Stay-at-home mums can face challenges getting back into the workforce but Melbourne-based startup Vollie is making it easier than ever. Vollie is an online volunteering platform connecting skilled volunteers to the causes people care about, with all volunteering completed remotely.
The platform allows mums to volunteer from their own homes to give them up-to-date experience for their CVs and flexibility to still take care of their kids. Vollie Co-founder Tanya Dontas said that this is a great way to connect stay-at-home mums with volunteering opportunities that suit their needs, particularly this National Volunteer Week.
“It can be hard for stay-at-home mums to get back into the workforce, making online volunteering a great segue into this. “Stay-at-home mums have felt that they can’t volunteer if they have young children with them, but now they can do it from home without having to leave their kids,” she said.
Currently, Baby Boomers volunteer at twice the rate of millennials but 75% of Vollie’s database consists of 25-44 year olds, and 50% of these are female, making a large part of their users mums.
“Mums are huge contributors on Vollie and we want to continue to encourage more mums to take advantage of the flexibility and benefits of remote volunteering,” she said.
Fast Company statistics show that 92% of people believe volunteering expands an employee’s professional skill set and Vollie’s Tanya believes this is incredibly important for mums on maternity leave or those who have taken a while off work to raise their children.
“We think volunteering is a great way to help break down barriers women face when trying to get back into the workforce. “Re-entering the workforce can be a daunting and overwhelming task so volunteering from home can be a resourceful way to refresh skills, boost confidence and give back to a good cause at the same time,” she said.
Vollie’s other co-founder, Matthew Boyd, says the traditional model of volunteering is outdated and has deterred younger generations because of the time and energy involved.
“The volunteering space is undergoing change and like a lot of other things, it can now be done easier, faster and without leaving the house,” he said.
Vollie is driving the shift toward skilled volunteers where charities need people who can offer professional skills such as web developing, copywriting and graphic design.
National Volunteer Week is held from 21-27 May this year which celebrates volunteering and encourages people to get involved with charities. This year’s theme is ‘Give a little. Change a lot’ to show that even small contributions can make a huge difference.
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