Volunteer Engagement Research Articles

Dynamic Volunteer Engagement and Impactful Educational Outreach Taking Us into the Next 50 Years of the Extension Master Gardener Program

According to the 2021 Extension Master Gardener (EMG) National Summary, the EMG Volunteer Program had an estimated 84,700 volunteers throughout the United States. These volunteers helped communities garden and grow food, provided opportunities to engage in activities that improved physical and mental health, and worked on projects that addressed environmental issues. In total, these programs contributed 3.1 million hours of education to local communities and $88 million dollars in value to the public. However, the COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges for the program, with many states implementing reduced requirements and increased flexibility for volunteers. The workshop “Dynamic Volunteer Engagement and Impactful Educational Outreach Taking Us Into the Next 50 Years of the EMG Program” at the 2022 ASHS conference discussed how to engage EMG volunteers despite the limitations of limited in-person contact. The workshop featured three Extension educators and EMG coordinators who shared their experiences and strategies for engaging volunteers during the pandemic. Topics discussed included engaging volunteers in local food systems and community gardens, engaging students in horticulture at an earlier age, and digital volunteer opportunities. Overall, the workshop provided valuable insights and facilitated discussions on how to adapt and continue the EMG program during challenging times.

Pracharumjai Foundation

The problem of a shortage of volunteers for the Pracharumjai foundation, a public charitable organization, has been a persistent issue since the expansion of the foundation's offices in 1989 and the restructuring of the organization, which resulted in an increased workload for existing volunteers. This signifies a growing demand for volunteers. However, the human resource management process, especially job analysis and design, of the foundation has been deficient, leading to insufficient volunteer engagement with the work. The foundation attempted to address this problem by supporting cross-training to enable volunteers to work interchangeably. However, this approach has become a more complex issue, as it has led to an increased workload for volunteers and reduced commitment to the main tasks of volunteering, consequently affecting the efficiency of the foundation. This research will present the human resource management process of the foundation so far in order to discuss suitable strategies within the public charitable organizational context.

Volunteer Engagement within Equine Assisted Services.

This study examines the effect of volunteering within a Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl) premiere accredited center by exploring the experiences of volunteers leading horses in adaptive riding lessons. Adaptive Riding lessons are horseback riding lessons for individuals ages four through the lifespan, with special needs, varying from cognitive, physical, social-emotional, or other challenges. Volunteers directly impact the rider-horse bond by increasing accessibility to horseback riding for individuals with disabilities, fostering a meaningful bond between the rider and horse. The research questions were as follows: (1) do saliva measures of cortisol and alpha-amylase (stress), and oxytocin (affiliative bonding) change over time for volunteers; and (2) how satisfied are volunteers with volunteering for Equine Assisted Services (EAS)? Forty-one volunteers participated in Reining in Anxiety, an intervention combining adaptive riding and cognitive behavioral therapy. Physiological data (i.e., pooled saliva, saliva combined from various glands throughout the mouth, resting under the tongue prior to collection) were collected pre/post riding session at four time points during the 10-session intervention, measuring oxytocin, cortisol, and alpha-amylase. Post-intervention, volunteers completed a survey about their experiences as volunteers and as participants in the study. All saliva samples were collected successfully. There was a non-significant, positive trend in oxytocin and alpha-amylase, while cortisol remained level. The responses in the survey suggested that volunteers perceive their role positively, with nuanced experiences of a sense of responsibility to ensure safety, and enjoyment in assisting the riders. Volunteers are vital to the safety of the rider and horse. While their perceived and internalized responsibility is evidenced by an increase in stress (e.g., cortisol remaining level and an increase in alpha-amylase), it is not necessarily negative stress, as there is simultaneously affiliative bonding expressed (oxytocin). The complex emotions and experiences of volunteers are important to understand to create meaningful, sustainable volunteer engagement. This is particularly important in the EAS industry, which is reliant on volunteerism.

A Dynamic Model for Managing Volunteer Engagement

Managing Volunteer Engagement Non-profit organizations that provide food, shelter, and other services to people in need, rely on volunteers to deliver their services. Unlike paid labor, non-profit organizations have less control over unpaid volunteers’ schedules, efforts, and reliability. However, these organizations can invest in volunteer engagement activities to strive for a steady and adequate supply of volunteer labor. The paper, “A Dynamic Model for Managing Volunteer Engagement”, models the volunteer management process. The paper derives a dynamic control policy that judiciously uses the non-profit’s resources for volunteer engagement activities depending on explicit congestion thresholds, thereby lowering the overall cost of the non-profit operation.

