Engaging Gen Alpha to the Silent Generation: Volunteer Strategies for Nonprofits
Volunteering brings people together from all walks of life, strengthening connections in community. Each generation has unique motivations and preferences when it comes to volunteering and understanding these can help nonprofits engage volunteers more effectively.
Last week at the
2025, Points of Light’s Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Convenings, Beth Pann, gave a keynote address on strengthening volunteer programs from a generational perspective. As nonprofits recruit volunteers to support their programs, here are things to consider when engaging with each generation.
Gen Alpha (Ages 12 and Younger)
What defines them?
This group is highly empathetic. They’ve been exposed to global challenges early on, which has fostered a strong sense of empathy.
Tips for Engagement
Connect them with young mentors. While most Gen Alpha volunteers are likely to be volunteering with their families, seeing slightly older peers volunteering will continue to inspire them. Think about other ways in which you can connect these young volunteers with their classmates and/or other Gen Z volunteers who are deeply engaged. Cultivating an interest in volunteering early on can build a lifetime of civic engagement.
Gen Z (Ages 13–28)
What defines them?
This generation is the first to grow up as digital natives and saw millennials engaging in more activism than Gen X parents. They are driven by causes including social justice, healthcare, mental wellness, environmental causes and more. They prioritize tangible impact, community involvement, and mentorship.
Tip for Engagement
Lead with purpose and authenticity. Volunteering is often a deeply personal experience, and Gen Z has helped to shape this idea. Find the spark to connect your Gen Z employees, community members and patrons in volunteering. For young professionals, integrating volunteering with skill and career development will be highly appealing.
Millennials (Ages 29–44)
What defines them?
Millennials have a passion for global causes and learning about social issues on a deep level. They seeing volunteering as a lifestyle aligned with their personal values. Points of Light’s Millennial Perspective research found that personal experience deeply influences the causes they care about.
Tip for Engagement
Offer micro-volunteering and/or family-friendly activities that resonate. As many Millennials are parents, micro-volunteering opportunities that are short-term and flexible, fit well into their dynamic lives. And make sure you get to know them. Millennials are deeply driven by their experiences, and care about making meaningful change.
Gen X (Ages 45–60)
What defines them?
Gen X is highly independent and pragmatic, valuing independence, and holds a bit of bureaucratic skepticism. They often volunteer for causes related to children, youth, or health.
Tip for Engagement
Propose hands-on and results-oriented projects. Gen X values leadership; and like Millennials and Gen Z, they value opportunities that fit into their work-life balance. Seek to engage them in fundraising, campaign management, team and/or committee leading opportunities. Make it easier for them by offering toolkits and streamlined communication.
Baby Boomers (Ages 61–79)
What defines them?
This group values the social and emotional benefits of volunteering. They bring a wealth of experience, skills and leadership. They see volunteering as a moral obligation and many believe in service as a legacy, passing down the value of volunteering to younger generations.
Tip for Engagement
Involve them in long-term leadership roles. Through board service or committee/campaign leadership, Baby Boomers seek to find ongoing impact as they leverage their personal networks and model civic engagement as an infinite contribution to communities and society.
Silent Generation (Ages 80–97)
What defines them?
They see volunteering as a duty to serve the community. They value face-to-face interactions and long-term commitments as a social connection they can uphold and actively contribute to. Many serve faith-based, military and local charity organizations.
Tip for Engagement
Provide structured and reliable volunteer roles. Daytime volunteering is a great option, as most are in retirement. These seniors bring a sense of pride to serving their communities, that stems from their community building after World War II.
The Opportunities of Multi-Generational Volunteering
Rather than seeing generational differences as a challenge, recognize them as powerful opportunities. While some volunteer experiences and impacts are immediate and tangible, like delivering meals or mentoring a student; others unfold quietly over time, influencing mindsets, relationships and even life paths.
Volunteering is dynamic, and that’s what makes it powerful. It not only changes communities but also transforms the individuals who take part in it.
Multi-generational volunteering is a powerful strategy to strengthen capacity, connection and engagement for nonprofits. Focus on what motivates your volunteers.
, provide incentives, and offer support based on their generational preferences.
It’s imperative to continue adapting programs to meet the evolving needs of volunteers and the communities they serve. Younger generations are primed and eager to co-create the future of volunteering. Engage with them!
