INCENTIVES FOR VOLUNTEERS 2
Incentives for Volunteers
Introduction
Volunteerism entails charitable activities of improving the quality of human lives by
individuals of groups without anticipating financial benefits. There are different forms of
volunteerism including but not limited to skill-based, corporate, environmental, schools,
emergencies, community, and international work camps (Binder, 2015). Non-profit organizations
require volunteers to propel the work of improving the quality of people’s lives. A vast body of
empirical literature suggests that charitable service attracts many forms of gratification to
volunteers. Offering volunteer service to help individuals in need is a valuable source of life
satisfaction. This paper examines the various motivations of volunteerism that should persuade
people to help others.
Volunteers gain emotional satisfaction from the positive experience of offering service to
others. Researchers assert that a significant correlation exists between volunteerism and life
satisfaction (Barraza, 2011). For instance, young volunteers can boast various benefits including
enhanced positive feelings, academic, life skill development, and improved social connectedness.
Jensen and McKeage (2015) used different settings to test whether emotional expectations such
as empathy, satisfaction, and distress contributed to the decision of volunteering. The researchers
established a direct relationship between satisfaction expectations and volunteer context. As
such, collaborating with charitable organizations makes volunteers experience real life
satisfaction in many ways.
According to Binder (2015), volunteering makes people healthier besides improving their
socio-economic prospects. Community service and other avenues of volunteer work help people
spend time, which they would otherwise remain idle and unproductive. For example, students