Does network homophily persist in multicultural volunteering programs? Results from an Exponential Random Graph Model

Few studies examined the social network structures within multicultural volunteer programs for low-income diverse older adults, making it unclear how diverse older adults establish social connections beyond their co-ethnic community. This study aims to identify the social network structures within a Senior Companion Program (SCP), a multicultural low-income volunteer program in a Midwestern Metropolitan area in the United States. Data were collected through surveys during a SCP monthly in-service training in October 2021. Russian, Khmer, Somali, Nepali, and English-speaking older volunteers in the SCP (N = 41) identified friends through a nomination form. Exponential Random Graph Modeling (ERGM) was used to identify statistically significant structural features of the SCP network. Graphs and ERGM results demonstrated that participants tended to form friendships with other volunteers of the same gender (β=3.27, p < 0.001), from the same country (β=2.89, p < 0.001), with the same education level (β=0.71, p < 0.001), and from the same volunteer recruitment site (β=2.77, p < 0.001). Surprisingly, there were few transitive ties (β= -1.01, p < 0.001), the tendency to make friends with a friend of a friend, which is typically common in friendship networks. Relationships among diverse older volunteers are largely driven by homophily in this multicultural volunteer program. Addressing language barriers and assigning volunteers from different countries to the same recruitment site may counteract homophily by nationality. However, more research needs to identify whether the opportunity to interact with people of one's same or different cultural backgrounds is a stronger incentive for volunteer engagement and connectedness.

How motivation and perceived organizational support influence the work engagement of police volunteers in Malaysia

Abstract This study investigates the impact of individual motivation and perceived organizational support on the work engagement of police volunteers in Malaysia. Utilizing a quantitative methodology, 390 completed questionnaires were collected through purposive sampling. Structural equation modeling was employed for hypothesis testing. The study found that both motivation and perceived organizational support significantly influence work engagement. Additionally, a path was identified linking motivation to perceived organizational support. This research is among the first to explore these relationships in the context of volunteer police work in Malaysia. It is limited to one police organization in one Malaysian state, warranting further validation in other law enforcement settings. The findings offer actionable insights to improve organizational support and motivation, aiming to enhance volunteer engagement. Given the growing trend of police volunteerism globally, this study holds relevance for law enforcement agencies utilizing volunteer personnel.

Seeing the forest for the coral trees: involvement and perceptions of reef threats among coral restoration volunteers in Roatan, Honduras

Abstract Despite the global expansion of coral restoration initiatives that depend on volunteer divers in supporting these programs, research exploring their motivations, sentiments and knowledge remains scarce. This study employed a mixed-methods analysis of surveys (n = 83) and interviews (n = 15) of a heterogeneous population of coral restoration volunteers and a control group of divers in Roatan, Honduras to explore these aspects. Experienced coral restoration volunteers did not perceive their contributions to coral health protection as being greater than control group non-volunteer divers, despite displaying a deeper understanding of the threats to coral reefs. Notably, both new volunteers prior to training and experienced restoration volunteers were more than twice as likely as control divers to highlight reducing carbon emissions as critical for coral health. While volunteer divers exhibit a strong baseline awareness and concern for coral reef threats, they report that participation in restoration efforts leads to significant learning gains regarding coral conservation. The insights gained from the motivations and learning outcomes of volunteers in coral restoration in Roatan may inform similar initiatives globally, potentially impacting a wide range of volunteer-based ecosystem restoration programs and diver-involved projects, thereby enhancing volunteer engagement and educational outcomes in environmental conservation efforts.

VOLUNTEERISM AND PURPOSE IN LIFE IN A NATIONAL SURVEY OF COMMUNITY-DWELLING MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER ADULTS

Abstract Volunteerism has been shown to provide physical, psychological, and functional health benefits as people age. Volunteers are able to participate in meaningful service, develop social connections, and exercise their abilities. In this study, we examined whether engaging in various types of volunteer engagement (e.g. charitable, political, religious, environmental, animal welfare, support group) was associated with self-perceived change in purpose in life (PIL) over a five year lookback period, controlling for demographic and health variables. Data were drawn from the AARP Social Engagement and Brain Health Survey, which included a nationally representative sample of adults aged 40-75+ (mode=55-64 years) across the United States who completed an online survey (N=2,585). Hierarchical linear regression was used. People who were younger (β=-.06, t=-2.55, p=.01), Black (β=.23, t=10.50, p&amp;lt;.001) or Hispanic (β=.12, t=5.20, p&amp;lt;.001), married (β=.05, t=2.65, p=.01), and had better health (β=.16, t=7.09, p&amp;lt;.001) and cognition (β=.18, t=7.69, p&amp;lt;.001) reported greater increase in PIL over the last five years (ΔR2=.13, p&amp;lt;.001). After controlling for demographic and health variables, people who valued PIL (β=.15, t=7.49, p&amp;lt;.001; ΔR2=.02, p&amp;lt;.001) and participated in volunteer work through a religious organization (β=.05, t=2.38, p=.02) or support groups (β=.07, t=3.10, p=.002) were more likely to report greater levels of PIL over the last five years (ΔR2=.02, p&amp;lt;.001). These results suggest that changes in experienced PIL may depend on physical and cognitive health, importance placed on PIL, and type of volunteer engagement, all of which may be points of potential intervention.

