What motivates people to do voluntary work?

People are motivated to carry out voluntary work for a host of different reasons, which can shape how organisations recruit and retain volunteers. Some people volunteer for a long period of time while others only do so for the short term. There are personal and communal motivations for individuals to sign up to complete voluntary work.

Volunteering to help others

People volunteer in order to help other people or to help specific causes. For example people may volunteer to help others they know by taking them shopping or cooking a meal. Yet others do voluntary work for good causes, such as local, national and international charities. People are more likely to volunteer for a cause they hold dear, such as medical charities or children’s charities.

Volunteering can help others either by raising money for the charity to help them, or by delivering the service directly to those who need them the most.

Some people volunteer as it is the best to help the people that need help the most.

Volunteering to help themselves

Charity recruiters are aware that people often do voluntary work to help themselves as well as helping charities. Carrying out voluntary work often develops skills for people. Volunteering also provides people with up to date work experience, which is handy when they are seeking paid employment.

Volunteering for social reasons

People can volunteer for social reasons too, they have friends at the place they volunteer at, and go for the people they meet as much as the work they do or the others they help.

Others volunteer just as a reason to leave their homes and meet others. Volunteering is a social thing as much as anything for some volunteers. Volunteering is something that retired people often do to fill their spare time.