subject: Factors Influencing Level Of Volunteering Services [print this page] The number of youths engaged in volunteering services is increasing day by day. According to motivational theories, volunteering persists depending on the extent to which experience fulfills relevant needs and motives.
The article will help you to understand the major factors that influence the level of volunteering services. Main factors include attachment to the community, commuting times, socioeconomic characteristics, volunteer retention and the last factor is communitys capacity to non-profit organizations.
Attachment to the Community
The factor attachment to the community actually encourages volunteering. Indicators like number of multiunit dwellings, homeownership as well as population density plays a significant role in determining whether residents come with long-term attachment or commitment to their respective communities or not.
It has been observed that positive and strong relationship between metropolitan volunteer rates and homeownership rates indicate high and low rates of volunteering. Adding to it, communities with high multiunit housing like apartment buildings attract more transient population and come with low volunteer rates.
Socioeconomic characteristics
Socioeconomic characteristics are among other factors that influence level of volunteering services. Volunteers keep into account the aspects like employment, education, income and housing of areas which they have selected for their volunteering services.
Commuting
Another major factor that deeply affects the volunteering services is commuting. Various modes of communication are there but though it becomes a problem to move ahead with specific volunteering programs.
It is one of the main needs of the members to move from one place to another in order to meet residents of the region to work as per the programs one have selected like environment & wildlife, learn abroad, teach & coach overseas, womens & youth and much more.
Volunteer retention
One of the factors that hamper the volunteering services is volunteer retention. There could be several reasons for it like high rates of states, low level of education, unawareness of programs, age and much more. Other factors that cause retention includes expectations, rules, systems, people, communication, individualism, climate, rewards and lots more. Volunteering services are successful if all elements of functional volunteer management program are in place.
Thus, it can be said from the discussions that it is essential to focus on identifying staffing needs, design member roles, recruit, training, performance evaluation, appreciation and recognition to make volunteering successful in a particular area.
Adding to it, it is essential to focus on motivational needs, treating members as equals, promoting opportunities for interaction and much more depending on the kind of volunteering programs selected by the individuals.