By involving volunteers from different age groups, we can leverage a diverse range of skills, experiences and perspectives. This approach not only enhances the effectiveness of volunteer efforts but also fosters intergenerational understanding and collaboration, strengthening the social fabric of our communities.
Celebrate Senior Citizens Day: Volunteer for a Healthier Brain and a Stronger Community
August 21st marks National Senior Citizens Day, a time to honor the wisdom, experience and contributions of older adults in our lives and communities. Older individuals bring so much value and benefit to our communities, and
. This year, we encourage you to celebrate through volunteering. Not only will you be helping others, but research suggests you might be protecting your own cognitive health as well!
Cognitive Health and Volunteering
Exciting new research on volunteering presented at the
found a link between volunteering in later life and prevention of cognitive decline. While more studies are needed, this finding suggests that volunteering may be a valuable tool in protecting the brain against dementia and boosting memory capabilities.
Read the inspiring story of Daily Point of Light Awardee Bernice Voelker, who has mentored and supported more than 500 students over the past 22 years through the Americorps Seniors Foster Grandparents program.
National Senior Citizens Day is the perfect opportunity to start (or continue) your volunteering journey. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Share Your Skills: Tutor students, mentor young professionals or offer your expertise to local nonprofits.
Serve Your Community: Volunteer at a food bank, senior center or animal shelter.
Advocate for Change: Join a cause you care about and use your voice to make a difference.
Connect with Others: Participate in social activities or group volunteering projects to build relationships and combat loneliness.
If you’re looking for a structured way to get involved and meet like-minded volunteers, consider AmeriCorps Seniors. This program offers a variety of volunteer opportunities for adults 55 and older, including:
RSVP: Match your skills and interests with local volunteer needs.
Foster Grandparents: Mentor and support children and youth with exceptional needs.
Senior Companions: Provide companionship and assistance to homebound seniors.
See how Daily Point of Light Awardee Mark Mandel spends five days a week in retirement serving New York City’s greatest institutions.
Take Action Today!
Don’t wait for National Senior Citizens Day to make a difference. Start planning your volunteer activities now. It’s a win-win: you’ll contribute to your community and potentially boost your brain health at the same time. Visit
to find opportunities near you and remember, every act of service counts! Let’s celebrate our seniors by getting involved and building a healthier, happier future for everyone.
Volunteering Hungary’s Dedication to Building Community Connections
(Önkéntes Központ Alapítvány), a Global Network Affiliate building a brighter future by connecting volunteers with meaningful opportunities in Hungary.
Volunteering Hungary understands that a thriving society is built on connection and cooperation. They believe in connecting volunteers, nonprofit organizations and businesses to foster collaboration, meet community needs and create lasting change.
We spoke with Borbála Hadrévy, a project manager at Volunteering Hungary, to learn more about how they work with their communities, especially seniors, and recognize their volunteers.
Tell us about a project or initiative you’re working on that’s making a big impact on your community.
Our Friends of the Elderly program aims to help those living alone in society. Our volunteers visit seniors as friends — chatting, walking, playing games, listening to their stories or even shopping together. Volunteers are often their only link to the outside world. We also organize outside activities for seniors, to get them out of their home, at least for a little while. Every year we organize a Christmas lunch featuring performers, but they have also taken part in Women’s Day greetings, kids’ gymnastics, a ballet and folkdance show, a petting zoo program, an Easter party and a sightseeing cruise.
We supported 60 seniors in Budapest, with 139 new applying volunteers, 50 active visiting volunteers, three training events for volunteers and four fun programs in 2023.
“I always look at the faces of the elderly. It is wonderful how the loneliness disappears, and we can see their true faces.” — Gréti Kázmér (leader of Friends of the Elderly program, Volunteering Hungary)
Do you have an upcoming special event or milestone that your organization is celebrating? Tell us about it!
We had our Friends of the Elderly carnival in February 2024, which saw 50 seniors, volunteers and 50 children from different kindergartens. The carnival includes crafts with children, a costume show and children’s show for seniors, eating special carnival delicacies together.
Are you working with Points of Light Global Network affiliates on a community project? Share the details.
