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Racial Equity in Volunteer Engagement: Why it Matters

Published on 7/3/2020

Minnesota ranks 2nd in the nation with over 35% of residents 16 and older volunteering at an organization at least once in the past year. But the numbers paint a different picture when broken down by race. While nearly 40% of non-Hispanic white Minnesotans report volunteering in the past year, only 15% of people of color report having volunteered (Minnesota Compass).

These numbers reflect a larger problem in the realm of volunteer engagement: the structures and processes we use to engage volunteers are not equitable across racial and ethnic backgrounds. To better understand these barriers, ask yourself the following questions: Are my organization’s volunteer opportunities and trainings accessible for people who rely on public transportation? Is there flexibility for volunteers to have other priorities outside of their volunteer work? Are clients of my organization prohibited from reciprocating through volunteering? These are just a few examples of barriers that may contribute to inequity in volunteer engagement. Organizations that reflect the diversity of their community are stronger and more culturally-responsive, and the communities are more empowered and engaged.

This is why engaging a racially diverse employee base is a top priority for many nonprofits. Diversifying the volunteer base, however, has not received the same attention, despite the fact that volunteers deliver the majority of services at many nonprofits. It’s time for that to change.

As it stands today, volunteerism is not accessible to everyone. It is not perceived as an activity for people of all races, classes and statuses. To many, it is not the positive activity that those of us who are volunteer engagement professionals know it can be when it’s done well. And that is because we can do it better by prioritizing equity in all aspects of volunteerism.

If organizations do not develop more equitable practices in volunteer engagement, and if they do not engage volunteers from communities of color, what will happen to the field of volunteerism? It’s impossible to know, but social structures that do not adapt and dismantle inequities often become irrelevant over time. Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen.

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