Informal Volunteering Research Articles

How volunteering shapes immigrants’ social identity: insights from foreign-born formal and informal volunteers

This study explores how formal versus informal volunteering is related to immigrants’ identities in the US. We analyse 24 semi-structured interviews to investigate the identity-related influences of immigrant volunteering within and outside nonprofits’ auspices. We base our data analysis on the theoretical framework of individual mobility and a conceptual framework consisting of social identity theory and role identity theory. While past research has addressed how voluntary work affects immigrants’ social identity, we offer a comparative outlook by investigating how the associations differ for formal versus informal volunteering. Our findings show that immigrants who volunteer formally apply their immigrant identity to emphasise the integrative qualities of their volunteer role in US society, and that immigrants who volunteer informally apply their volunteer role towards the preservation of their immigrant identity.

Discretion and Obligation Across Volunteering and Caring: Shining Light on Non-Voluntary Carers in the Retiring Encore Segment

This paper seeks to understand pathways into volunteering in the encore life stage and contribute to policy interventions. There is a need for more clarity regarding the delineation of formal volunteering from informal volunteering and from adult kin-caring. A sample of 4,464 respondents from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey was analysed using a set of logistic regressions, to explore three frames of volunteering —substitution (of former work time), complementary focus (gradual adjustment to less paid work or other change in personal circumstance), and obligation (compulsion to provide care or unpaid labour). Results indicate that formal volunteering was largely discretionary and a result of substitution, that informal volunteering, particularly caring for children, was complementary and partly obligatory, and the area of greatest potential policy intervention, adult kin caring was found to be largely obligatory.

Why Neighbors Would Help: A Vignette Experiment on Reciprocity in Informal Helping

Reciprocity in informal helping, or informal volunteering, is often seen as a way to ensure that people who are not altruistically motivated exchange help. Yet, it could be problematic for those who are unable to help, as they would be excluded from this exchange. We study to what extent people’s reciprocity expectations affect informal helping intentions and whether necessity of helping and perceived helpfulness (indirect reciprocity) compensate and moderate this relationship. Expectations are tested with a factorial survey conducted among the Longitudinal Internet studies for the Social Sciences panel ( N vignettes = 3,299). Multilevel regression analyses show that people have stronger intentions to help those who are likely to reciprocate but that a strong need for help and having helped others in the past are more important reasons to help. Furthermore, the effect of likelihood of reciprocity on informal helping intentions is stronger for neighbors who never helped others. Policy implications of these results are discussed.

How Helping You Helps Me: A Longitudinal Analysis of Volunteering and Pathways to Quality of Life Among Older Adults in Singapore.

Volunteering is known to be associated with well-being among older adults. However, less is known about the psychosocial pathways (e.g., personal mastery, social support) through which this occurs, with past studies tending to rely on cross-sectional data, which are susceptible to selection biases. This study, using longitudinal data, investigates how formal and informal volunteering may affect older adults' quality of life through personal mastery, perceived social support, and received social support. Data are from 2 waves of a nationally representative study of older adults aged 60 years and older in Singapore, conducted between 2016 and 2019 (N = 2,887). We estimate indirect effects using a 2-wave mediation model, relying on bootstrapped confidence intervals for significance testing. We find indirect effects from volunteering to quality of life through perceived social support and personal mastery, but not through received social support. While any type (formal/informal) and frequency (regular/nonregular) of volunteering promotes quality of life through perceived social support, indirect effects through personal mastery are limited to regular volunteering in formal settings. Results provide longitudinal evidence for perceived social support as a key pathway from volunteering to quality of life. Volunteering may be an effective way to improve quality of life by helping older adults feel more supported, even if it may not affect the actual help that they receive. Further, a structured and sustainable environment may be required for volunteering to promote personal mastery (and through it, quality of life) among older volunteers.

