June 18, 2008
Baby Boomers Express Strong Interest in Charity-Related Second Careers
By Caroline Preston
At least 6 percent of Americans between the ages of 44 and 70, or 5.3 million people, are working in second careers with charities, governments, schools, or other institutions that benefit society, according to a new survey.
And half of the people in that age group who aren’t already involved in so-called “encore careers” say they would like to find such employment.
Even so, the survey found that many older Americans wanted more flexibility in their jobs and schedules than they thought most nonprofit groups could offer.
The survey was commissioned by Civic Ventures, a charity in San Francisco that seeks to engage older Americans in civic activities, and paid for by the MetLife Foundation, in New York. It was based on telephone interviews with more than 1,000 people.
The number of people who are working at nonprofit groups or want to do so “is a huge talent pool,” said Phyllis N. Segal, vice president of Civic Ventures. “This is a potential boon to nonprofits looking to carry out their mission.”
Top Causes
Working in schools or at other organizations that promote education is the biggest draw for people pursuing a second career. Thirty-percent are employed with education charities, schools, or similar groups.
Twenty-three percent of those employed in encore careers work in health care, while 16 percent work for government and 13 percent for other types of nonprofit groups.
Survey respondents interested in encore careers said they were motivated by a desire to stay active, productive, and challenged. More than a third cited practical concerns such as a need to continue making money and receiving health benefits.
However, the survey found that even those enthusiastic about encore careers had significant reservations.
Eighty percent said they were concerned about being able to take time off from work when they needed it. Seventy-one percent were worried about being able to balance work with taking care of family members and other responsibilities.
But most people already working in encore careers didn’t see those concerns as an issue, according to the survey.
Just 27 percent said they were not able to take as much time off as they would like, while only 15 percent said they were having trouble balancing work with other tasks.
The majority (59 percent) devoted 40 hours or more per week to their job.
“This is a highly skilled and educated work force, but it’s also a highly committed work force,” said Ms. Segal. “They’re highly satisfied with the income and the benefits and the flexibility they receive.”
Ms. Segal also noted that many of the things older workers wanted in their jobs — such as flexibility and a sense of purpose — were characteristics that people in their 20s and early 30s have told researchers are important.
“By making workplaces attractive to people who are interested in encore careers, nonprofits will also make workplaces attractive to younger people,” she said.
Changes in Policy
Survey respondents also cited additional steps that employers and policy makers could take to make second careers more appealing.
Seventy-two percent said they’d like to see an end to financial penalties for continuing to work. Sixty-four percent wished it were easier to use the Internet to find jobs with nonprofit groups, government, and other institutions.
Sixty-one percent wanted more education and training that would qualify them for second careers.
The survey found that people already working in encore careers tend to be in their 50s, highly educated, and female.
Sixty percent are age 51 to 62, while 24 percent are 44 to 50, and 16 percent are 63 to 70.
Eighty-eight percent come from professional and white-collar jobs, while more than two-thirds (67 percent) have at least a college degree.
Fifty-six percent are women. Forty-two percent reside in the suburbs, compared with 30 percent who come from cities and 28 percent from small towns or rural areas.
People who expressed an interest in finding “encore-career” work, but hadn’t yet made the leap, were slightly younger on average.
Fifty percent of people between 44 and 50 said they wanted such jobs. That compares with 46 percent of people 51 to 62, and 34 percent between 63 and 70.
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I didn’t realize I was looking for an encore career when in my early 50s I began working for the Catholic Church after what seemed like a life time working for a health care system. I am glad I made the leap. Much less stress. Greater sense of worth and appreciation for my gifts. Your article reinforced my decision. My world view has become much broader as a result.
— olderandwiser Jun 18, 02:45 PM #
A mounting distaste for consumerism, paired with an opportunity to market non profits ultimately brought me full circle from advertising to non profit development work. The hours are longer, the work is tougher, the pay is significantly lower, but the compensation in terms of personal satisfaction, the feeling of creating value and making an albeit small difference – has made the greatest difference in my life.
I am 47 years old, have a degree from a Seven Sisters college and spent 21 years in advertising, much of it in high-paying, senior level, big city posts. I feel reborn now in Montpelier, Vermont.
— Anne Loecher Jun 18, 03:09 PM #
There is a lot of buzz about the Baby Boomers contributing their skills to the nonprofit sector, but it leaves me wondering…
Are they taking jobs away from Millennials? Or are there enough jobs to go around?
There is a growing concern in the sector to justify a more competitive wage for nonprofit employees. Are Baby Boomers stunting the growth of the average nonprofit salary? (If they don’t need to earn much of an additional wage in retirement.)
— Ann B. Jun 18, 04:20 PM #
I definitely understand the desire to move from the for-profit sector to the nonprofit, but it would be a mistake to believe that it’s an easy transition to make. It is a different world altogether. Negotiating volunteer boards, recruiting and working with volunteer and underpaid staff not to mention limited resources is not for the faint of heart.
Some of us made the choice early in life to work for charitable missions and with years of education and experience we feel great about our contribution to a better world, we don’t have pensions, health care, life insurance, vacation homes or retirement plans.
— Lynne Jun 19, 03:07 PM #
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— Crystal Ashley Jun 20, 07:16 PM #
I think there is room for retiring boomers and emerging millennial in the nonprofit sector. I think it is easy to get stuck in a scarcity mindset where there is only so much leadership potential available. I just don’t believe that is the case. Society’s challenges need the best of every generation.
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— Trista Jun 24, 09:43 PM #
Thanks for this interesting news about boomers.
I write a boomer consumer blog called The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide at http://boomersurvive-thriveguide.typepad.com and a blog called the Boomer Consumer for the Seattle Post Intelligencer at http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/boomerconsumer/.
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— Rita Jun 25, 01:05 PM #