: A Pathway To Employment. For this initiative, we work with unemployed young people as well as people over 45 to make them aware of their skills and improve their employability in sectors of the future, through an innovative and unique pathway.
We also work with the Regionalne Centrum Wolontariatu in Poland on the EST Erasmus+ project: European Seniors Together. The project aims to develop a precise method for senior experts to mentor young people who need help in their professional or personal lives.
In the past we’ve worked with Pro Vobis in Romania and TimeHeroes in Bulgaria as well.
How are you recognizing and thanking volunteers for their contributions?
Each year, we give Volunteering Awards in four categories. This ceremony is held to thank them for their outstanding work. We celebrated more than 100 senior volunteers on their volunteer club’s 10th birthday in 2023. Every Christmas we give presents to our volunteers who are active in any of our programs. We are continuously working on finding and providing them with more and more volunteering opportunities.
In addition to volunteering, describe other elements of the Points of Light Civic Circle® that your work involves. How has the Civic Circle become central to your approach?
For the “Vote” element, in 2024 Volunteering Hungary participated in the VVV campaign (Vote Volunteer Vision). The aim is to call the attention of volunteer-involving organizations to discover and develop the European Parliament candidates’ opinions on volunteering for the 2024 European Parliament Election. We also share the idea in secondary schools for those over 18.
We’ve used “Listen & Learn” for trainings in volunteer management, pro bono projects, EST (Europen Seniors Together) European project for mentoring young people by senior experts.
For “Work” we have our “APTE” (A Pathway To Employment) European project for job seekers. For “Donate,” we collect and distribute our corporate partners’ donations. And for “Social Entrepreneur,” we support institutions (shelters, temporary homes for families, children’s homes, schools, etc.) with corporate volunteer programs, mentoring programs for young people in need and sensitization programs between NGOs and corporate sector.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give someone who’s looking to get more involved in their community through civic engagement?
Try to find a volunteer activity in which you feel comfortable and fulfilled in every way.
How to Help Senior Citizens: 5 Ways to Lend Your Support
as you age are well documented. Aging adults can face a number of challenges, from loneliness to failing health, which is why volunteering with senior citizens is a great way to help them engage with the community. When multiple generations come together in service, it helps bridge the age gap and everyone can come away having learned something.
Why don’t we use the term elderly?
Rather than looking at situations or people from a deficit lens that prioritizes what’s missing or what’s wrong, Points of Light prioritizes language that focuses on strength and potential, known as asset-based language.
The term
elderly
can evoke negative connotations and contribute to bias and ageism. Therefore, we use the term
seniors
or
older adults
in our communications.
1. Visit an assisted living facility
Spend some quality time with someone who might not get a lot of visitors by planning a visit (or even better, regular visits) to an assisted living facility. Not sure what to do? Bring along a board game, a care package, a movie or a home-baked treat. You can also consider this time an opportunity to listen and learn. Hearing from perspectives other than your own not only helps broaden your horizons and make you a more educated person but it also helps seniors who are sharing their knowledge to feel heard and valued.
2. Assist with housework or yard work
It’s common for people not to realize that stopping by a senior neighbor’s house to see if they need support is a form of civic engagement. Simple things like helping with mowing the lawn, vacuuming or other household chores or projects can make a world of difference. If you notice that their home needs a specific repair, you could ask them if they’re wanting that task done soon and gently suggest calling a repair person. However, be mindful not to overstep, and respect the autonomy your neighbor has over their home.
3. Teach computer and internet skills
Help seniors stay connected by teaching them how to email their friends and family, check the news and use social media. You might also take this time to give tips on how to avoid scams and viruses.
Read about how Daily Point of Light honoree Esther Chan is helping spread awareness about internet scams in senior centers.
4. Help with errands and transportation
Once seniors can no longer drive, it becomes more challenging for them to maintain social lives or feel independent. If you can provide a safe and reliable means of transportation, you take them to the grocery store, hair salon, doctor’s appointments or anywhere else your senior friend or loved one may need to go.
5. Participate in an intergenerational service project
A great way to connect with seniors is to get civically involved together. There are many projects that people of all ages and abilities can do: sending care packages to military members, donating used clothes and books, participating in a community bake sale, gathering items for a back-to-school drive – the possibilities are endless!
To search for volunteer opportunities in your community or from home, check out Points of Light Engage.
