Has Volunteering Changed in the United States? Trends, Styles, and Motivations in Historical Perspective

Volunteerism in Times of Crisis: An Unconventional Response to Processing Unemployment Insurance Claims

“…Third, along with rises in volunteering, times of crisis also typically see growth in nonprofit or voluntary organizations (Chambre 2020). These organizations further fuel increases in volunteering by providing structures and opportunities for people to get involved.…”

“…Furthermore, as noted above, patterns of volunteering have shifted over time, and many of these shifts relate to crises, such as 9/11 and the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 (Chambre 2020). In fact, volunteering reached its historical peak for three straight years shortly after 9/11 (Grimm and Dietz 2018).…”

“…As examples, antecedents at the individual level typically include demographic variables, such as gender, age, and education; personality or disposition variables, such as empathy and extroversion; and attitudinal variables such as perceptions of benefits or sense of civic duty (Smith 1994; Wilson 2012). Other studies characterize individual antecedents of volunteerism as motivation (Clerkin, Paynter, and Taylor 2009; Mannino, Snyder, and Omoto 2011) and can be categorized as altruistic or humanitarian, personal, and relational (Chambre 2020). In addition, interpersonal variables may include personal connections to a volunteer group or characteristics of one’s social network (Grimm and Dietz 2018; Smith 1994; Wilson 2012).…”

“…For example, Beyerlein and Sikkink (2008) found that feelings of personal responsibility to help others were strong drivers of volunteerism in the aftermath of 9/11. Second, during times of crisis, relational motivations, such as reciprocity, social ties, and shared identity, are particularly important (Chambre 2020; Rotolo and Berg 2011; Maki et al 2019). For example, in a study of the 2008 foreclosure crisis, areas with high rates of foreclosure saw increases in volunteering, particularly among homeowners, who were better poised than renters to relate to victims (Rotolo, Wilson, and Dietz 2015).…”

“…In fact, volunteering reached its historical peak for three straight years shortly after 9/11 (Grimm and Dietz 2018). In addition to increased rates of volunteering, the aftermath of disasters or crises typically see a growth in the nonprofit sector as new organizations form to respond to emerging needs (Chambre 2020). These organizations spawn new volunteer opportunities, which contribute to the increased rates of volunteerism and shape the volunteer landscape.…”