stuck in a culture of funding the short-term wins instead of investing in solutions that support and sustain not only today’s generation, but the generations ahead.”

Historically, Black women in nonprofit leadership are often overlooked for top promotions, and hyper-criticized and monitored in their work.

Wyatt, a former partner at The City Fund, and former chief strategy officer at Civic Builders, and executive director of strategy for Newark Public Schools, writes that when given the bandwidth to lead authentically, there are different results.

“Volunteering can assist in developing #leadership skills and improve mental health. #giveback”

“But when Black women across sectors, generations, and seats of power come together with an abundance mindset of all that can be possible, innovation compounds. In the gatherings we host, we see what can be possible: bigger ideas, greater creativity, and more audacious ambitions,” Wyatt writes.

Others in philanthropy, nonprofits and volunteerism agree.

Writing in NonProfit Quarterly, Dr. Keecha Harris, president and CEO of Keecha Harris and Associates, notes: “For Black women leaders and those of us deeply committed to racial equity, it can be frustrating to see that what felt like long-overdue true support was actually performative, or at least not nearly strong enough to turn the tide. However, this moment is bringing out the true allies and partners willing to cede power toward efforts led by Black women.”

Harris is strategic and positive about possibilities for change and shifts with effort. “It takes all of us—people working at the grassroots, grasstops, treetops, and intergalactically—for it all to come together.”

“Dr. Harris, president and CEO of @KHandAssociates, is strategic and positive about possibilities for #change and shifts with effort.”

Progress to have more diverse women on boards is monitored by 50/50 Women on Boards, that recently published Gender Diversity Index Fourth Quarter 2023 Findings.

“At the end of 2023, women hold only 29.4 percent of the Russell 3000 company board seats. This represents a 0.2 percent increase from the previous quarter in 2023,” according to the PR newswire.

The report shows, “While the increase is minor, the report did shed light on more positive news, that 39 percent of the 404 new director appointments were women.”

While culture changes are necessary across all sectors of leadership, it is important to emphasize the possibilities of what can happen when you join a nonprofit organization or board as a volunteer or advisor.

“Diversifying your network can pay big dividends. First, there is the practical matter that applying for a new position and listing anyone in your current work environment as a reference can be quite problematic if you don’t want to upset the status quo. Second, many of us often feel typecast and constrained in our professional roles. We often feel we aren’t able to show the diversity of our interests or expertise through the routine duties of our day job,“ writes Chris Smith in Inside Higher Ed.

“It would be far easier to leverage your shared connection via a volunteer experience than a cold email to a professional working in the space when you are ready to explore employment opportunities,” Smith writes. ”Beyond pure networking, you can use volunteer opportunities to work on skills outside your comfort zone and try bold things without your performance being tied to your current salary or stipend.”

Smith adds, “Volunteering in local organizations can provide you a broader community of social support and sense of accomplishment that is independent of how things are going in your other work.”

Habitat for Humanity, a globally respected volunteer organization recently published an evidence brief on the values of volunteerism. “Research has shown that volunteering is associated with improved health and well-being, including increased longevity, adoption of healthy lifestyles and reduction in depression and stress. The service volunteers provide also goes on to benefit the communities in which they live and serve.”

“@Habitat_org, a globally respected volunteer organization recently published an evidence brief on the values of #volunteerism. ”

Habitat for Humanity reports, ”Millennials — those born between 1980 and 1998 — are typified as having a strong social conscience, and 90% say they believe someone like them can make a difference in the world. A cause more likely motivates them than a specific organization, which means they prefer flexible volunteer opportunities over long-term commitments.”

While the outcomes of volunteering and philanthropy can positively affect your career path, mission and passion are at the root of volunteerism.

“While the outcomes of #volunteering and philanthropy can positively affect your #careerpath, mission and passion are at the root of volunteerism.”

At the recent 21st Annual Female Leadership Event, Female Leaders Volunteering, held in Curacao, Island Governor of Sint Eustatius, Alida Francis said, “We don't give to our society in anticipation of getting something in return. We do it out of compassion and social responsibility.”

Leadership Takeaway of The Week:

“Volunteering offers vital help to people in need, worthwhile causes, and the community, but the benefits can be even greater for you, the volunteer.”—Del Carver, co-chair of the Prairies and Lakes SCORE

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About the Author

Michele Weldon is editorial director of Take The Lead, an award-winning author, journalist, emerita faculty in journalism at Northwestern University and a senior leader with The OpEd Project. @micheleweldon www.micheleweldon.com