Does Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Explain Volunteer Time Allocations? An Exploration of Motivational Time Allowances Using the American Time Use Survey

This study examines whether there is an optimal set point along Maslow’s (1943) hierarchy of needs associated with disaggregated forms of volunteerism. Taniguchi’s (2012) study examined major life domains (e.g., work, education, and religion) for associations with formal and informal volunteerism. An alternative approach is to include life domains with variables measuring motivational concerns to better identify time allocation patterns for disaggregated volunteerism. This study analyzed the results of 9,435 time diaries recorded on the 2019 American Time Use Survey (ATUS). The time allocated to formal and informal volunteerism associates with intermediate belongingness concerns. There is no association between time spent on self-esteem and self-actualization concerns and informal volunteering. Tertiary education as a baseline measure for self-actualization shares a weaker association than belonging with formal volunteering. The data suggest that research into maximizing formal volunteerism may be searching at the wrong point at self-actualization. Implications are discussed for motivating volunteerism.

Retaining public health volunteers beyond COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a change in people's volunteering behaviours; participation has increased in informal volunteering (giving unpaid help to those who are not a relative) while decreasing in formal volunteering (unpaid help to groups or clubs). There is an interest from stakeholders who have experienced increased participation in maintaining the positive patterns of volunteering, aligning with National Health Service (NHS) objectives and realising benefits in a wider public health context. This research uses a local COVID-19 public health volunteering programme case study to explore the volunteer's journey and perspective using volunteers' reported experiences to consider the potential for volunteer retention and role expansion into other public health issues beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. Recruitment was undertaken by Birmingham City Council Public Health Team via the COVID-19 Community Champions programme mailing list. Semi-structured focus group discussions, one-to-one interviews and email interviews were conducted with volunteers. Data were analysed through directed thematic analysis using an iteratively developed coding frame. Data were collected from three focus group discussions, four interviews, and one email interview involving a total of 16 participants. Six themes were identified: volunteer motivations and expectations; volunteer management; programme organisation; feeling valued; continued need for role, and interest in new responsibilities. Our findings indicate that the factors which are conducive to volunteer recruitment, retention and re-purposing were: maintaining the original terms of engaging with the volunteering opportunity (including retaining the original brief and remit), adjusting these through consultative processes with an emphasis on seeking permission from the volunteers already involved and ensuring a reliable and consistent management and support structure. While some of the learning is specific to the local volunteer programme in question and the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are lessons that can be generalised to other scenarios and settings.

Understanding the volunteer motivations, barriers and experiences of urban and rural youth: a mixed-methods analysis

There is a growing need to promote volunteerism among youth, given the declining rates across Western countries, and the societal and individual benefits gained through community engagement. Research has focused on individual predictors of volunteerism, but little is known about the role of context, such as urban–rural differences when examining comparable cohorts. Using data from a Canadian survey and semi-structured interviews, we documented differences in volunteer motivations and barriers between urban and rural youth. Survey results showed that rural youth volunteered more hours if they had friends who volunteered, whereas urban youth invested more hours if they were motivated to explore their strengths. Qualitative findings highlighted the importance of networks as levers to formal and informal volunteering, especially for rural youth, and the unique social and structural barriers related to volunteerism depending on place of residence. Contextual factors should be considered when designing strategies to recruit and retain young volunteers.

Informal Volunteering and Immigrant Generations: Exploring Overlooked Dimensions in Immigrant Volunteering Research

Informal Volunteering and Immigrant Generations: Exploring Overlooked Dimensions in Immigrant Volunteering Research

Do Sociocultural Factors Drive Civic Engagement? An Examination of Political Interest and Religious Attendance

AbstractThe U.S. simultaneously faces declining rates of and barriers to engagement, despite the importance to society and benefits to the participant. Research largely focuses on individual demographics, social, and economic characteristics, but what role do sociocultural factors play in civic engagement? This study examines the influence of political interest and religious attendance on five measures of civic engagement—formal volunteering, informal volunteering, public meeting attendance, voting, and blood donation. Religious attendance plays a greater role in volunteering while political interest plays a greater role in political participation. This work illustrates how different factors relate to different types of engagement. Findings demonstrate the need to move beyond socioeconomic factors to examine sociocultural factors that may influence civic engagement and the need for multiple measures of engagement.

