Russia: survey of students’ attitude to CSOs
HSE and the project ‘Your Move’ investigated whether students want to work for CSOs
According to the survey, 77% of respondents would like to be involved in the work of CSOs in the future, and 37% would like to create their own non-profit organisation.
17.05.2024
Article published on the ASI website
The Centre for Studies of Civil Society and the Nonprofit Sector at the National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE) and the expert centre ‘Your Move’ conducted an online survey among 1,829 students that use the ‘Your Move’ platform. The purpose of the survey was to find out how young people help others, participate in social activities and interact with non-profit organisations.
According to the survey results (that are available to ASI), over the last year 82% of respondents helped someone other than their family and friends and were engaged in charity work.
The level of awareness about non-profit organisations in the survey participants’ cities or districts reaches 93%. When naming specific types of organisations that students are familiar with, most often they mentioned:
- trade unions – 55%;
- school or student government bodies – 51%;
- charities that help children, people facing violence or addiction, people suffering homelessness and others – 47%.
Most often, the interviewed students were involved in student councils and trade union organisations. However, they were less often involved with professional associations, creative unions, and informal youth associations of a non-political nature.
59% of those involved with CSOs were members of an organisation, and 55% were volunteers. 45% of respondents participated in the meetings and conferences of the organisation, and 38% participated in its affairs in general. Only 18% of respondents supported the organisation financially.
77% of respondents said they would like to be involved with non-profit organisations in the future, while 38% would prefer employment in CSOs on a professional basis. About the same number of respondents (37%) said they dreamed of creating their own non-profit organisation.
“Students are the real driving force of the country! Already, more than 1.7 million people from 18 to 35 years old are registered on the project platform. It is necessary and important to study their opinions, which is what the expert centre ‘Your Move’ is doing. The results of the study showed that young people are increasingly engaged in charity work and helping other people. And most importantly, students themselves are interested in such initiatives. I am sure that the desire of young people to do good and to create a progressive and empathetic society in Russia will lead to positive changes”, Kristina Schenk, the head of the Russian student project ‘Your Turn’, commented.
Previously, the Agency for Social Information held a public talk to figure out why students are needed in CSOs. You can read the material on the results of the public talk here and watch the full recording here.
