Virtual Volunteering and Other Strategies that Increase Access to Volunteering Among Older Adults

Principal Investigator: Dr. Jennifer Crittenden, PhD, MSW

Our Team

Dr Crittenden

Dr. Jennifer Crittenden, Ph.D., MSW

Principal Investigator
Dr. Crittenden Bio

Rachel Coleman, Ph.D.

Project Manager
Rachel’s Bio

Cynthia Cushing

Graduate Intern
Cynthia’s Bio

Project Summary

Research literature underscores the positive health and well-being outcomes experienced by older adults who engage in volunteerism. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased health and isolation risks for older adults while also threatening the connection that older adults have with traditional on-site volunteer assignments. Virtual volunteerism (VV) offers a possible solution to this for older adults in the volunteer sector and more information is needed on its current and potential use. Drawing input from three national service programs, RSVP,  Senior Companion, and Foster Grandparents, this exploratory three-year study aims to describe the benefits, opportunities, and challenges of VV from both volunteer and host program/site perspectives. This will be done through:

  • Semi-structured interviews with national service program directors and thought leaders in the volunteerism/civic engagement.
  • Survey of RSVP program stations.
  • Surveying of older adult volunteers from across all three AmeriCorps Seniors service programs to identify benefits that are most attractive to volunteers and would result in the highest level of recruitment and retention for future volunteer cohorts.
  • A partnership with AmeriCorps to develop a nationwide measure and prevalence of virtual volunteering using the Civic Engagement and Volunteerism Supplement.

The purpose of this research is to create recommendations that programs can put into place to increase access to virtual volunteer opportunities across digital disparities. Virtual volunteering was used as a stop-gap measure for many organizations during the Covid-19 pandemic and this research looks at the place of virtual volunteering in a post-pandemic volunteer landscape.

Study Reports and Publications

  • Current Practices and Future Use of Virtual Volunteerism Among Older Adults: Interviews with RSVP Programs and Key Informants in Technology and Volunteerism
  • This report summarizes interviews conducted with key informants in the field of volunteerism and technology. Emerging themes highlight the positive and negative impacts of COVID on older adult volunteerism, the challenges and benefits of virtual volunteerism strategies, and the projected future opportunities for virtual volunteer engagement.
  • https://maine.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01MAINE_INST/15q14us/alma991048541492208681
  • Spotlighting the 2023 Civic Engagement and Volunteering Supplement Series: Virtual Volunteering
  • This data brief explores findings on virtual volunteerism drawn from the 2023 Civic Engagement and Volunteering (CEV) Supplement from the U.S. Census.
  • https://maine.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01MAINE_INST/15q14us/alma991048541504608681
  • Virtual Volunteerism Among Older Adults: National Survey Findings from RSVP Program
  • This report details a national survey of 138 RSVP programs to examine virtual volunteering practices among older adults. Survey results indicate that although virtual volunteering provides key advantages such as increased accessibility and convenience, program adoption remains limited. This report discusses both barriers to virtual volunteer adoption as well as opportunities to strengthen its uptake among older adult volunteers in the future. 
  • https://mainecenteronaging.umaine.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/201/2026/07/RSVP-Program-Director-Survey-Report-Digital.pdf
  • Exploring Older Adults’ Interest in Virtual Volunteering: Evidence from a Multi-Theoretical Model Combining TAM, Self-Efficacy, and Digital Divide Perspectives
  • Combining the Technology Acceptance Model, Self-Efficacy, and Digital Divide theories, this manuscript details analysis with data drawn from 814 older adult volunteers to determine what drives older adults toward virtual volunteerism. Regression modeling revealed that a preference for virtual activities and a desire for technology training are the strongest predictors of interest, whereas self-efficacy lost statistical significance in the final analysis. These findings demonstrate that older adults’ engagement depends primarily on the perceived usefulness of digital tools and their willingness to enhance technical skills. To boost participation, volunteer programs must design accessible platforms paired with targeted support to lower both technical and motivational barriers.
  • https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/10/1340

virtual volunteering tipsheets

Please click here to view or download this tipsheet. This tipsheet provides an overview of older adult virtual volunteering, including the benefits for both volunteers and programs. 

Please click here to view or download this tipsheet. This tipsheet reviews the key considerations for developing a virtual volunteer program for older adults.

Please click here to view or download this tipsheet. This tipsheet reviews the recommended strategies for supporting recruitment and retention within an older adult virtual volunteering program. 

Please click here to view or download this tipsheet. This tipsheet reviews the strategies that programs can use to best train and support older adult virtual volunteers including training format, and the use of technology ambassadors. 

Please click here to view or download this tipsheet. This tipsheet outlines technology resources for volunteer programs and staff identified by key informants in the field via project interviews. 

Acknowledgements

This material is based upon work funded by the Office of Research and Evaluation at AmeriCorps under Grant No. 22REAME001 through the National Service and Civic Engagement research grant competition. Opinions or points of view expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of, or a position that is endorsed by, AmeriCorps.

Activities featured on this website funded under AmeriCorps grant# 22REAME001 will comply with the Executive Orders and other guidance issued in January and February 2025 and all subsequent Executive Orders by the federal executive branch. This website contains content that predates those EOs and guidance; we continue to publish that material so as to provide a full historical record of the project.

Questions?

If you have questions about the project, please contact Jennifer Crittenden at jennifer.crittenden@maine.edu