Volunteering behaviours among UK military Veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic and associations with health and well-being

LAY SUMMARY The COVID-19 pandemic influenced ways in which individuals volunteered and created barriers for participation because of differing restrictions. The research assessing how Veterans volunteer is limited, but there may be aspects of military culture that encourage service to others. The authors investigated volunteering among UK Veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic and what factors made Veterans more or less likely to volunteer. The study found that 60% of Veterans had volunteered in the past 12 months, a level similar to that among the UK general population. Overall, Veterans volunteered more often through formal organizations rather than on an informal basis, such as helping individuals such as neighbours. However, in relative terms, levels of formal volunteering decreased and levels of informal volunteering increased during the pandemic. Veterans were more likely to volunteer if they were officers or to increase volunteering if they felt lonely. Veterans who reduced volunteering were more likely to have mental health problems. Understanding volunteering among Veterans may open up more opportunities for participation.

Volunteering, religiosity, and quality of life in later life: evidence from Singapore

Objectives We examine the association of the frequency of formal and informal volunteering with quality of life (QoL) among older adults in Singapore. We also assess if private (private prayer) or public (religious service attendance) aspects of personal religiosity moderate this association. In examining the moderating role of religiosity, we adjudicate between two competing theoretical views—the value-congruence and resource-compensation perspectives. Methods Ordinary least squares regression models were estimated using cross-sectional data from a national survey of older Singaporeans, aged 60 and above, in 2016. Results The frequency of both informal and formal volunteering was associated with better QoL. While private prayer did not moderate this association, religious attendance did—the positive association was stronger among those attending religious services less frequently. Conclusion Volunteering is beneficial for well-being in later life, especially so for older adults with less religious service attendance. These observations dovetail with the resource-compensation perspective, underscoring that the benefits of volunteering are amplified for older adults who are less integrated into their religious congregations. Hence, targeting those with lower levels of religious attendance might be useful in maximizing the benefits experienced by older volunteers.

FORMAL AND INFORMAL VOLUNTEERING AMONG OLDER ADULTS: ASSOCIATIONS WITH HEALTH OUTCOMES ACROSS SEXUAL ORIENTATIONS

Abstract Volunteering is associated with positive physical and mental health outcomes among older adults. However, little is known about the impact of volunteering on health among older lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) Americans. Using nationally representative 2016 Health and Retirement Study data, the present study explored associations between volunteering and health outcomes (i.e., self-rated health, current memory rating) across sexual orientations among older Americans. Two types of volunteering were considered in the study—formal volunteering (doing unpaid work for religious, educational, health-related, or other charitable organizations) and informal volunteering (providing unpaid help to friends, neighbors, or relatives who do not co-reside). We included 235 (5.7%) respondents who self-identified as LGB or something else, and 3,894 (94.3%) heterosexual-identified respondents. Controlling for health-related variables (e.g., ADLs/IADLs), SES (e.g., income), contextual features (e.g., urban/rural), and sociodemographics (e.g., age, gender, race), results from eight stratified OLS regression models showed that for heterosexual-identified older adults, both formal and informal volunteering promoted self-rated health (p<.001, respectively) and memory rating (p<.001, respectively). However, for LGB-identified older adults, only informal volunteering was detected to increase memory rating (p<.038). Findings suggest that the well-documented health benefits of formal volunteering may not be supported in the LGB population. The current theoretical model and discourse about productive aging should be modified to be more inclusive with respect to sexual orientation. Further research identifying the pathways (e.g., identity-related stigmatization and discrimination) between various types of volunteering and health outcomes among older LGB adults is urged and possible directions will be discussed.

