Demands on Nonprofit Groups Rose in the Pandemic, Even as Volunteering Fell

That all came to a halt when the pandemic took hold in the Pacific Northwest in March. When the clinic reopened in June, Mr. Hill stayed home, worried about contracting the virus or bringing it home to his wife, who has chronic asthma.

“It’s left a huge hole in my schedule and my heart,” he said. “I just loved it so much.”

A study released on Wednesday by Fidelity Charitable, a nonprofit organization created by Fidelity Investments, found that two-thirds of all volunteers had either decreased or stopped their volunteering because of the pandemic.

A small number were interested in virtual volunteering — doing remote counseling, talking to homebound people or writing letters — which helps the people being served but not the nonprofit organizations themselves. According to the Independent Sector, a nonprofit membership organization, the average value of a donor’s time is $27.20 an hour.

“Many of the nonprofits are thinking, ‘We’re in this for the long haul, and we need to think of different ways to use our volunteers,’” said Amy Pirozzolo, the head of donor engagement of Fidelity Charitable. For example, many shelters that serve food have encouraged their volunteers to cook the meals at home and bring them in, she said.

Meals on Wheels, which delivers meals to the elderly in their homes and at senior centers, has helped 47 percent more clients and provided 77 percent more meals since the pandemic started, because many older people feel less comfortable going to a grocery store, said Ellie Hollander, the organization’s president and chief executive.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/13/your-money/nonprofit-groups-volunteers-pandemic.html