Some years ago, as I recall, a New York Times op-ed piece mentioned that America’s reliance on volunteer service in public affairs shifted after World War I. We started turning more and more to paid workers – the ones we now call professionals.
Maybe some of it had to do with the shift from a rural and small-town society to big city life. And some of it, no doubt, as a matter of working inflexible hours in factories. Nowadays I’d add the shrinkage of local ownership, with executives who were expected to participate in public service, and the necessity of two-income families to make ends meet in the face of lower pay levels.
It’s a complicated issue, one that can lead to long discussion – maybe even some wailing.
I see it most directly in my Quaker circles, which function on an expectation that everyone in the faith community will offer service to the whole. That is, serve on a committee. I’m among those who are arguing that model needs to change to adapt to current conditions. Of course, it’s a matter many other groups – secular and religious – are facing. But it’s refreshing to read others who are thinking along similar lines. For one presentation, click here.
Maybe you have some helpful suggestions to add.
Jnana's Red Barn 
I suspect feminism has played its part too. As women have been given greater scope for fulfilment in non-volunteer roles, the need and desire to spend large amounts of time volunteering has lessened, I suspect.
It’s one factor, indeed. In America, it’s taking two incomes to run a household instead of just one, as it was when I was growing up. And that’s before we get to the struggles of single-parent families.
Volunteerism is alive and well in the US. I am the Director of Volunteer Services at a nursing home. Been there for 16 years, and 22 in the field. Trends happening now, the WWII generation are aging out of volunteering (they were HUGE volunteers, it was in their blood). But the baby boomers are actually taking their place. I have been impressed with their enthusiasm, creativity and commitment. Although times are changing- volunteerism is still alive and well. For some up to date info: http://www.pointsoflight.org/what-we-do And for some stats check out Independent Sector: https://www.independentsector.org/volunteer_time
Let’s do all we can to encourage the habit. Your points are well taken.
The amount of hours may be going down but the quality of the time i think is going up based on all the skills the baby boomers are bringing to the task. I think people also volunteer quietly- so there may be more people volunteering than it appears. Or maybe it’s less people volunteering but they are committing more hours than individual volunteers in the past. Keep the conversation going and maybe we can get some more people to give of themselves.
The point of the quality of the time is an interesting one. One reason I volunteer less than I might (okay, one reason that before I became a mother I volunteered less than I might!) is because volunteering tended to mean working way below my skill level. Not that unskilled labour is bad, exactly, but it wasn’t motivating when I was a highly qualified professional in my working life, but when offering my services was told I could stack shelves or tidy the garden.
These days I suspect if I wanted to I could fill my days with unpaid work which is more at my level, but churches are always happy to exploit people’s goodwill when it comes to ministry!
I’ve also heard that expressed as the difference between “church work” and “God’s work.”
Church work is when someone is needed to teach the second-grade Sunday school. God’s work is when you’re called to do it …
You sum up the issue perfectly. The old type of volunteer (WWII generation) that everyone was used to would do anything for the organization/charity they believed in (stuff envelopes, file all day, etc). But our new generation of volunteers, the baby boomers, are highly skilled and experienced and want to bring that experience with them to make a difference and change the world. So it is the job of nonprofits to start thinking about how to utilize that wealth of expertise, or chance losing those volunteers and those opportunities. Not always an easy job to make those good matches, but worth the effort.