The engagement of informal volunteers in disaster management in Europe

Informal volunteering is increasingly important in disaster management, but authorities remain cautious about collaborating with informal volunteers. Relatively little is known about the extent to which informal volunteers are integrated into European disaster management systems. We try to remedy this gap by examining Germany, Italy, Belgium, Hungary, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Estonia, focusing on (1) the policies and institutional arrangements for integrating informal volunteers, (2) the methods and tools used for their engagement, and (3) the presumed benefits and challenges of involving volunteers in disaster management. 95 expert interviews combined with desk research and four online table-top exercises in 2019–2020 involving analysis of 11 disaster cases show that disaster management systems in these countries are taking modest steps toward opening traditional command-and-control structures to informal volunteers. In Sweden and Norway, where volunteering is more common, the engagement of informal volunteers is somewhat regulated, providing an opportunity to formally insure them. In Belgium and Italy, the engagement of informal volunteers is not encouraged, but formal volunteering is encouraged. In Germany, Hungary, Finland, and Estonia, it is done on an ad hoc basis. In most of the countries studied, campaigns to raise volunteers’ awareness of support possibilities are backed up by practical training that focuses primarily on first aid. In all countries, except Germany, social media has been used by disaster management authorities to inform, guide, or register informal volunteers on an ad hoc basis. The studied cases indicate that disaster response is more efficient when procedures for informal volunteer engagement exist.

Compassionate community connectors: a distinct form of end-of-life volunteering

Public health approaches to palliative care have long promoted the contribution of formal and informal volunteering to providing effective end-of-life care in neighbourhoods and communities. A central strategy for this is a ‘compassionate communities’ approach that focuses on building care networks and developing community members’ capacities in end-of-life care. There is anecdotal evidence of differences in the motivations and life experiences of traditional palliative care volunteers and volunteers in compassionate community programs. There is however very little research into volunteers seeking a compassionate communities orientated role. This study describes the motivations, experiences and characteristics of volunteers participating in a program called compassionate connectors in Western Australia. Twenty volunteers with a variety of caregiving experiences participated in the pilot study through submitting an expression of interest for recruitment. Analysis indicated that the compassionate community connector role attracted experienced community volunteers who were already familiar with community services and end-of-life supports in their community, demonstrating a pre-existing understanding of the practical and emotional supports families may need for end-of-life care. They articulated some key differences with the hospice/palliative care volunteers and how they wish to engage in fresh ways with their community and move beyond traditional volunteering to exercise more autonomy in providing care. This article argues that clarifying these characteristics will benefit new compassionate community initiatives and provide important information for hospice and palliative care services that may be considering undertaking compassionate community projects. Conceptual clarity about these differing roles will be helpful for all collaborations and partnerships that involve volunteer recruitment and management.

Comparative Study on Volunteering among Older Korean Immigrants in the United States and Older Koreans in South Korea.

This study aimed to determine the most important factors that influence the prevalence of volunteering among older Koreans in the United States and in Korea and to identify sociodemographic resources, cultural resources, and social resources that are correlated with volunteering. The data were gathered from older Koreans aged 60 or over from the two countries (n = 480). The prevalence of volunteering was 23.3% for older Korean immigrants in the United States versus 14.7% for the older Koreans in Korea. This study found that there was a significant relationship between human capital (individual resources) and volunteering in both countries. Education and financial status had a positive relationship with volunteering among older Koreans in both countries. Cultural resources and social resources were the only important predictors of volunteering among older Korean immigrants in the United States. Regarding types of volunteering, older Koreans in both countries were more likely to participate in informal volunteering than formal volunteering. These findings differ somewhat from those reported by previous studies. This study was the first attempt to examine older adults from these two countries with a focus on the correlation between cultural factors, social resources, and volunteering.

What drives formal and informal cash and in-kind giving, and volunteering, and is the relationship substitutable or complementary? Evidence from Ghana

ABSTRACT Anecdotal evidence of philanthropic practices has accumulated over the years through oral traditions and all over the psyche of the African, yet it is seldom studied empirically. By decomposing charitable giving into its spheres of formal and informal, this study examined the determinants and relationship of charitable giving in Ghana. Our findings, based on survey data from 1,533 household heads and instrumental variable probit model, revealed that while marital status, education, household size, religiosity, ethnicity, and empathic concern are important predictors of formal cash and in-kind giving, informal cash and in-kind giving is driven by income, religiosity and empathic concern. On the other hand, it was evident that formal volunteering is mainly determined by income, household size, religiosity, and empathic concern, whereas gender and religiosity influence informal volunteering. Furthermore, we established that, in both spheres of formal and informal giving, the relationship between cash and in-kind giving and volunteering is complementary. Premised on these findings, we recommend nonprofits and policymakers to recognize the complementary role and distinctive determinants of the spheres of giving in designing tools and policies to raise the levels and effectiveness of fundraising and volunteering campaigns.

