Making Volunteerism A Year-Round Habit

Wondering how to make your volunteering a consistent practice? A Washington Post article titled, “The holidays are over. Here’s how to volunteer year-round,” shares some tips. If you’re worried that enjoying volunteering cancels out the altruistic intention, Mark Snyder, PhD, McKnight Presidential Chair in Psychology in the Department of Psychology at the University of Minnesota, reassures us that this is not the case; and, in fact, understanding non-altruistic motivations can increase altruistic behavior. Volunteers should be encouraged to recognize the benefits that they can derive from volunteering, as it can be hard work, and volunteers who find ways to fulfill their own motivations through volunteering often find they are better able to sustain the good works they do through volunteering over the long haul.

Among the prime motivations that can lead to consistent volunteering are personal development, connection to community, increasing understanding of people, cultures, or places, satisfaction of personal values, refining job skills and acquiring career contacts, and boosts to self-esteem. Recognizing that volunteering is a mutually beneficial practice can help volunteers to stick with it longer and do more for the well-being of their communities (and for themselves).

Composed by Flora Pollack, communications assistant.