One role the UMRA Board of Directors plays is to promote awareness of and appreciation for the contributions of University retirees to the greater good of our communities. Last fall, in partnership with the University of Minnesota Foundation, we documented the significant financial commitments of current UMRA members to the University—more than $23 million (FY12–FY18) to the U’s ongoing “Driven” campaign.

To gain comparable information on the nature and impact of our members’ volunteer activities, the board commissioned a detailed study of the time UMRA members contribute in volunteer work, the impact of this work, and factors that inhibit volunteering.  

In the spring of 2019, 218 UMRA members (36 percent) responded to an internet survey on their volunteer activities in the previous year. The survey found that 78 percent of UMRA members had volunteered in 2018, with 43 percent volunteering at the U of M and 68 percent in the community, averaging a total of 198 hours each. The leading factors for not volunteering in the past year were being too busy (48 percent), having health-related issues (31 percent), and caretaking of family members (29 percent). 

Because of special efforts made to encourage participation in the survey regardless of volunteer activity, we feel the results provide a reliable estimate of our overall activity. Projecting respondents’ answers to the entire UMRA membership, we estimate that in 2018 UMRA members contributed more than 20,000 hours of service to the University, worth more than half a million dollars. Furthermore, UMRA members contributed more than 50,000 hours of service to the community at large, worth more than $1.4 million.  

Volunteers reported serving a wide variety of University departments and dozens of community organizations, in capacities ranging from ushering to leading governing boards and initiating major projects. Among the most frequently mentioned activities were educational ones—advising and mentoring students at the University and serving educational and youth organizations in the community. 

Clearly, UMRA members are continuing to serve and are making significant contributions during their retirement to the greater community.

—Ron Matross, member, Board of Directors