Lingering shadows: the negative effects of incivility on volunteers

When faced with incivility from service recipients, do volunteers feel damaged? As few previous studies have explored this issue, this study uses the conservation of resources theory to investigate the mechanisms through which incivility affects volunteer engagement and burnout, based on three-wave survey data from 1675 volunteers. This study develops a moderated mediation model to examine the effect of incivility on volunteer outcomes. We find that incivility affected volunteers’ subsequent outcomes, reducing engagement and increasing volunteer burnout by lowering volunteers’ psychological detachment. Volunteers’ hostile attribution bias played a moderating role, amplifying the negative impact of incivility on psychological detachment. Hostile attribution bias also enhanced the mediating effect of incivility on volunteer engagement and increased volunteer burnout by reducing psychological detachment. Besides developing a moderated mediation model, this study also proposes that managers should pay attention to strengthening volunteer training and providing psychological counseling to improve psychological detachment for volunteers experienced with incivility from service recipients.

Change to persist - The adaptation of European Red Cross societies to changing patterns of volunteering

Non-profit organizations active in disaster relief depend on the engagement of volunteers. Yet, society changes, and so do engagement patterns of volunteering. We examine in this paper how Red Cross societies across Europe perceive these processes and adapt to changes. As major aid organizations, Red Cross societies need to attract volunteers in various fields between disaster relief and social services. They are consequently particularly vulnerable to changes in volunteer engagement. Organizational learning is one way to mitigate this vulnerability by adapting to these changes. We analyze these organizational learning processes with a mixed-methods research design that embraces a quantitative survey as well as in-depth interviews with various Red Cross societies. The study, which refers to the 4I-Theory, demonstrates how perceived adaptation pressure is a key driver of organizational change. Red Cross societies experiencing this pressure spark an adaptation process, scrutinizing and potentially changing their structures and standards to stay the same regarding their essential characteristics.

Behind the Crowdsourcing Platform: Assessing Volunteer Recruitment and Engagement Instruments

Involving volunteers to perform tasks through crowdsourcing projects is gaining popularity. However, attracting volunteers and keeping them engaged throughout a project sets great challenges to project managers. This article analyzes the effectiveness of recruiting and engagement instruments on volunteers’ activity. A mixed-method approach has been used, including interviews with project managers and quantitative data from a large Dutch crowdsourcing platform. The research results show that crowdsourcing projects benefit from being part of a platform because of the higher activity of experienced participants. The study also provides empirical evidence supporting the effectiveness of timely communication and the speed of quality checks, both of which require project management resources. Finally, the study suggests that material rewards are less important for volunteer engagement than the intrinsic motivation of a point-based reward system.

A longitudinal investigation of job demands‐resources theory in volunteer firefighters working for the nonprofit sector

AbstractMany nonprofit emergency service organizations rely heavily on volunteers. With the recent decline in volunteer numbers and the associated economic cost, it is important for nonprofit organizations to develop strategies aimed at improving volunteer retention. To this end, we applied job demands‐resources theory to examine how volunteer demands and resources explain volunteers' well‐being (i.e., exhaustion and engagement) and consequently, retention and mental health (i.e., depressive symptoms). Specifically, we hypothesized that: (1) exhaustion mediates the positive relationship between demands and depressive symptoms, and the negative relationship between demands and retention; (2) engagement mediates the positive relationship between resources and retention; (3) resources buffer the positive relationship between demands and exhaustion; and (4) demands boost the positive relationship between resources and engagement. Volunteer firefighters (N = 126) were asked to complete a self‐report questionnaire twice over a 1‐year period. Results showed that increases in engagement mediated the positive relationship between resources and retention over time. Contrary to expectations, volunteer resources boosted the positive relationship between volunteer demands and increases in exhaustion. Namely, demands related positively with exhaustion particularly when resources were high (instead of low). Collectively, the study results have important theoretical implications since they suggest that demands do not always have long‐term, unfavorable consequences for volunteer firefighters. In contrast, resources enhance volunteer engagement and consequently, promote retention in the long run. Therefore, it is important for volunteer organizations to provide relevant resources to their members to keep them engaged and enhance their willingness to remain in the force.

