The time and need to involve baby boomers in your local programs is now. The 77 million baby boomers in the United States are more educated, experienced, and will live longer and healthier lives than any generation before them. Now, you can harness this power to work for you.

Who are the Baby Boomers?

Quick Facts:

• Baby boomers represent 27.5 percent of the United States population. Born between 1946 and 1964, this is the largest population group in U.S. history.
  
  
• A baby boomer turns 60 every 7 seconds.
  
  
• In the next five years, boomers will begin to reach retirement age. This is the first time in American history where so many people are arriving en masse at this stage in life.
  
  
• The oldest boomer was one year old when Howdy Doody first appeared on TV, 17 when John F. Kennedy was assassinated; 23 at Woodstock; and 36 for the start of the great bull market of the 1980s.
  
  
• Half of all boomers and two-thirds of younger boomers have children under the age of 18 living in their households. More than one third of boomers care for an older parent (AARP).
  
  
• According to the U.S. Census, boomers are concentrated in metropolitan areas, as opposed to rural counties. Regionally, they are more highly concentrated in New England, the Mid-Atlantic States, the upper Great Lake states, and the Pacific Northwest.

Nuances:

• Boomers do not like the word “senior”; they do not think of themselves as “growing old,” but rather, “aging”. Use the words, “navigate life stages” instead of “getting older.”
  
  
• For Boomers, there are still “many good years left”. For example, a 60-year-old who expects to live to 100 is only halfway through adulthood.
  
  
• Boomers reinvent themselves every three to five years. For example, a boomer could be a brand-new Dad or a grandparent.
  
  
• Boomers identify with Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, and other icons of their generation who have aged but are still shaping American culture.
  
  
• Marketing studies show boomers are more receptive to advertising than their Gen X and Gen Y counterparts, who tend to reject marketing claims out of hand.

The Time is Now

·There are two frames of thought for boomers heading toward retirement:

1. It’s My Turn: “I paid my dues and now it’s my turn to sit back and collect the dividends.”

2. Pass The Torch: “I’ve achieved so much during my lifetime; I want to teach others what I know so my legacy is passed on.”

• Four out of five boomers see work as playing a role in their retirement years, with only 20% anticipating retiring and not working at all (AARP):
  
  
• Of U.S. workers over 45, 69% plan to work in some capacity during retirement, with only 28% expecting not to work at all.
• More than 75% of workers 45+ feel that work is important to their self-esteem.
  
  
• An AARP survey found boomers to be the most likely age group to volunteer (60%).
  
  
• Boomers are different from the population of older Americans who currently volunteer. They are more demanding in terms of the quality of their volunteer experience and have high expectations.
  
  
• 67% of boomers most often noted the general desire “to help people” as a “very important” reason for volunteering, followed by a desire to “make my community a better place” (56%).

Tips for Marketing to Boomers and Engaging Them in Volunteer Service

• Spice it up — provide a variety of volunteer options and messages. Sample messages could include:
  
  
• Give something of yourself and get so much in return.
• There are many ways to get involved in your community.
• You made history once. You can lead and inspire again.
• Use the skills and experience you have gained over a lifetime to help others.
  
  
• Do not be age specific — Keep in mind there is a 20-year age difference between the oldest and youngest boomers.
  
  
• Make it about them — Boomers respond positively to benefits to themselves, including personal fulfillment, excitement, social opportunities, or opportunities to learn something new. They respond to service opportunities that meet their personal interests and opportunities that demonstrate visible benefits to the community.
  
  
• Focus on health and social benefits — Educate boomers on the health and social benefits of volunteering as well as the opportunities available to suit their lifestyle, interests, and expertise.
  
  
• Be flexible — Boomers will prefer flexible opportunities, such as those that allow for full-time, part-time, or episodic service. They also are interested in opportunities to serve after work or on the weekends.
  
  
• Use the Web — 45% of boomers regularly use the Internet so be sure to keep your website up to date and link to the campaign URL, www.getinvolved.gov, so volunteers in your area can easily find ways to help.