The motivations to volunteer: Theoretical and practical considerations

Why do significant numbers of people engage in the unpaid helping activitie s known as volunteerism? Drawing on functional theorizing about the reasons , purposes, and motivations underlying human behavior, we have identified s ix personal and social functions potentially served by volunteering. In add ition to developing an inventory to assess these : motivational functions, our program of research has explored the role of motivation in the processe s of volunteerism, especially decisions about becoming a volunteer in the f irst place and decisions about continuing to volunteer.