Hospitality in volunteer engagement: navigating complexities in residential care facilities for children

ABSTRACT This study investigates the multifaceted realm of volunteer engagement in orphanages and residential care facilities for children, as places of hospitality towards volunteers, in low- and middle-income countries. While the positive outcomes of such engagements, including assistance, economic contributions and personal growth, are acknowledged, the study critically examines the potential ethical challenges inherent in these settings. Drawing from a theoretical framework developed by Duursma and colleagues on motives for volunteering, the research focuses on 25 volunteer applications submitted to a residential care facility in Bali, Indonesia. The qualitative analysis, guided by thematic analysis, explores motives, exchanges, individual behaviour, place and space considerations, time-based dimensions and outcomes and impacts. Ethical considerations, including data anonymisation, were rigorously implemented to ensure the privacy and confidentiality of potential volunteers and child-related data. The findings reveal diverse motives among potential volunteers, encompassing moral imperatives, leisure needs, personal interests and a genuine desire to care for others. The emphasis on non-monetary exchanges and a commitment to the community echoes Duursma and colleagues’ framework, aligning with concepts of voluntary exchange, individual behaviour and place/space considerations. The study underscores the transcendence of empathy and compassion in motivating volunteers to engage with orphanages and residential care facilities for children, reflecting a dedication to making a lasting impact, and fostering substantive connections within the community. The discussion integrates the empirical findings with the theoretical framework, providing a nuanced understanding of the complexities surrounding hospitality volunteering in orphanages and residential care facilities. The study acknowledges ethical concerns and calls for continued scrutiny, ethical considerations and collaboration to ensure that volunteerism remains a force for positive change and authentic care.

Caregivers’ socio-cultural influences on health-seeking behavior for their wasted children among forcibly displaced Myanmar Nationals and their nearest host communities

IntroductionA total of 19% of forcibly displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMNs) Bangladesh fall within the age range of under five years old, while an average of 1% exhibit severe malnutrition. Cox’s Bazar is the closest host community for FDMNs, with similar traditional culture and religion and shared linguistic, ethnic, and cultural ties.MethodsA qualitative study was conducted to investigate the impact of socio-cultural factors on the healthcare-seeking behavior of caregivers of critically malnourished children in FDMN camps and neighboring host communities.ResultsThe utilization of informal healthcare by caregivers in both populations can be attributed to cultural attitudes, taboos, and peer pressure. The healthcare by practices in the FDMN camps and host towns were primarily affected by household responsibilities, familial assistance in accessing medical services, decisions made by husbands or mothers-in-law, and the availability and accessibility of healthcare facilities. Certain features were identified that prompt caregivers to seek formal treatment in both groups. The efficacy of the treatment was a primary consideration. In instances where conventional remedies and informal treatments proved ineffective in restoring the health of children, others who were invested in their well-being, such as family members and neighbors, advised caretakers to pursue professional medical care.DiscussionEnhanced caregiver awareness of severe wasting, enhanced healthcare accessibility, and increased community volunteer engagement have the potential to facilitate early identification of severely wasted children and mitigate delays in treatment.

The Processual Nature of Volunteer Engagement: A Reconstruction of Career Patterns Based on the Narratives of Interviewees Involved in Non-Profit Activities

The article is intended to reconstruct the career stages of volunteers. As a result of the biographical data analysis, three stages of the volunteering career were outlined: preparation, institutionalization, and, potentially, professionalization. The conditions and contexts of their occurrence were also reconstructed. Secondly, the patterns of volunteering careers were described, namely, the ‘structured action scheme’ with its ‘axiological’ and ‘pragmatic’ variants; a ‘post-trajectory’ pattern, and the pattern of ‘mature participation’ and ‘biographical metamorphosis’. In this qualitative sociological study, transcriptions of narrative biographical interviews were analyzed. The procedures of the classic version of the grounded theory methodology were applied. Some concepts developed by Fritz Schütze in the field of the biographical analysis were also used.

