People who normally volunteer their time to charities, particularly during the holiday season, are afraid to do so this year because of the pandemic, Fidelity Charitable said.

At a time of year when nonprofits often have to turn away volunteers, a Fidelity Charitable report released today said many charities may face shortages of volunteers this year.

“Two-thirds of volunteers decreased or stopped contributing time to nonprofits due to the pandemic,” the study said, “Of those who continued to volunteer, two-thirds turned to virtual or remote opportunities.” The study was based on 1,842 adults who donated at least $1,000 to charity last year. They were surveyed in March. An additional 491 Fidelity Charitable donors were surveyed in August.

The fear of volunteering in person creates a problem for charities because 64% of those who had not volunteered virtually or remotely in the past said they did not know how to find virtual opportunities, the study said.

“This lack of awareness has hurt nonprofits at a time when they are already suffering more than ever before," Amy Pirozzolo, head of donor engagement for Fidelity Charitable, said in a statement. "Charities essentially lost access to millions of dollars in volunteers’ time. But nonprofits have found creative new ways that people can safely engage, and we strongly encourage donors to explore how they can continue giving both their time and their much-needed financial support.”

Many nonprofits include information about current volunteer needs on their websites, and organizations such as VolunteerMatch, local United Way chapters and Points of Light offer listings of volunteer opportunities at multiple charities, Fidelity said. The report also suggested nonprofits should be proactive about informing their supporters of ways they can continue to safely offer help.

The report's findings indicate the decrease in volunteerism may be temporary, with nearly three-quarters of donors saying they plan to return to pre-pandemic volunteerism levels when it is safe to do so.

Millennials often volunteer in different ways than older generations, according to Fidelity. Millennials have a stronger preference for skills-based volunteer opportunities, while other generations prefer to serve in less skilled roles by lending a hand such as serving in a food kitchen.

Thirty-five percent of millennials volunteer for three or more organizations, compared to less than a quarter of Gen Xers and baby boomers. Before the pandemic, nearly half of millennials said the amount of time they volunteered increased in the past two years, compared to a quarter of boomers and 29% of Gen Xers.