Associations between volunteering and cognitive impairment: The moderating role of race/ethnicity.

Although volunteering has been shown to benefit cognitive health, there is a paucity of evidence on informal volunteering and subjective measures of cognitive impairment. Also, little is known about whether such relationships vary by race/ethnicity. This study aimed to examine the associations of both formal and informal volunteering with older adults' objective and subjective cognition and explore the moderating role of race/ethnicity in such associations. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study in the United States (2010-2016), 9941 older adults (51+) who were cognitively unimpaired in 2010 and alive through 2016 were included. Ordered logistic regression models were performed to assess the relationships among volunteering, cognitive impairment and race/ethnicity. Findings showed that more years of formal and informal volunteering significantly reduced the odds of objective cognitive impairment; neither volunteering type was significant for subjective cognitive impairment. The relationship between informal volunteering and objective cognition varied by race/ethnicity. Compared to non-Hispanic Whites, non-Hispanic Black older adults who engaged in more years of informal volunteering had a significantly higher odds of cognitive impairment over time. The current study is one of the first to look at the associations between informal volunteering and cognition. The inclusion of subjective cognitive impairment, paired with objective measures of cognition, also adds value to the knowledge body. Our findings indicate any type of volunteering is a viable approach to prevent cognitive impairment for older populations. However, more research is needed to better understand why racial/ethnic minority, particularly non-Hispanic Black older adults, do not benefit from informal volunteering.

Voluntary Contributions to Society: The Impact of School Systems

The question of how much religious schools contribute to the preparation of their students for citizenship has long been debated and empirical evidence has been mixed. A national Australian survey, Contributing to Australian Society, conducted in 2016 by the Christian Research Association, provided the opportunity for a quantitative study comparing the graduates of government, Catholic, independent high-fee, and low fee Christian school systems in their patterns of informal and formal adult volunteering as expressions of active citizenship. The survey found that the graduates of non-government secondary schools displayed higher rates of both formal and informal volunteering. However, stronger factors in graduate volunteering were parental volunteering and volunteering at school or in religious organizations.

Influences of (Non)Engagement in Volunteering: First-Generation Immigrant Perceptions of Integration into US Society.

This qualitative research study examines how volunteering and nonvolunteering is associated with immigrant perceptions of their integration into US society. The study analyzes 24 semi-structured interviews to explore differences in social integration experiences and perceptions of social integration between immigrant volunteers and nonvolunteers. The study’s theoretical framework is intersectionality, and the conceptual framework consists of social integration, rational choice, and symbolic boundary theory. While past studies assert that volunteering increases feelings of social integration, this empirical study offers a comparative perspective between immigrants who volunteer and those who do not. Study findings suggest that formal immigrant volunteers build a stronger sense of agency in their social integration journeys through their contributions to American society. Data suggest that most nonvolunteering participants achieve minor benefits by engaging in informal volunteering outside of organizational auspices.

Volunteering and Chronic Inflammation in Later Life: Is Sustained Volunteering Beneficial for Health?

Although research on the health benefits of volunteering has proliferated in recent decades, most studies have focused on whether or not a person volunteers or the monthly frequency of volunteering. This study examines whether sustained volunteering has health benefits above and beyond occasional or short-lived volunteering. To investigate the salubrious effects of volunteering, the present study considers sustained volunteering engagement in terms of both formal and informal volunteering. Using four waves of data from the Health and Retirement Study, we assess the influence of sustained volunteering on chronic inflammation, measured by C-reactive protein (CRP). Results reveal that sustained engagement in formal and informal volunteering is related to lower CRP concentration, but this association is partly mediated by adult health and socioeconomic factors. Although sustained volunteering is associated with lower levels of chronic inflammation, older adults who maintain their volunteering over time are a select category of adults, characterized by higher education and wealth and better health.