City Maps Volunteer Engagement With a Strategic Plan

City Maps Volunteer Engagement With a Strategic Plan

Religion, Social Resources, and International Migrants’ Volunteer Participation: Evidence from Yiwu City, China

A large body of research has explored various factors influencing volunteer participation, particularly revealing the association between religious beliefs and volunteer engagement. However, there was relatively limited research on volunteer participation among international immigrants in China, a newly emerging immigrant country. Further investigation was needed to identify the factors influencing the volunteer engagement of international immigrants in China and the underlying mechanisms. This study analyzed data from international immigrants in Yiwu, China and found that their volunteer behavior was significantly influenced by their religious beliefs. Additionally, social resources were closely related to their volunteer participation. Furthermore, although perceived discrimination among international immigrants in China was not directly associated with volunteer participation, it promoted their religious participation and frequency, consequently encouraging their volunteer engagement. Further analysis also revealed two mechanisms through which religion impacted volunteer participation. On the one hand, religious beliefs influenced volunteer participation through the mechanism of religious indoctrination. On the other hand, though perceived discrimination among international immigrants did not directly influence volunteer participation, it did encourage them to engage in religious meetings to establish social networks for support, thereby enriching their social resources and subsequently promoting volunteer engagement. We discussed the implications of our findings for encouraging volunteer participation and for promoting the social integration of international immigrants.

Advancing and sustaining volunteerism: Investigating the multifaceted challenges and obstacles to volunteer engagement

AbstractIndividuals across the globe engage in volunteering activities for various purposes, such as contributing to eradicating poverty, enhancing basic health and education, ensuring access to potable water and proper sanitation, addressing environmental concerns and climate change, mitigating disaster risks, and combating social exclusion and violent conflicts. The ongoing development and sustainability of volunteering are imperative to maintain progress and warrant attention. This study explores the impediments and challenges associated with the development and sustainability of volunteering, encompassing a broad spectrum of factors, from micro‐level individual aspects to macro‐level structural elements. Data were collected via in‐depth interviews with 30 managers within the volunteering sector. The narratives were subjected to thematic analysis, leading to the identification and examination of four distinct themes at various levels. The primary findings underscore the significance of personal experiences, familial backgrounds, organizational structures, and the socio‐political milieu in which they function for comprehending the challenges and barriers to volunteering. In conclusion, this study shows that there are wide‐ranging and multidimensional challenges and barriers to the development and sustainability of volunteering activities. Therefore, analyzing these problems in coordination with the stakeholders of the volunteering field, making arrangements and developing practices may ensure the development of the volunteering field.

Association of Gratitude With Individual and Organizational Outcomes Among Volunteers: An Application of Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions

By applying the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions to the context of volunteering, we investigated how gratitude is associated with individual (subjective well-being) and organizational (volunteer retention) outcomes through the positive thought–action repertoires of prosocial motivation and volunteer engagement. The data of 924 Chinese volunteers (mean age = 35.7 ± 9.1 years, 26.2% males) from voluntary organizations were collected through an online survey. The indirect effects of gratitude on subjective well-being and retention were analyzed through structural equation modeling performed using Mplus. Gratitude was revealed to be associated with subjective well-being and retention through indirect pathways involving (a) prosocial motivation, (b) volunteer engagement, and (c) a sequential pathway from prosocial motivation to volunteer engagement. Our findings indicate that grateful volunteers tend to exhibit increased intention to help others and actively devote themselves to volunteering, which can contribute to personal and organizational resources.

Volunteering and Catholicism in Europe. The Inside Perspective. Part 1: Theoretical

The paper analyses the social activity practices of the Catholic persons, as a set of individual and collective action emerging from the Catholic identity and structuralised under the Church-related formal non-profit initiatives. The purpose of the study is to clarify: (1) to what extent the Catholic unpaid social activities of different kinds could be classified as forms of volunteering and (2) to what extent the third sector definitions of volunteering include the specificity of Catholic activities. There are three reasons for observed tendencies to not include religion-oriented volunteering in voluntary studies. Firstly, while using tools for collecting data adequate for the secular world, researchers face methodological difficulties in order to successfully cover social activities organized in parishes and congregations. Secondly, fonist approach reflects the ideological-rooted tendency to treat religion as a matter pertaining to private life. Thirdly, some of religious-based entities tends to keep social activities of the believers inside the church-related circle. From the Catholic perspective, volunteer engagement represents an important aspect of faith-based daily activities, so called ‘lived religion’. Social engagement of believers provided within the church-related entities, as well as outside them, usually fulfils all the main features of volunteering. The relation between volunteering and religion is to be referred, not only to the general position of faith-based and religious organizations in public sphere, but also to the embeddedness of religious life in the society, as in fact, both religion and volunteering are categories social per se. Reflection on volunteering and Catholicism is illustrated by presenting empirical evidence from the 2018 panel expert research among representatives of 29 Catholic Bishops Conferences across Europe.